Purim has only four mitzvot to observe this happy holiday. The previous dappim dealt with the mitzvah of reading the Megillah. We learn that we read it on the 14th day of Adar and if we live in a city that was walled at the time of Joshua’s conquest of Canaan we read it on the 15th day of Adar. We also learned that we read it both in the evening and the next morning. Yesterday’s daf taught that in a leap year we must read the Megillah in Adar II.
Today’s daf TB Megillah 7 teachers the minimum requirements of the other three mitzvot, gifts to the poor (מַתָּנוֹת לָאֶבְיוֹנִים.), sending food portions (presents) one to another (וּמִשְׁלוֹחַ מָנוֹת אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ), and a Purim feast (סְעוּדַת פּוּרִים). The Gemara learns that since the word “poor” is in the plural one must give tzedakkah to at least two poor people. Similarly, the Gemara learns that since “food portions” are the plural and “another” is in the singular, a person must give two different types of food to another person in order to fulfill this mitzvah. Finally we learned that the Purim feast must be eaten on the day of Purim.
Everybody knows that Purim is a drinking holiday because of Rava. “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.” (Sefaria.org translation. Is Rava suggesting that we become stone cold drunk and pass out? Almost all commentators say no. “Cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai” is part of a religious poem that is recited after the Megillah reading. The Meiri and the Ran say one should drink just enough that the person would not be able to recite this prayer with clarity. Rambam understands a person should drink just enough that he falls asleep and thus be in a state wherein he does not know the difference between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai. (Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Megillah 2:15, Rama on Shulkhan Arukh, Orekh Hayim, 695:2) The gematria of “cursed is Haman (אָרוּר הָמָן)” equals the gematria of “blessed is Mordecai (בָרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי).” Both phrases add up to 502. According to still other commentators, one should drink just enough so he can’t do the math.
In fact the very next story warns
us of the dangers of intoxication. “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” (Sefaria.org translation)
On the radio an add has been repeating the warning of the dangers of drunk driving. The announcer asks what’s the worst thing that could happen? Losing your license? Totaling your car? Killing somebody else and I would add killing yourself as well? Did you know “drinking and driving kills 28 people a day in the U.S. — about one person every 52 minutes, according to the NHTSA. That is more than 10,000 lives lost each year to drunk driving. Drunk driving is responsible for about 1/3 of traffic fatalities. Jul 26, 2021” (https://www.google.com/search?q=statistics+about+drunk+driving&sxsrf=AOaemvLPneMlAcRv4xSRl8k8DPbMRqbhfw%3A1639949977492&source=hp&ei=maa_YYLOGuvPytMPiPiZ2As&iflsig=ALs-wAMAAAAAYb-0qb3f0BxUaO6XYFtUGwdT_p1oYvDK&oq=Statistics+about+drunk+driving&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIFCAAQgAQyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjoHCCMQ6gIQJzoNCC4QxwEQrwEQ6gIQJ1DhIljhImD2PGgBcAB4AIABbIgBbJIBAzAuMZgBAKABAbABCrgBAQ&sclient=gws-wiz)
Judaism teaches us the value of
moderation when comes to drinking not only on Purim but on every day of the
year. Just like Rabbi Zeira we shouldn’t depend upon miracles.
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