You will be protected

Hi,

Regarding Daniel 3, and the Divine rescue of Chananiah, Mishael and Azariah from the fiery furnace, after they refused to bow to King Nevuchadnezzar's statue:

"This story is also a lesson for the nation in their exile, under the decrees and destruction the kings of the nations issue in their lands, among their nations, and amid the great dangers they bear in exile, like a burning, fiery furnace, to let them know that the malach of Gd will never leave them, and Gd's supervision will not abandon them."

(Don Isaac Abarbanel, Maayanei haYeshuah, Maayan 6 Tamar 3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The rehabilitation of Nevuchadnezzar, and the reaction of the Sages

Hi,

"R' Yitzchak said: Molten gold should be poured into the mouth of that wicked one [King Nevuchadnezzar, who praised Gd at the end of the third chapter of the book of Daniel]. Had a malach not slapped his mouth, he would have put all of the songs and praises of David in Tehillim to shame!"

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 92b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Pesach is coming...

Hi,

Pesach is coming:

"Biblically, we are instructed to speak of the miracles and wonders performed for our ancestors in Egypt, on the night of the fifteenth of Nisan, as it says, 'Remember this day when you left Egypt'."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Chametz uMatzah 7:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The punishment of the Egyptians at the Sea

Hi,

"Each of the pursuers of Israel met an unusual death, according to the way he had harmed Israel when they had lived in Egypt.

"Thus we say in the blessings of Shema, 'He drowned their pursuers and enemies in the depths.' The king's forces are termed 'pursuers' because they acted not out of hatred but out of service to the king; the rest of the Egyptians are called 'enemies'. One who was liable for his wickedness drowned, but also died under Divine supervision, with an appropriate punishment."

(R' Naftali Zvi Yehudah Berlin, Birkat haNetziv to Mechilta Beshalach 6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Celebrate!

Hi,

"One should make every effort to fulfill the days of Purim with their instructions, and not take them lightly. We should fulfill them like the other holidays, or more so, for they endure forever. Even should the other holidays be cancelled, these days [of Purim] would never be cancelled from Israel, as Esther 9:28 says, 'The memory of these events will never terminate from their descendants.' This is taught by our sages. (Talmud Yerushalmi Megilah 1:5)"

(R' Yaakov Skili [14^th century Spain], Torat haMinchah, Derashah 36)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Purim Drinking

Hi,

On Purim we celebrate the ultimate joy of a sudden national rescue, and our sages have taught that we should imbibe alcohol at the Purim Seudah as part of this celebration. Just as we abstain from various foods and from drink at certain times of the year to induce sadness, so we indulge in various foods and in drink at other times of the year, to induce joy. The gemara’s standard for imbibing is to drink until we cannot tell the difference between “Cursed is Haman” and “Blessed is Mordechai” (Megilah 7b).

Authorities differ on how much to drink, but the following is clear: An adult who is medically, psychologically and emotionally able to drink, and who has a designated driver, should drink some amount of alcohol - preferably enough that he will feel lightheaded (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 695:2). One should enjoy his Purim meal relatively early in the afternoon, drink a little, and then sleep off the effects of the alcohol.

Many people, and I include myself in this number, have embraced the practice of drinking minimally at the Purim Seudah and then fulfilling the state of intoxication by taking a nap after the meal. This approach is sanctioned by the Rama (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 695:2), and supported by the Taz, who believes that the gemara's conclusion opposes drinking. One might consider doing the eating/drinking/nap before participating in a communal seudah.

I know the following is obvious, and I apologize for taking your time with it, but if my blog has any reach at all then I feel an obligation to state this obvious point. Please:

1) There is no reason to give alcohol to minors who are pre-bar mitzvah to drink on Purim. It is not necessary for their fulfillment of any mitzvah. The practice might be secularly legal as sacramental wine - consult an attorney - but it is a foolish and dangerous ritual and therefore prohibited as endangering our children as well as violating our obligation of chinuch for our children.

I do believe there is a difference between giving children under the age of obligation in mitzvot a taste of wine from the formal Shabbat Kiddush (not the one in shul; I mean the one at dinner/lunch!) and engaging them in Purim drinking. The former is a formal setting, and no one (I hope) is drinking to get a buzz. On Purim, though, because the general drinking is more loose and more geared toward celebration, I believe that the rule should be that children drink no alcohol at all.

2) If your own child is a minor, but older than bar mitzvah, and able to handle a small amount of wine, then it makes sense to help your child fulfill the mitzvah with a small amount, in a supervised setting, assuming this is legal in your jurisdiction.

