Dear Rabbi,

What is the issue of eating seeds (as in poppy seeds) on Purim? I read there was such a thing on an Ohr Somayach web site. Thanks.

Dear Rose Hill,

The role that "seeds" played in the story of Esther is that in the king's palace, Esther ate seeds in order to observe the Torah's command to eat only kosher food. This way, she was able to have a healthy, caloric diet while avoiding the royal yet unkosher meat and wine fed to the other queen candidates.