New Purim Q & A
Can one fulfill their obligation of Purim Seudah (festive meal)
on the first night of Purim?
The mitzvah to eat a seudah on Purim is specifically in the day. However, it is proper to eat a partial seudah at night as well & it is customary to eat seeds or grains on Purim night to remember the difficulty that Esther had in eating kosher when she was in the palace.If I begin my Purim seudah during the day, but it did not finish until
Yes. However, there is an opinion that if one already davened Ma'ariv, they they should no longer recite Al Hanisim in grace after meals, Bentching. Therefore to avoid this question, it is proper to bentch before davening Ma'ariv.
after tzeit ha'kochavim, do I still recite Al Hanisim in bentching?How should one conduct himself with respect to drinking on Purim?
While there are different halakhic opinions regarding drinking on Purim, clearly the safety of you & those around you takes precedence. One should exercise proper discretion.
The OU does not condone underage drinking.
Furthermore, excessive drinking is in appropriate behavior on Purim.
One must be vigilant in preventing any trace of chilul Hashem from inappropiate behavior on PurimWhat is the earlliest/latest time that one can read the Megillah
The Megillah can be read anytime during the day of Purim, from sunrise until sunset; however, to show our enthuiasm for the mitzva, it is proper to read the Megillas as
on the days of Purim?
early as possible. In cases of pressisng need, one can read the Megillah from alot hashachar (dawn, 72 minutes before sunrise), but it may not be read any earlier. If one still had not read the Megillah by sunset, they should read the Megillah without reciting the beracha.What are the guidelines for matanot l'evyonim?
Every Jew is obligated to 2 needy individuals.
All men and women & children over the age of bar Mitzvah are obligated in this mitzvah, even if they do not have their own income & even if they themselves would qualaify to receive these gifts.
It has become customary for rabbis & other community leaders to collect funds on behalf of needy individuals. Money can be given to those collections before Purim, provided the funds are distrbuted on Purim.
While there is a difference of opinion as to the exact minimum amount one can give to satisfy their obligation (a few pennies or a few dollars), it is well known that the Rambam (Megillah 2:17) writes that it is better to increase the amount one give to matanot l'evyonim even more so that for the Purim Seudah or mishloach manot. Additionally, there is a custom that on Purim anyone who puts out their hand for assistance should not be turned away empty handed.Who is obligated to give a Machzit Hashekel
When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, there was an obligation in the month of Ader for every adult male to contribute a half-shekel coin toward the purchase of the upcoming yearly communal offerings. Today, as a rememberance of those coins, a machtzit hashekel (half dollar coin) is given to charity. Since the word Shekel is repeated
& when should it be given?
in the Torah 3 times, the common custom is to donate 3 half-dollar coins to charity.
There is a difference of opinion as to whether all men from age 13 are obligated or only from the age of twenty. However, many have the custom that young men beginning at age 13 to give the machtzit hashekel & fathers give the machtzit hashekel on behalf of their young sons before the bar mitzva age. The coins are contributed on Ta'anit Esther before Mincha, but there were not given then, they may be donated anytime afterwards as well.Where does the custom of making noise
The 16th century Ashkenazik halakhic authority the Rema writes (OC 690:17) that there
when Haman’s name is mentioned come from?
used to be a custom where children would write the name of Haman on wood or stones & bang them together to erase the name
This symbolized the concept of wiping out the remembrance of Amalek & the notion of the names of the wicked should rot (Mishlei 10:7). As an offshoot of this, the custom developed that people would bang when the name Haman was mentioned when reading the Megilla in Shul (see the Mishna Brura 690:59 where he notes that it was not just children who did this as the Chacham Tzvi followed this custom as well.
The Rema ends by saying that we should not nullify any custom, nor should we mock it as it was not instituted for naught.
The Mishna Brura authored by Rav Yisrael Meir Ha'Kohen Kagan (1839-1933) quotes the Pri Megadim who argues & says that one should not follow this custom as it creates a lot of noise & doesn’t allow people to hear the Megillah (690:59).
This is problematic as if one does not hear the entire Megillah, one does not fulfill their obligation. It is for this reason that the Mishna Brura notes, that if a Shul has the custom to make noise when Haman is mentioned, the Ba’al Koreh should be careful to pause while the noise is being made. Additionally, he writes that since it is common for the noise to extend for a long time, it is recommended that everyone have a Megillah or Chumash in front of them and read the next one or two verses just in case they can’t hear them from the Ba’al Koreh (690:60).
.
Copyright © 2012-2019 KosherWoman.com
All rights reserved.