3) I beleve adults should not drink on Purim in the presence of young children, beyond what would normally be consumed at a meal on Shabbat. Immature children cannot tell when we are in control and when we are not, cannot comprehend the dangers associated with alcohol, cannot accept the idea that adults can do what children are not permitted to do, and cannot understand the difference between Purim and the rest of the year.

The finest joy is a celebration which centers around a Mitzvah, and this is the essence of Purim – the four mitzvot (Megilah, Sending Gifts of Food, Giving to the Poor and having a Feast) which are about experiencing joy and spreading joy and thanking HaShem for saving us from destruction.

I apologize for wasting anyone’s time by stating the obvious, but as I said above, I feel the responsibility of stating this in any forum I have available.

And not to be a party-pooper at all, but those who want to know more about this theme should see Shaarei Teshuvah of Rav Chaim Margaliyot (printed with a standard Mishneh Berurah), in his final comment on Orach Chaim:

ויותר יש לזרז עצמו בד"ת במקום שיש שם איזה שמחה אף אם היא שמחה של מצוה ועיין בסוף סוכה בענין שמחת בית השואבה וכן מבואר לעיל סימן תקכ"ט אדם אוכל ושותה ושמח ברגל ולא ימשוך בבשר ויין ובשחוק וקלות ראש לפי שאין השחוק וקלות ראש שמחה אלא הוללות וסכלות ולא נצטוינו על הוללות וסכלות אלא על שמחה שיש בה עבודת היוצר עכ"ל והוא לשון רבינו הרמב"ם ז"ל והמפרשים ז"ל פירשו לשחוק אמרתי מהולל ר"ל שיהיה באיזה ענין שיהיה השחוק הוא הוללות עבט"ז לעיל
אך לשמחה מה זו עושה ר"ל שלענין שמחה אין להחליט שאינה יפה שבאמ' יש שמחה של מצוה ולכן יש ליתן לב לדעת מה זו עושה ר"ל מה טובה אם הוא שמחה של מצוה או לא אך הואיל ואפשר כי מתוך אכילה ושתיה והוללת יתמשך לשחוק וקלות ראש לכן יקח תבלין לבסם השמחה בד"ת וחדוות ה' יהיה מעוזו ויטב לבו בד"ת וז"ש וטוב לב משתה תמיד

It is even more necessary to energize one’s self with words of Torah in a place where there is joy, even if it is joy associated with a mitzvah. See the end of Succah regarding simchas beis hashoevah. And so is explained in the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 529, “One should eat, drink and be happy on the holiday, but not draw himself after meat and wine and laughter and lightheadedness, for laughter and lightheadedness are not joy, but empty celebration and foolishness. We are not instructed in empty celebration and foolishness, but in joy which includes service of the Creator.” This is a citation from the Rambam.
The sages explained the verse (Kohelet 2:2), “I have called laughter ‘empty celebration’” to mean that in any form, laughter is empty celebration. See the Taz earlier. [I don’t know which comment from the Taz he means.]
But “What does joy accomplish (Kohelet 2:2)” means that regarding joy, one should not conclude that it is not good. In truth, there is joy associated with mitzvot! Therefore, one should set his heart to know what joy can accomplish, meaning, what is its nature – is it joy associated with a mitzvah, or not. But since it is possible that one will be drawn to laughter and lightheadedness as a result of eating, drinking and empty celebration, therefor, one should take spices to sweeten the joy with words of Torah, and his strength will be in the joy of Gd, and his heart will be good with words of Torah. This is the meaning of ‘One of good heart is always at a feast.’

May we have wonderful and safe Purim - ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר!

Chag Purim Sameiach,
Mordechai

The special character of Purim

Hi,

"Purim is not like the early [biblical] holidays, for all of those miracles are not like that of Purim. In Egypt they said, 'All boys who are born [shall be cast into the river], and you shall keep all girls alive.' On Purim, though, they said, 'From young to old, children and women.' Therefore, Purim will never be cancelled."

(R' Eliezer of Worms [Rokeiach], Sefer HaShem pg. 79)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Create Purim!

Hi,

The Jews in the time of Purim accepted upon themselves "to make these days of Purim into days of feasting and joy, and sending portions of food to each other, and giving gifts to the needy." (Esther 9:22)

Purim is not a "natural" Yom Tov (holiday); it is up to us to make Purim into a Yom Tov, through our mitzvot of the day, and through our joy and recognition of the Divine miracle which saved us on the original Purim.

(Based on Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:20)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Yom Kippur and Purim

Hi,

The Zohar equates Purim and Yom Kippur (which is called "Yom haKippurim" in the Torah).

The Piaseczner Rebbe, writing in the Warsaw Ghetto, explained: Just as one is obligated to repent and fast on Yom Kippur, so one is obligated to be joyous on Purim!

Have a great day,

Mordechai