What is at the bottom of the bottle?
Rava said: A person is obligated to become intoxicated with wine on Purim until he is so intoxicated that he does not know how to distinguish between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai. The Gemara relates that Rabba and Rabbi Zeira prepared a Purim feast with each other, and they became intoxicated to the point that Rabba arose and slaughtered Rabbi Zeira. The next day, when he became sober and realized what he had done, Rabba asked God for mercy, and revived him. The next year, Rabba said to Rabbi Zeira: Let the Master come and let us prepare the Purim feast with each other. He said to him: Miracles do not happen each and every hour, and I do not want to undergo that experience again.
(ב) חייב אינש לבסומי בפוריא עד דלא ידע בין ארור המן לברוך מרדכי: הגה וי"א דא"צ להשתכר כל כך אלא שישתה יותר מלימודו (כל בו) ויישן ומתוך שישן אינו יודע בין ארור המן לברוך מרדכי (מהרי"ל)
(2) 2. One is obligated to be intoxicated on Purim to the point where he does not know [the difference] between "accursed is Haman" and "blessed is Mordechai". RAMA: Some say it is not necessary to become drunk so much, but rather to drink more than he is used to (Kol Bo), and to fall asleep, and while he sleeps he does not know [the difference] between "accursed is Haman" and "blessed is Mordechai" (Maharil).
וְכָל הַמִּשְׁתַּכֵּר הֲרֵי זֶה חוֹטֵא וּמְגֻנֶּה וּמַפְסִיד חָכְמָתוֹ. וְאִם נִשְׁתַּכֵּר בִּפְנֵי עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ הֲרֵי זֶה חִלֵּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם. וְאָסוּר לִשְׁתּוֹת יַיִן בַּצָּהֳרַיִם וַאֲפִלּוּ מְעַט אֶלָּא אִם הָיָה בִּכְלַל הָאֲכִילָה. שֶׁהַשְּׁתִיָּה שֶׁהִיא בִּכְלַל הָאֲכִילָה אֵינָהּ מְשַׁכֶּרֶת. וְאֵין נִזְהָרִין אֶלָּא מִיַּיִן שֶׁלְּאַחַר הַמָּזוֹן:
Whoever becomes drunk is a sinner, is shameful, and will lose his wisdom. If he becomes drunk before the common people, he desecrates God's Name.
It is forbidden to drink even a small quantity of wine in the afternoon hours, unless it is taken together with food. Drink that is taken together with food is not intoxicating. Only wine that is taken after the meal is to be avoided.
(א) וַיָּבֹ֤א הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְהָמָ֔ן לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת עִם־אֶסְתֵּ֥ר הַמַּלְכָּֽה׃ (ב) וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּ֜ר גַּ֣ם בַּיּ֤וֹם הַשֵּׁנִי֙ בְּמִשְׁתֵּ֣ה הַיַּ֔יִן...
(1) So the king and Haman came to feast with Queen Esther. (2) On the second day, the king again asked Esther at the wine feast...
(טו) כֵּיצַד חוֹבַת סְעֻדָּה זוֹ. שֶׁיֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר וִיתַקֵּן סְעֻדָּה נָאָה כְּפִי אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדוֹ. וְשׁוֹתֶה יַיִן עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּכֵּר וְיֵרָדֵם בְּשִׁכְרוּתוֹ.
(15) What is the nature of our obligation for this feast? A person should eat meat and prepare as attractive a feast as his means permit. He should drink wine until he becomes intoxicated and falls asleep in a stupor.
What's under the mask?
...מה שנהגו ללבוש פרצופים בפורים...
...the custom of wearing 'faces' on Purim...
Researchers found that the clothing a person wears can affect their mental state, has the ability to perform tasks, increase feelings of confidence and dominance, affect change in hormone levels, and radically change perceptions of competence and status.
(The "Enclothed Cognition", The "Red Sneakers Effect", and The "Power Dressing")
אבן עזרא אסתר הקדמה
והנה אין במגילה הזאת זכר השם והיא מספרי הקדש . . . שזאת המגילה חברה מרדכי . . . והעתיקוה הפרסיים ונכתבה בדברי הימים של מלכיהם והם היו עובדי עבודה זרה והיו כותבין תחת השם הנכבד והנורא שם תועבתם . . . והנה כבוד השם שלא יזכרנו מרדכי במגילה.
Ibn Ezra on Esther, Introduction
Behold, there is no mention of God's name in the Megillah, even though it is part of Scripture . . . because the Megillah was written by Mordechai . . . and the Persians copied it and placed it in the chronicles of their kings, and they were idol worshippers and would write the name of their deity instead of the name of God. . . . It was for the honor of God's name that Mordechai did not mention It in the Megillah.
Our relationship with doubt.
No source for Safek (doubt) in the Torah because it is never mentioned. Neither is Vadai (certainty)
(6) When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate.
עמלק 100+30+40+70 = 240
ספק 100+80+60 = 240
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson
“The numerical value (gematria) of the Hebrew letters that spell Amalek (240) is equivalent to that of the letters that spell safek, “doubt.” All things holy are certain and absolute... Amalek is doubt; baseless, irrational doubt that cools the fervor of holiness with nothing more than a cynical shrug.”