In Those Days, At This Time: Holiness and History in the Jewish Calendar

The Jewish festival calendar and its attendant history and traditions are explored with light-hearted humour and a touch of whimsy in this collection of essays by noted scholar and columnist Eliezer Segal.

In Those Days, At This Time is a collection of entertaining short essays that explores the intricate framework of sacred days and times that make up the Jewish festival calendar.

Each piece is devoted to an occasion in the cycle of sacred seasons. With such intriguing titles as “Getting a Handel on Hanukkah” and “The Eggs and the Exodus,” these essays bring a touch of whimsy to a complex and deep-rooted religious tradition.

Segal investigates the ways festival observances have been shaped over the generations, looking at different interpretations of their rituals, their symbolism, and their adaptation to changing historical circumstances.

Eliezer Segal is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary, where he has been teaching since 1986. In addition to his scholarly writing, he has published extensively for non-specialist audiences on diverse topics related to Jewish history and tradition. Through his website and newspaper columns, he has attracted a broad readership with his amusing style and novel perspectives.

Introduction

The Sabbath
You Have Mail!

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
Dancing with Demons
Roman Holiday
Where to Draw the Line
Vanity, Emptiness and the Throne of Glory
Sins in the Balance
Atoning for Esau

Sukkot and Simhat Torah
Prince of the rain
Come Gather ‘Round, People
The Mysterious Origins of Simhat Torah

Hanukkah
Getting a Handel on Hanukkah
Burning Issue
The Wicked Hasmonean Priest
A Megillah for Hanukkah
Assideans for Everyone

The Fifteenth of Sh’vat
Apples and Apocalypse
It Grows on Trees
Renewable Resource

Purim
Passing through Sushan
Troubles at Court
The Purim–Shpiel and the Passion Play
The Wise King Ahasuerus
Esther and the Essens
Remebering Harbona—for Good or for Bad?

Passover
Back to Egypt
"In Every Generation . . .": The Strange Omission in Rabbi Kalischer’s Haggadeh
The Eggs and the Exodus
Dressing for Success
Hillel’s Perplexing Passover Predicament
Old King, New King
Drip before You Sip
Those Magnificent Men and Their Matzah Machines
Freshly Baked: A Matza Mystery

The ‘Omer Season
Counting the Days
Notes from the Underground
Just a Little Bit off the Top, Please
The Case of the Missing ‘Omer

Israeli Independence Day
Gathering the Dispersed of Israel
That Old Blue Box

Shavu’ot
Honey from the Tablets
Crowning Achievement
When Mount Sinai Was Lifted Up
Renewing the Covenant and Qumran

Glossary

Index