Purim and the Journey to Oblivion: Is Inebriation Really a Mitzvah?

Source sheet originally put together by Rabbi Aaron Alexander and reproduced on Sefaria with his permission. Context and bolded questions are by David Schwartz.

Drinking on Purim "on one foot":

Some have the custom of drinking alcohol on Purim. This source sheet examines the origin of this and how much is enough.

Context: This is after the Jews of the Persian empire were saved from destruction the same days that had been marked for that to happen. Esther and Mordechai ordained that these should be days of celebration.

If you were trying to figure out how to actually implement "days of feasting", what would that look like?

a) what is the context of the verses above? What happened in the Esther story to lead to this moment?
Give yourself a quick refresher....
b) What specific obligations come forth from these verses?

Context: This is from the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Megillah, which is about Purim (as one might guess). Heretofore the Gemara had been discussing the commandment of "mishloach manot", sending gifts of food to friends, and it then turns to the commandment of "seudah", "feasting". While there are many ways of understanding this, Rabbi Aaron Alexander offers one based on a read of the Kol Bo (see below): If we are tipsy enough to not make distinctions, we will be more willing to give Matanot Le'Evyonim to poor people without trying to distinguish who is a truly deserving recipient.

Why might the rabbis have put this story right after the first statement?

a) Look at the first line in hebrew, too. Can you identify the word that 'commands' here? What is its fore, legally?
b) In layman's terms, what is the difference between 'cursed is Haman' and 'blessed is
Mordechai'? Why describe it this way?
c) What are the legal implications (if any) of the story that follows the legal clause?

Context: This is from Maimonides/Rambam's Mishneh Torah, where he reorganizes the Talmud and cuts straight to what one should do in a given situation. Rambam lived from 1135-1204, which is best remembered as being almost half an hour.

How does Rambam understand the statement in the Talmud that one should drink until one can not tell the difference between "cursed is Haman" and "blessed is Mordechai"?

a) How do you think the Rambam interprets the verses from Megillat Esther (source #1)?
b) Does his description of drinking jive with the piece from the Talmud?

Context: This is from a different section of Rambam’s Mishneh Torah. Note that as early as the 1100s it was known that drinking on an empty stomach led to more problems than drinking at a meal.

How does this text affect your understanding of the issue?

This is a text from the Rambam, but in another section of his Mishneh Torah. Does it impact your read of the first text? How so? Pay close attention to the specific words he chooses to use.

Context: The Beit Bechira is a Talmudic commentary by the Meiri (Rabbi Menacham Meiri, 1249-1310, Provence).

How does the Meiri deal with the statement in the Talmud?

a) According to the Meiri, what is the true mitzvah, here? How do we fulfill it?
b) What is his legal justification for making this claim? Do you agree?

Context: The Kol Bo is a collection of Jewish laws composed in Provence is the early 14th century. This is the from the section of “Laws of Purim”.

How does the Kol Bo understand the text of the Talmud?

a) This text seems to flip everything on its head. How?
b) What are the obligations that drive the Kol Bo's reading? How does his text fit into the text we saw from the Talmud?

Context: The Tur is a law code written in the early 1300s by Rabbi Jacob ben Asher. It’s divided into 4 sections; this comes from the Orach Chayim section, which is about prayer, Shabbat/festivals, and daily religious duties. The system that the Tur devises for organizing topics becomes “the Dewey Decimal System” of Jewish law (to use Rabbi David Wolkenfeld’s term).

The Talmud says that one should “become intoxicated” until one doesn’t know the difference; the Tur says that one should “drink” until one doesn’t know the difference. What difference does that make?

a) One slight difference between this text and the Talmud... can you find it? Does it matter?

Context: The Beit Yosef was written by Rabbi Joseph Karo in Sefad in the first half of the 1500s. He took the system of the Tur from 200 years earlier and updated it, giving every opinion that he knew of for each topic since the Mishnah along with his own Sephardic opinions. At the same time, Rabbi Moshe Isserles (the Rama) had the same idea in Cracow. Unfortunately for the Rema, Rabbi Karo published first, so Rabbi Isserles undid most of his work and just published the Ashkenazic pieces that were missing from the Beit Yosef.

