The global cosmetics market is experiencing continual growth, valued at over $446 billion, expected to almost double that by 2035. Enhancement of one’s appearance is a skill, a burden, a game, and it is the key to so much of how we present ourselves and thereby also have a voice. The world knows of Halima Aden, Angelina Jolie, Bella Hadid, Beyonce, and Priyanka Chopra for the causes they support but also because of their beauty. For this year’s Purim pop up, join Rabbi Elisheva Salamo as we contemplate the intersection of beauty and power in the Torah and beyond.

A Purim Perspective on Competitive Anger by Rabbi Mitch Smith

I was once asked to help a high school basketball team prepare for their state championship tournament. The team had made it to the semi-final game, and was up eight points after the first half, in part because of numerous mental errors made by the other team. However, after the opposing team settled down and started to play better, and the team I had worked with started to feel the game slipping away, the point guard, a flashy and gifted player, began to “lose it.” He started making hasty passes and aggressive fouls that eventually got him tossed out of the game. His inability to keep a lid on his frustration cost his team a fighting chance at victory.

At Purim time, it is worth turning to the Book of Esther for a fascinating account of how anger can get out of hand.