The Serious Part... We had thought of doing a piece on traveling in and out of Jerusalem on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday - who gets two Purims, who messes things up by having to find a Megila reading at weird times of the night, what happens when plans change last minute, etc. etc. etc. Part of the problem is that there are too many etc.’s. The other part of the problem is that the topic is complicated, and on top of that, there are different opinions which introduce situations of SAFEIK (doubt). So we’re taking the easy way out this year, and sufficing it to say: ASK YOUR RAV. We’ll talk about other things, until we run out of space. AL HANISIM goes into the AMIDA and BIRKAT HAMAZON of the Purim you are observing. That means if you are visiting people with Purim but you have the other day, you don’t say AL HANISIM. Omitting AL HANISIM never requires davening or benching again, but in each case there is a second place to insert AL HANISIM if you forgot to say it in its “Official” place. For the Amida, one would say AL HANISIM right before Y’H’YU L’RATZON IMREI FI... Going back is not an option once you finish the bracha within which AL HANISIM is said. Similarly for benching. Once you conclude AL HAARETZ V’AL HAMAZON, don’t go back, but say AL HANISIM as a HARACHAMAN, towards the end of the benching. In this case, a modified intro is used. According to Minhag Yerushalayim, there is a special chapter of T’hilim to say on Purim day, instead of the “regular” Song of the Day. Others will say both the regular one and the special one. Some add to the special one another one or two chapters (124 and/or 69). We include here just AYELET HASHACHAR, T’hilim 22, which is the Shir Shel HaYom for Purim. This Psalm is said on Tuesday and/or Wednesday, depending upon what day(s) you have Purim. Due to the “partial” nature of this Purim review, we will try to touch on lesser known points of halacha and custom. • One should wear Shabbat or Yom Tov clothes in honor of Purim. If one is dressing in a costume, this would seem to be ok as well. But one should not wear regular weekday clothing. • When one says or hears the bracha SHE’HE’CHE’YANU in the morning, he should have in mind the other mitzvot of the day. It is also advisable to fulfill both MATANOT LA’EVYONIM and MISHLO’ACH MANOT as soon as possible after the morning Megila reading, especially before eating breakfast. This is not only because of the bracha, but because of Z’RIZIM... (enthusiastic performance of mitzvot). • Although Mishlo’ach Manot is fulfilled with gifts of food to one person, Matanot La’evyonim requires at least two poor people. Ideally, the poor people should receive money and/or food on Purim day. Many shuls have individuals who commit themselves to distributing monies they collect for Matanot La’evyonim on Purim and to “legitimate” poor families. Therefore, making them your agent for Matanot La’evyonim works well. • The mitzva of Mishlo’ach Manot has taken on a life of its own in most religious communities. Sending far more than the requirement is com- monplace. While this is fine, one should not skimp on Matanot La’evyo- nim. Furthermore, it is important to remember - and to share with family and friends - the reason for the unique mitzva of Mishlo’ach Manot. Namely, that Haman convinced Achashveirosh that the Jewish people were not worthy of living because they were scattered and unconcerned with each other. This terrible libel against the nation of RACHMANIM, B’NEI RACH- MANIM is uncovered by the generosity of Jews in the performance of both Mishlo’ach Manot and Matanot La’ev- yonim. Seudat Purim is also part of this picture, especially when enjoyed in the company of extended family and friends. • One does not fulfill the mitzva of Mishlo’ach Manot on Purim night, but only in the daytime and on the Purim one is obligated to fulfill. • It is questionable whether one fulfills the mitzva of Mishlo’ach Manot by giving to someone who celebrates the “other” Purim. Since the mitzva is fulfilled with the first recipient, this is not a serious problem. In other words, a Tel-Avivi who visits his Yerushalayim relatives or friends on Wednesday can certainly bring a Mishlo’ach Manot package, with the understanding that his mitzva was for the previous day. • Similarly, a Yerushalmi on Wednesday, does not fulfill the mitzva by giving to a Tel-Avivi nor does a Tel- Avivi fulfill the mitzva by giving to a Yerushalmi on Tuesday. • A mourner during his year of mourning is required to give Mishlo’ach Manot, but one should not send to him. If it would be normal to send to his wife and family, this can still be done.
• Seudat Purim is another daytime, not night time mitzva. Nonetheless,
there is a suggestion that one has something special to eat on Purim
night.
• Those who observe Purim on the 14th of Adar, should plan their seuda so
that it extends into the evening of the 15th. Those who observe the 15th,
need not (and maybe should not), extend their seuda into the night of the
16th. If it happens, it is not necessary to stop. Reason: The Torah alludes to this custom in the pasuk: V’HAYA IM BIN HAKOT HARASHA (D’varim 25:2). The final letters of the first three words spell Haman, [the next two words are “striking the wicked person”.] Reason: Originally, children used to make drawings of Haman, or write his name on pieces of wood or stone, and would beat upon them so that his image and his name would be erased. This fulfills the pasuk: “Erase the memory of Amalek” (D’varim 25:19) and the pasuk in Mishlei (10:7), “May the name of the wicked rot” (Avudraham). [Ed. note: Nonetheless, it is important that Baalei Kri’a (Megila readers) and the congregations cooperate so that everyone hears every word in the Megila, as is required by halacha. Some Baalei Kri’a will repeat Haman after it was drowned out by noise the first time; the congregation should avoid making noise when this is done.]
Hidden Story Revealed
True, some people have pointed out to us that the name ACHASHVEIROSH
appears 29 times in the text of the Megila, and clearly identifies him as
king at the time. We patiently explained to those people that text is of
no signifi- cance; the only reality is the Hidden Codes.
Purim Times for Shushan
Megila Summary
The Shulchan Arukh rules that before washing hands for bread we need to
remove any interposition. In particular, it is obligatory to remove any
rings (SA OC 161:3). While the Shulchan Arukh does not state where the
rings should be placed, a very common practice is to put them in the
mouth. According to Torah law, the marriage ceremony is valid with any object the groom gives the bride. However, the common practice for many centuries is to give a ring (EHE 27:1 in the Rema). During the wedding ceremony the groom asserts that he sanctifies the bride with this ring, and this is a proper and dignified expression. However, we sometimes find in legal sources that this sanctification (kiddushin) is called an "acquisition" (kinyan). This term does not specifically refer to a monetary acquisition, and indeed its first appearance in the Torah refers to acquiring a beloved family member, when Chava says at the birth of Kayin, "I have acquired a man from HaShem" (Bereshit 4:1). However, an uninitiated individual could possibly infer from this expression that the giving of the ring is no more than a commercial transaction. It follows that it is appropriate to emphasize that the ring is a symbol of affection and commitment, and not a token of exchange. The question remains, however, what act could demonstratively display the true nature of the wedding ring? The answer is that we can clearly demonstrate that the wedding ring is an ornament, and not a kind of currency, by placing it in the mouth. The Shulchan Arukh rules that coins may not be put in the mouth at any time (SA YD 116:5). The reason is that coins, which are a means of exchange, know no unique owner and are constantly changing hands; since everybody touches them, they are likely to carry illness. However, the ring is the groom's unique gift to the bride, and she never abandons it even when she removes it to wash. (Sometimes the wife gives a ring as a gift to the husband, and the same symbolism would apply.)
So the gesture of placing the ring in the mouth is a clear proof that this
symbol of the Jewish marriage is a unique expression of mutual esteem and
appreciation, and not a mere mundane token of mercenary exchange.
Wonderful Words of Witlessness [The Parshat Vayikra Homepage]
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