How does the Beit Yosef understand the statement in the Talmud about drinking on Purim? How does he understand the relationship between the statement and the story which follows it? What is Rabbi Karo’s concern?

**Can you anticipate what the final ruling of Rav Yosef Karo will be in his Shulhan Arukh? How would you write the one liner?

Context: The Shulchan Aruch ("Set Table") was written by Rabbi Joseph Caro in 1563. Similar to how Rambam put together the Mishneh Torah, cutting out all the different opinions in the Talmud to just give the bottom line, Rabbi Caro took out the different opinions in the Beit Yosef and just gave the bottom line of what to do (so it’s like a “set table” because the “food” is already prepared for consumption). In Cracow, Rabbi Moshe Isserles (the Rama) had the same idea, but again Rabbi Caro beat him to publication. So, once again Rabbi Isserles took out everything except the Ashkenazic parts missing from the Shulchan Aruch and published it as the Mapa ("the Tablecloth"). After that, the Shulchan Aruch was usually published with the Rama's gloss, making it accessible to both Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews.

How does the Rama understand the statement in the Talmud about drinking?

a) The last two texts were both written by the same author (Beit Yosef and Shulhan Arukh). There seems to be a major difference. How can we account for this?
b) Look closely at the text from R. Isserles. What does it add to the discussion, legally?

Context: The Mishnah Berurah was written by the Chofetz Chayim (Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan) in the late 1800s. It takes the Orach Chayim section of the Shulchan Aruch (laws about prayer, synagogue, Shabbat, and holidays) and explains various ways of thinking about them as of the late 1800s. It tends to lean toward the stricter of the options that it presents when it gives options.

Given what the Mishnah Berurah is saying about intention when saying blessings on Purim, what limit does this put on drinking?

A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice (Rabbi Isaac Klein), p. 238

The "feasting and gladness" are expressed by the seudat Purim, an especially festive meal held in the afternoon before sundown (O.C. 965:2). In order to heighten the joy at this meal, the rabbis even allowed an unusual amount of levity. Well-known is the statement in the Talmud: "Rava said: A person should be so exhilarated [with drink] on Purim that he does not know the difference between 'cursed be Haman' and 'blessed be Mordechai' " (B. Megillah 7b). The later authorities tried hard to lessen the exuberance of this command. Since they could not condone intoxication, they suggested that the passage means that one may drink more than he usually does (O.C. 695:2 in Rama). It was also ingeniously suggested that the numerical values of "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordechai" are the same; to be unable to discover this does not take a very high degree of intoxication. (See Abudraham Hashalem for other interpretations. The most rational is the one quoted from Ba'al Haminhagot. According to him, there were responsive readings where the responses to the reader were "cursed by Haman" and "blessed be Mordechai." Naturally it was necessary to know when the one was called for, and when the other. Again, one did not have to be highly intoxicated to confuse the responses.)

The permissiveness in regard to imbibing on Purim was explained on the ground that imbibing was very much involved in the story of Purim. Vashti fell from grace when "the heart of the king was merry with wine" (Esther 1:10), which resulted in Esther becoming the queen. When Esther became queen there was a similar banquet (Esther 2:18). Haman's downfall started with the drinking of wine (Esther 7:1, 2; O.C. 695:2 in M.D., note 1).

Context: A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice was written by Rabbi Isaac Klein in 1979 as an answer to the question "How do I live a Jewish life?" It presented the Conservative Movement's traditional egalitarian approach, grounded in traditional sources. For instance, in this text, "O.C." means "Orach Chayim", a section of the Shulchan Orach. The idea that the Gematria (alpha-numeric value) of "cursed is Haman" and "blessed is Mordechai" are both 502 was pointed out by Rabbi Alexander Zusslin HaCohen, a German rabbi from the 1300s.

How much drinking does one need to do before one can't tell that the two phrases have the same numeric value?

