To Drink

The Purim spirit in the air with all the preparations and activities is the light at the end of the cold and dark winter tunnel. Nowhere is the excitement felt more than in the halls of our yeshivos. During bein hasdorim late at night and at every free moment bochurim are schmoozing about their Purim plans. Tzedakah groups costumes routes shpiels and parties are the highlights of each conversation for these few weeks of the year.

But while there is no greater joy than simchah shel mitzvah and the hachanos (preparations) are what make mitzvos so much more meaningful Purim has unfortunately become associated with undisciplined behavior — most specifically excessive drinking.

In truth it’s not a simple subject. While we disapprove of drinking year round on Purim the mitzvos hayom seems to call for a “let loose” attitude. The halachah states clearly “chayov inish l’besumei b’Puraya (on Purim) ad d’lo yada — a person should become intoxicated on Purim until he cannot differentiate …” The poskim discuss whether this halachah is to be taken literally or not and if there are other ways to fulfill this mitzvah. But many gedolei rosh yeshivos admorim and rebbeim take the chiyuv at face value and actually become inebriated to the level of ad d’lo yada. While under the influence they dispense divrei chochomah u’mussar and countless brachos. Many talmidim truly feel a special connection with their rebbi/rosh yeshivah at this time. I have seen countless introverted talmidim who have been closed books all year long only to reveal their true pnimius on Purim. Likewise rebbeim have a unique way of expressing their true ahavah to each and every talmid.

On the other hand when unsupervised and unmonitored drinking can turn yeshivah bochurim into a wild horde. Hatzolah has been called to the aid of far too many intoxicated teens on Purim night. Far worse the mitzvah of drinking on Purim led to a new mentality that “everything goes.” On Purim it is muttar to smoke (even if you are 10 years old!) muttar to utter vulgarities and to create a breakdown in gedarim that we adhere to all year round. (In an informal survey in my mesivta 50 percent of smokers told me that they smoked their very first cigarette on Purim!)