Purim Insights from the VBM—The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Har Etzion חג פורים והחגיגה מבית המדרש הוירטואלי ע"ש ישראל קושיצק

S.A.L.T. Parashat Tetzave - Purim 5777

Gemara’s famous ruling in Masekhet Megilla (7b), “A person is obligated to become inebriated on Purim until he cannot distinguish between ‘cursed is Haman’ and ‘blessed is Mordekhai’.” The idea underlying this statement, perhaps, is that Purim is the time to work on avoiding judgment, to put an end to the all-too-common tendency to evaluate and scrutinize other people. The Purim festivity is intended, at least in part, to lead us to the point where we love and respect all our fellow Jews, without discriminating between “cursed is Haman” and “blessed is Mordekhai,” without any judgment or scrutiny. The humor, levity and inebriation create an atmosphere that enables us to fully enjoy the company of other people, and pay no attention to what we might like or dislike about them. On Purim, as we celebrate the miraculous, eternal survival of the Jewish People, we are to look fondly and lovingly upon each and every member of our nation, and to that end we are commanded to feast and rejoice to the point where we make no distinctions between “Haman” and “Mordekhai,” and truly respect, appreciate and cherish all our fellow Jews for who they are, without analyzing or dissecting their conduct or character in any way. Read more

"But Mordechai Did Not Bow"

by Harav Yaakov Medan

The crisis in the book of Esther begins as a result of Mordechai's refusal to bow down to Haman. What was the reason for this refusal, and why was Mordechai willing to jeopardize the safety of the Jewish People as a result? Read more

Inebriation on Purim

By Rav David Brofsky

The Gemara famously says that one must become inebriated on Purim, but then it cites a story that seems to contradict this. Sages throughout the ages have offered a variety of approaches to explain this.
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