The Observant Life (Martin Cohen), p. 199-200

The "feasting and merrymaking" which Mordechai commanded the Jews to observe developed into the mitzvah of holding a feast on the afternoon of Purim, a meal commonly called the Purim se'udah. This meal is one of the rare occasions in Judaism when almost anything goes. Funny skits, humorous stories, and even making fun of rabbis and teachers are all part of the spirit of merrymaking that prevails at this unique time. The Talmud goes so far as to suggest that one should carry on with one's merrymaking until one can no longer distinguish between the words "blessed be Mordechai" and "cursed be Haman" (BT Megillah 7b). How exactly one accomplishes this is left to later interpretation, however. In Israel, there are national adloyada parades (after that same lesson in the Talmud that one should go on with one's fun until "one does not know" Mordechai from Haman) with costumes, floats, and even marching bands. When Purim falls on a Friday, the custom is to have the Purim feast following the m'gillah reading in the morning (gloss of the Rema to SA Orach Chayyim 695:2).

Traditionally, the consumption of alcohol was considered the simplest and best way to arrive at the state of no longer being able to distinguish between "blessed be Mordechai" and "cursed be Haman." In recent years, especially on college campuses, this time-honored custom has led to excess and many rabbis now discourage the consumption of alcohol, especially by young people, as part of Purim observance. How central drinking is to the celebration of Purim remains an issue that contemporary scholars continue to debate.

Context: The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews is a 2012 update on Rabbi Klein's book of 1979.

What does this text add to the conversation?

Jewish Answers to Real Life Questions, p. 95

Dear Rabbi:

I am an alcoholic who has managed to stay sober for the past five years. During that time I've also become more religious. A friend just told me that it is an obligation to become drunk on Purim. Is this true?

Frank, New York

Dear Frank,

It is true that there is a rabbinic saying that on Purim one should be so drunk that it's impossible to distinguish between 'blessed is Mordechai" and "cursed is Haman". The intent of this rule is to encourage the kind of exultant joy that Purim represents. Everyone should rejoice on this holiday, and one good way to do it--for many people--is to get a little bubbly. There is no requirement to get drunk, and it needs to be said that being drunk would make it impossible to fulfill the mitzvah of hearing the reading of the Megillah. So drinking a bit to encourage revelry is fine; drunkenness is not required. For the recovering alcoholic, there is a larger issue at stake: It is also a principle of Jewish law that health concerns override ritual requirements (sakanta chamura m'issura). Someone who is struggling against alcoholism risks losing control by drinking any amount of alcohol. In such an instance, one is obligated not to drink. But you can still find ways to enjoy the revelry and giddiness of Purim. Wear a costume, prepare a Purimschpeil, nosh a hamantashen, and be the designated driver for some of your shul-going friends! Simchat Purim!

Context: Jewish Answers to Real-Life Questions is a book written in 2000 by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson. Rabbi Artson is the Dean of the Ziegler Rabbinical School at the American Jewish University.

There are lots of reasons why somebody might not want to drink alcohol (medications, pregnancy, alcoholism, etc.) and yet want to participate in Purim celebration. What is Rabbi Artson's answer?

Summary Text (added by David Schwartz)

עד דלא ידע: Drinking on Purim

Posted on: Wednesday March 7, 2012

By David Golinkin, President, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies

Note: A version of this article originally appeared with the title Just How Drunk Should a Jew Get on Purim? in Insight Israel: The View from Schechter, Jerusalem: 2003, pp. 27-30.

The Jewish people throughout history has always opposed drunkenness. That is the message of the stories of Noah and Lot (Genesis 9 and 19) as well as of the book of Proverbs (23:30-35). According to our Sages, Nadav and Avihu were killed because they were drunk (Leviticus Rabbah 20:9 and parallels), drunkenness leads to forbidden sexual relations (Ketubot 65a and Numbers Rabbah 10:3) and “there is nothing that causes a person greater lamentation than wine” (Sanhedrin 70b).

As a result, it is difficult to fathom the primary Talmudic source related to drinking on Purim (Megillah 7b):

Rava said: a person must get drunk on Purim until he cannot distinguish between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordechai.” Rabbah and Rabbi Zeira made a Purim feast together. They got drunk. Rabbah stood up and killed Rabbi Zeira. On the morrow, Rabbah prayed for him and revived him. The following year, Rabbah said to him: “Come, let us celebrate the Purim feast together!” Rabbi Zeira replied: “Miracles don't happen every day!”

