OU TORAH THE PARADOX OF PURIM By JUDAH S. HARRIS AND THE RAV

In 1969, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik (The Rav) began a lecture on Purim, and asked the audience to ponder the "basic discrepancy between Purim and Chanukah," two holidays that share a similar status or recognition, even if spaced a few months apart on the Jewish calendar, with individual observances unique to each. "I'm not speaking about specific mitzvos," he continued. "I'm speaking about the character, halachic background..."