Purim is from the most joyous times of the year. Yidden celebrate in a festive manner and it is a day which men, women, and children look forward to. However, each year, for many families and individuals this special day has become truly tragic.

Hatzolah each year braces for the myriad of tragedies whether it be people becoming inebriated or unconscious from excess drinking, or whether it is horrific burns which deform and maimed a poor child or teenager engaged in “Purim Shtick”, or the pedestrian struck as the result of childish play with very real and dangerous machines. The lines of stretchers and beds at Kimball Hospital are not people engaged in Simchas Purim.

The other volunteer organizations such as LCSW and Chaveirim are consumed with calls about missing children and people, generally stemming from the lack of communication, or worse, irresponsibility.

While there are some whom behind the mantle of halacha as per why these realities are occurring, this is 100% false, as Rabbonim for decades have been decrying.

In halacha the preservation of ones’ health (and dignity) is of utmost importance and absolutely no Issurim or halachos may ever be desecrated in order to “be b’simcha”.

It is especially serious for those whom encourage others to drink or to “get a kick” out of watching someone or coaxing someone “in the spirit of Purim” to get drunk. Sadly, we tend to wait for a wake-up call only when we experience another tragic death due to alcohol.

Of course, this is not to chas v’shalom question any minhagei yosroel as you will read in the column, but more to encourage a semblance of responsibility. Just like no one in our community would ever drink and drive due to the danger of it, let us hope we can as a kehillah prevent another danger of irresponsible drinking shelo kehalacha!

In that z’chus we should be zoche to a freilichen lustiger Purim!

The Source

The Gemara in Meggilah (7b) states that there is a requirement to drink on Purim until the point that they can no longer tell the difference between Baruch Mordechai and Arrur Haman. The Gemara then goes on to relate the following story. Rabah and Rav Zeira had a Purim seudah. Rabah after drinking got up and schechted Rav Zeira, and then subsequently revived him with techiyas hamaisem. The next year when Rabah invited Rav Zeira to his home for the seuda he responded that he would not join, as one should not rely on miracles every day (meaning should he be shechted again).

There is a question of whether or not the story of Rabah and Rav Zeira is intended to dispute the requirement of one to get so drunk or not. The Baal Hamaor (bid) Ran, Shibolei Haleket and others state that the halacha is not as Rava that one is required to get drunk, while the Rif, and Ramabam disagree that so is the halacha.

Is the Requirement to be Drunk?

Even according to those whom maintain that there is a requirement for one to get drunk there are many whom strongly state that this does not mean getting drunk to the point of complete inebriation. Just to quote he Meiri (Megillah 7b) writes that while there is a requirement for one to have delicacies of food and drink however, this does not mean that one should drink so much that he gets drunk and lose his dignity while trying to be b’simcha, since we were not commanded on holilus and stupidity.

The Bais Yosef writes (695) in the name of the Orchos Chaim that while there is a requirement to drink this does not mean that one should get drunk, since it is a sin and there is no greater that din than that. The Gr”a also references the Kol Bo in this light.

The Chayai Odom writes that according to everyone it is completely forbidden to get drunk if as a result he will miss a mitzvah or do any issurim. (There is no osek bmitzvah on this just like there isn’t such a dispensation when one is preoccupied with a seudas Yom Tov – See Biur Halacha 529 s.v. B’erev Yom Tov).

The Shluh (Parshas T’tzaveh Torah Ohr 22) states that this is indicative from the actual word of l’bsumi. He explains that this word is not a word which symbolizes extreme drunkenness, rather someone whom is not so drunk. According to him, the Gemara is in fact stating that one should not get to the state of extreme drunkenness and the word l’bsumi is detracting from the amount one should drink.

Can it be an Allowance or a R’shus

The Ravya and the Hagaos Maimnus (Meggilah 2;15) states that this is not a chiyuv rather it is a mitzvah b’alma and not l’ikuva.

Does Sleeping Really Fulfill this Requirement?

The Rema states that the requirement in essence is to drink a little more then he would usually and then fall asleep as a result to fulfill the requirement of ad d’lo yoda. There are those whom mistakenly believe that by going to sleep one can therefore fulfill the requirement of ad d’lo yoda. This of course is not the case as the Rema clearly is talking about someone whom falls asleep as a result of drinking alcohol. This is the custom of many whom find drinking difficult.

If there is no Requirement to Become Complete Inebriated, then what is the Meaning of the Gemara

If one in fact is of the opinion that one is not required to get drunk then what is the explanation of the verse of ad d’lo yoda bain boruch Mordechai v’oror Haman, since in essence to get to the point of mixing up those descriptions will only be reached by a person extremely drunk? The Aruch Hashulchan brings two different explanations. He is of the opinion that the requirement to drink does not mean that someone should become drunk. Thus either, it is referring to a long song and includes the words of Boruch Mordechai and Arur Haman. Thus, this means that one needs to drink enough so that one can’t recite all the words of the song, which is not such a large amount.

It is brought by many Achronim that which Rabainu Efraim brings that since the numerical value (gematria) of the Hebrew words Boruch Mordechai and Arur Haman are the same, the level of “drunkenness” required is so that one can no longer computate these numeric values, which is also not a very great level of “drunkenness”.

Did things Change?

The Pri Chadash (695) brings the opinion of the Achronim whom maintain that in -essence there was such a requirement for one to get drunk. However, due to the erosion of the level of generations one should not get drunk and only drink a little more than one would on Yom Tov.

The opinions that one is Required to Get Drunk

Rav Yaakov Emden in his Siddur brings from his Rebbe the Chacham Tzvi maintained that the requirement to get drunk to the point of not being able to differentiate between Arur and Boruch. He explains that the words of the Gemara of Chayav Inshei L’bsumi is to be taken literally and that that chayav means that one needs to be moser nefesh until he has reached that point. That he explains is the reason that the gemara relates the episode with Rabah and Rav Zeira to show that one should be moser nefesh for this mitzvah.

In Sefer Masseh Rav it is brought that the Gr”a would be moser nefesh in the amount that he would drink on Purim based on what the Sdei Chemed reported hearing in the name of the Gr”a. (The accuracy has been questioned by some.)

Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l (as quoted in the Emek Bracha) maintained that the requirement to drink on Purim was a continuous one. It is reported that he would speak literally from under the table due to his state.

Can Someone Drunk Daven and Bentsch?

Someone who is drunk to the point that he would not be able to talk to a king may not daven as well. If he did it is considered a disgrace and would need to daven again once sober. If he could not daven as a result of his drunkenness, he davens a teffilas tashlumin (See S.A. 99 and the Mishnah Berurah there). If by not bentching he will ultimately not bentsch at all then he can bentsch. However, if he is shikur vee Lot (loosely translated- completely unaware of what is happening in real time) the he should not bentsch and if he did it is futile. In such a case if he can still halachically bentsch after sobering up then he should do so. Someone whom is that drunk also cannot be included to create a quorum for bentsching and davening.