Purim M'shulash • Trippple Purim

It happens about 11½% of years, but its occurrences are not evenly distributed. The last time it happened was 7 years ago. The time before that, 13 years earlier. It is scheduled to happen 4 years from now and 3 years after that. And then not for another 13 years. Whenever Jerusalem-Purim is Shabbat, so will Erev Pesach be. Another complex halachic event. And the following Rosh HaShana will begin on a Tuesday.

The rabbinic ban on reading Megilat Esther on Shabbat is similar to the ban on Shofar and Lulav on Shabbat – namely, that the Sages did not want any of these mitzvot to be the cause of someone's inadvertent violation of Shabbat, under the mistaken idea that carrying in a public domain without an Eiruv would be allowed to facilitate the mitzva in question (which it isn't). The ban goes "across the board" and applies to all Jews, wherever they live.

[Only in the current year's type - a 4.3% frequency - do we have Shofar, Lulav, and Megila all banned on Shabbat.]

Much of what has been said so far, was to satisfy curiosity. Let's get tachlitic! (The less sophisticated version of that word is tachis-y.)

The Mishna in Megila is clear on when people of Walled Cities are to hear Megila when the 15th of Adar is a Shabbat — a day earlier, just like the people of the "big cities". That is, on Thursday night and Friday day. And that is what Jerusalemites will be doing this coming week.

Since it isn't our Purim on Friday, we will not be saying AL HANISIM, nor will we have a special Torah reading on Friday morning. We will do both of those things on Shabbat, our real Purim day. But Megila is Thursday night and Friday.

Although there is always a preference to hear Megila with a Minyan, when we hear it "early" the preference almost becomes an insistence. This applies to both men an women. People who cannot get to shul for Megila (either at night or during the day) who in regular years might suffice with a private reading in the house, this year should go out of their way to have a minyan at home. Even if the other 9 people have already fulfilled the obligation of Megila, the 10 of you are still considered the Tzibur that the Halacha wants. For Megila purposes, a group of 10 women for women counts as a Tzibur.

[There are halachic problems with a mixed group of 10.]

Bottom line: Megila read privately is still "kosher", including brachot, but should be avoided if possible (specifically, this year in Jerusalem).
It sounds a bit strange, but people should be reminded on Friday non-Purim, NOT to say Al HaNisim. The temptation will be there. The Purim atmosphere.

Speaking of which, it is proper to dress nicely on Thursday night and Friday, in honor of the Megila, even though it is not our Purim.

Besides Megila reading, the other mitzva of Purim that is to be fulfilled on Friday is MATANOT LA'EVYONIM. Care should be taken to give to at least two poor people who live in Jerusalem. The recipients of the money or gifts of food should not use it all up on Friday, but keep some until Sunday morning. (If the poor people use the money to buy food for Shabbat and for Sunday's Seuda, this is fine because that's what MATANOT LA'EVYONIM is supposed to be for.

The other mitzvot of Purim, namely Mishlo'ach Manot, Seudat Purim, and the custom to drink a bit more wine than one is accustom to, do not officially apply to Jerusalemites on Friday, but it is suggested that one do each aspect of these mitzvot (in token form) on Friday. One should give a simple two-food minimum Mishlo'ach Manot to one person on Friday, although the main observance of this Purim mitzva is Sunday for Jerusalemites.

So too, should one eat a meal on Friday morning (before halachic noon) and have in mind the mitzva of Seudat Purim – even though our main fulfillment of Seuda is Sunday.

Similarly, a modest drink of wine and the subsequent nap that often is induced by the wine, would be in keeping with the "extra measure" of doing those mitzvot on the same day that we read Megila.

Remember, none of the above is MEI-IKAR HADIN, part of the actual requirements of Purim, but it is praiseworthy to do these mitzvot on Friday, nonetheless.

Back to Al HaNisim for a moment. A Jerusalemite who unthinkingly says Al HaNissim on Thursday night or Friday, in the Amida or Birkat HaMazon does not have to "correct" that error. Still, one should be careful to think and act in a halachically proper manner.

If a Jerusalemite said Al HaNisim on Friday and he has not completed the MODIM bracha, should go back and repeat the last few words of MODIM and then continue with V'AL KULAM. Once the bracha is completed, one does nothing about the Al HaNisim that was said.

SHABBAT
Shabbat is the "real" Purim in Yerushalayim. Al HaNisim is said in each Amida of the four Shabbat davenings. If one forgets Al HaNisim, and remembers the omission before concluding the bracha of HATOV, go back and say it. After the bracha, one continues until right before Y'H'YU L'RATZON at the end of ELOKAI, N'TZOR, and says it there. Finished the Amida? Do not say it over. 

Similar rule for Birkat HaMazon. Within the NODEH bracha, go back and say it. Past that point, do not go back, but say it in the HARACHAMAN section of the benching. In this case, the beginning is modified to fit. HARACHAMAN HU YA'ASEH LANU NISIM, K'MO SHE'ASITA LAVOTEINU BAYAMIM HAHEIM BAZMAN HAZEH. BIYMEI MORDECHAI... If one finishes Birkat HaMazon and then realizes his omission, he does NOT go back.

The above rules for Al HaNisim apply to each person on his Purim. 
The Friday night meal should have something extra or special in honor of Purim, although the meal is primarily a Shabbat meal.

In Jerusalem, on Shabbat morning, two Torahs are taken out of the Ark. In the first, we read Parshat HaShavua, T'rumah. After "half" kaddish, we read from the second Torah that which everyone else have read on Friday morning – the 9-pasuk portion of VAYAVO AMALEK, from the end of B'shalach. The haftara for Shabbat-Purim is the same as that of Parshat Zachor. This means that we read the same Haftara two weeks in a row, while the rest of the world reads the regular Haftara for T'ruma. The reader is challenged to think of different ways riddles can be asked about this unusual situation. However, it is recommended that one not ask the riddles this week or next, since the answers would be too obvious. For example, in what situation do we read from more than one Sefer Torah five Shabbatot in a row? Too easy now, but save it for a year and a half and you might have a tough riddle.

Those who follow Minhag Yerushalayim (the GR"A) and say special Psalms on special days in lieu of the regular ones, do NOT say the Purim Shir shel Yom, neither on Friday, which isn't Purim in Yerushalayim, nor on Shabbat, since Shabbat's Psalm has priority of Purim's.

A person in Jerusalem who did not hear Megila on Friday, may not read it on Shabbat (because of the ban mentioned above), but should say Full Hallel on Shabbat, without brachot. This is not required, but suggested. (The rationale is that we don't say Hallel on Purim because Megila takes its place - there are other reasons - but if one didn't hear Megila and now cannot hear or read it - because of Shabbat - then Hallel is the way to acknowledge and thank G-d for His miracles.

More to come, early next week, IY"H