Tuesday, March 18, 2008

A Purim Seudah

Hi,

We have been learning about Purim.

First, a note:
We have talked about the mitzvah of giving gifts to the needy on Purim Day.One is allowed to give these gifts to a distributor before Purim, so that the distributor gives them to the poor on Purim Day itself. In fact, historically this money was collected by a central collector, who then distributed them; see Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 694 for laws regarding the collector's role.
Through the Rabbi's Benevolent Fund, I collect and distribute such funds, partly to Od Yosef Chai, an institution in Israel that distributes money on Purim, and partly to locally needy people. To contribute to that fund please send in your donations, marked for "Purim Distribution" or "Matanot la'Evyonim," before Purim.

It is a Mitzvah to have an extra-large meal on Purim day. Specifically, one should do this with other people, whether friends or family, in order to enhance the joy of the meal.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 695:1; Mishneh Berurah 695:9)

And finally, see here for a discussion of the laws of the Purim Seudah when Purim occurs on Friday, as it does this year.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

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