Unlike other holidays, in which Jews have an obligation of simcha, Purim has the additional element of “mishteh,” which seemingly includes a festive meal with wine. In decreeing the holiday, Mordechai and Esther assert that all are required to commemorate the momentous salvation of the Jews through “days of mishteh and simcha” (Esther 9:22). To explain this additional requirement of mishteh, the Avudraham, Biur Halacha (Orach Chaim 695:2) and others explain that the setting of the Purim story was constantly a festive meal. In fact, if one looks carefully in the Book of Esther, one will find that there are 10 festive parties in the story, all of which are central to the plot. As such, to commemorate the miracle that took place at these parties, we are obligated to have a seudah which in someway reenacts those events. The basis for the drinking on Purim is thus interconnected with two other elements of the holiday: the seudah and the commemoration of the miracle.

While the Megillah might provide a source for drinking, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the seudah should involve drunkenness. The contested (as well shall see) source for inebriation comes from the statement of Rava in Megilla 7b. “A person is obligated to drink (livsumei) on Purim until (ad) he can not distinguish between Haman the cursed and Mordechai the blessed.” Although the statement of Rava would seem to mandate total inebriation, the Gemara then continues with a story of a Purim seudah that went awry. Rabah and R. Zeirah got very drunk, leading the former to kill the latter. The next day, a miracle happened and the latter was resuscitated. The next year, when Rabah invited R. Zeirah for another seudah, the latter responded, “A miracle doesn’t happen every year.”

The relationship between these two passages is the subject of a major dispute between the Talmudic commentators. Rabbenu Ephraim, the Ba’al Ha-Meor (Megillah 3b), and others assert that the story of the “Purim Day slaughter” comes to refute the statement of Rava. Although Rava advocated total inebriation, the dangers of drinking are too great to allow for such a thing, and therefore one is not allowed to become drunk on Purim just like on any other day.

The majority of commentators, however, believe that Rava’s statement remains normative (see the Rif 3b and the Rosh 1:8), but many assert that the level of drunkenness was moderated by the story of the “Purim Day slaughter.” The Rambam rules, for example, that a person must drink to the point at which they become drunk and go to sleep (Hilchot Megillah 2:15), a level of inebriation which is probably less than that which is advocated by Rava. A much greater limit is advocated by the Orchot Chaim (quoted by the Bet Yosef), who rules that one is only allowed to drink a little bit more than usual, but that inebriation is totally forbidden because it leads to “illicit relations, murder, and many other issurim.” The Rama, in his glosses to the Shulchan Aruch, contends that one does not need to drink at all, but rather should take a nap, thereby putting themselves in a state of consciousness in which they cannot distinguish between Haman and Mordechai. The Aruch Hashulchan (695:5) even asserts that Rava might have never intended to advocate total inebriation. His directive was to merely to drink some wine, and that one can drink until but not beyond (ad ve lo ad bichlal) the point at which your thoughts and actions will become totally unintelligible.

With all of these different opinions on the matter, it is clear that one can fulfill all of their mitzvot on Purim without becoming drunk at the Seudah. The Biur Halachah, moreover, warns that people must be careful that their drinking does not lead to frivolous sins or prevent the fulfillment of any other mitzvot, such as Birkat Ha-Mazon, minchah, or ma’ariv

How, then, should one decide what to do on Purim? The Meiri, I believe, provides us with great guidance on this matter. He writes, “Nevertheless, we are not obligated to become inebriated and degrade ourselves due to our job. We are not obligated to engage in a simchah of frivolity and foolishness, but rather to engage in a simchah of enjoyment which should lead to love of God and thankfulness for the miracles He has performed for us.” In other words, the Purim Seudah is about praising Hashem and commemorating the miracle which He performed for us through the medium of Persian festive parties. It is about recognizing that throughout all of the levity of those tumultuous days, God’s hidden hand came through and provided us with salvation. Everything we do at our seudah must emphasize, and not detract, G-d forbid, from this message. To use yeshivish parlance, praise of Hashem, and not shikar, is the ikar.

In my last dvar torah for this website, I noted that while most poskim agree that there is no mitzvah to have a festive meal on Chanukah, one can transform their holiday party into a seudat mitzvah through praise and thanks to Hashem. With Purim, the converse is true. Everyone is obligated to have a purim seudah to celebrate the wonders of Hashem’s salvation, but extraneous activities can turn this wonderful occasion into a fete of immorality and sin. One has to decide whether their external observance of mitzvot is coming to serve their own frivolous desires, or rather to express genuine devotion to God.

Given all of the individual and communal risks entailed in drinking, it is most appropriate to refrain from heavy drinking and to concentrate on the miracles of the day. However, whatever one decides to do, they should certainly heed the words of the Rama, “One can drink more and one can drink less, provided that there hearts are directed toward Heaven.”

Purim Sameach!