Rava's statement begs an explanation. Rabbi David Abudraham (Spain, 14th century) explained that the Sages required drinking on Purim since all of the miracles in the days of Ahashverosh occurred at drinking parties (Sefer Abudraham, pp. 209-210). On the other hand, Rava was a vintner (Berakhot 56a and Bava Metzia 73a) and clearly liked to drink wine (Pesahim 107b). As for the strange story, Rabbi H. Z. Reines suggests that the entire episode is a Purim joke (Hadoar 5737, p. 266)!

Whatever the simple meaning is, it is clear that the poskim (halakhic authorities) throughout the generations felt very uncomfortable with Rava's demand to get drunk on Purim, and therefore each posek tried to circumvent the requirement. Here is a sampling of their rulings:

1. Rabbeinu Ephraim (North Africa, 11th century) claimed that the story comes to cancel out Rava's statement and therefore one should not get drunk on Purim.[i]
2. Rabbi Alexander Zusslin Hacohen (Germany, 14th century) explained that “ארור המן” “cursed be Haman” equals “ברוך מרדכי” “blessed be Mordechai" in gematria – they both add up to 502! – and it requires less wine to become that intoxicated?[ii]
3. Rabbi Yosef Haviva (Spain, 15th century) wrote that one should say funny things so that the beholders will think that one cannot distinguish between “cursed be Haman” and “'blessed be Mordechai.”[iii]
4. Maimonides (Egypt, 12th century) rules that “he drinks wine until he gets drunk and falls asleep…”,[iv] and this ruling was adopted by Rabbi Moshe Isserles in the Shulhan Arukh (Poland, 16th century).[v]
5. Rabbi Netanel Weil (Germany, 18th century) explained: “ ‘until’ – up to and not including, because otherwise he would reach the drunkenness of Lot.”[vi]
6. Rabbi Aaron of Lunel (Provence, 14th century) commented “that he should drink more than his normal custom in order to rejoice greatly and to make the poor rejoice and he shall comfort them ... and that is true joy.”[vii] This is the most original interpretation: that the purpose of drinking on Purim is to help us fulfill the mitzvah of mattanot la'evyonim (alms to the poor) and not simply to get drunk.
7. Finally, Rabbi Menahem Hameiri (Provence, 14th century) said: “In any case, we are not commanded to get drunk … for we were not commanded to engage in debauchery and foolishness, but to have heartfelt joy which will lead us to the love of God and to gratitude for the miracles which he performed for us.”[viii]

In recent years, we have witnessed a marked increase in the use of wine and alcohol on Purim. This increase has led, in turn, to an increase in traffic accidents and injuries. These are the ways of Noah, Lot and Ahashverosh – not of the Jewish people throughout its history. The poskim understood this significant difference. That is why they ruled: “heartfelt joy,” yes, “debauchery and foolishness,” no.

May we remember this crucial difference both on Purim and throughout the year.

Bibliography

1. Rabbi Daniel Adler, Judaism 40/1 (Winter 1991), pp. 6-15
2. Rabbi Aaron Arend, BDD 8 (Winter 5759), pp. 65-75
3. Rabbi Sh. H. Kuk, Iyunim Umehkarim, Vol. 2, Jerusalem, 1963, pp. 51-52
4. Rabbi H. Z. Reines, Hadoar 56/17 (7 Adar 5737), p. 266
5. Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, Hamo'adim Bahalakhah, Tel Aviv, 1960, pp. 203-208

Notes

[i] Sefer Ha’eshkol, ed. Auerbach, Part 2, Halberstadt, 1868, p 27.

[ii] Sefer Ha’agudah, Tractate Megillah, Chapter 1, par. 7.

[iii] Nimukey Yosef to Megillah 7b, ed. Blau, New York, 1960, p. 18.

[iv] Mishneh Torah, Laws of Purim 2:15

[v] Rema in Orah Hayim 695:2.

[vi] Korban Netanel to the Rosh to Megillah, Chapter 1, par. 8, note 10.

[vii] Orhot Hayim, Din Se'udat Purim, par. 38.

[viii] Bet Habehira to Megillah 7b.

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/drinking-purim

Context: This text by Rabbi David Golinkin comes from the Rabbinical Assembly’s website, in the section of Holiday Resources. It summarizes the traditional responses to the text in the Talmud that one should drink on Purim until one cannot tell the difference between “cursed is Haman” and “blessed is Mordechai”.

Which explanation for the Talmudic text works best for you?