Why do some people get drunk on Purim? Isn that inappropriate?
A. In the Talmud it says that one should drink to the point of not being able to distinguish the difference between “‘Blessed be Mordecai’ and, ‘Cursed be Haman’.” Drinking has the potential to encourage people to let down their guards and see the world from an altered perspective. Part of the Purim fantasy is to see the potential for redemption, even when that may not seem possible. Of course, alcohol is dangerous. Used regularly to excess it certainly would not heighten one’s awareness of redemption, but rather dull it. In sensitivity to those who struggle with alcoholism, many Reconstructionist communities do not serve alcohol at Purim. Some leave it to adults who want to drink in advance of the public celebration to do so privately. Other Reconstructionist communities provide alcohol at the synagogue. Only adults are permitted to partake. See Rabbi Steve Segar’s short essay on the spiritual purpose of the Talmud’s dictum on drinking on Purim. Q. In Chapter 9 of the book of Esther w
