On Purim, I love to . . .

Although I know that a rabbi should refrain from publicly acknowledging that he prefers one (or more) of the festivals, I can’t help but say that Purim is one of my favorite times of the Jewish year. I enjoy reading the Megillah and stomping and booing Haman’s name (boo, hiss). I have been known to be a connoisseur of hamentaschen, as well as being able to whip up a costume in almost no time. Oh, and there is one more thing I love about Purim. I love to . . . .

Now, before I finish that sentence, let me tell you that if you think I was going to end that sentence by saying that I love to get drunk on Purim, you are incorrect. In fact, I don’t drink at all on Purim. Because I don’t drink on Purim, I get to remember all the fun I have during the night of Purim and I can concentrate on the Megillah reading the next morning without the pesky headache.

I do know that the rabbis teach that it is a mitzvah to get drunk on Purim. The Talmud (Megillah 7b) teaches: “Rava said: a person must get drunk on Purim until he cannot distinguish between ‘cursed be Haman’ and ‘blessed be Mordechai’.” There seems to be very little wriggle room for those who don’t want to drink. However, immediately after Rava’s directive, the Talmud offers this story: “Rabbah and R. Zeira made a Purim feast together. They got drunk. Rabbah stood up and killed R. 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!’ R. Zeira replied: ‘Miracles don’t happen every day!’ “

For me, and other rabbis, the story of Rabba and Reb Zeira is placed right after Rava’s command to get drunk as a warning of what not to do. In fact, R. Ephraim (North Africa, 11th cent.) claimed that the story cancels out Rava’s statement; therefore, one should not get drunk on Purim. Rabbi Ephraim suggests that bad things can happen when one drinks to excess. Better not to drink, the story suggests, than to tempt both fate and G-d.

So, I will finish my sentence now: On Purim, I love to laugh myself silly. In many ways, we can turn our overwhelming joy into a sort of intoxication. There have been times during Purim that someone will say something, sing a song, tell a joke, show up in a costume, and I will laugh until my sides hurt and I can barely remember my name, much less tell the difference between “ ‘arur Haman’ (cursed be Haman) and ‘barukh Mordekhai’ (blessed be Mordecai).” I know that we have all experienced something like this. For me, it is easy to laugh myself silly because I am open to having fun. I realize that Purim is a time for us to give into silliness. Knowing this helps to get me in the mood for laughter and joy.

For those of you who are wondering, I do have sources for my minhag (custom). The first come from Rabbi Yosef Haviva (Spain, 15th cent.) who held that a person should say funny things so that those who are watching will think that the person is unable to distinguish between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordechai”.

Finally, my favorite source comes from Rabbi Menachem haMe’iri (Provence, 14th cent.). The Me’iri stated: “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”.

What it all boils down to for the Me’iri (and for me) is the heartfelt joy that Purim brings. In fact, we spend the weeks leading up to Purim increasing our joy and happiness. The rabbis teach: Mi-shenikhnas adar marbim b’simchah (With the start of the month of Adar we greatly increase joy.) Our joy is not only increased because we overcame the wicked Haman, (boo! hiss!) and his plot, but also because with Purim we are one step closer to Pesach, the season of our freedom and our redemption.

May all of us have a joyful and laughter-filled Purim.

Rabbinically Speaking is published as a public service by the Jewish Press in cooperation with the Tampa Rabbinical Association which assigns the column on a rotating basis.