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Purim

PURIM EVENTS

There are no upcoming events at this time.

If you are in need of a Megillah reading at home, please be in contact with Gabe Wintner.

Click here to download the above flyer.

 

 

MATANOT L'EVYONIM & MISHLOACH MANOT

Matanot L'Evyonim donations can be made directly to Tomchei Shabbos here. 

Mishloach Manot: The deadline to order has passed.

We are looking for volunteers to help with delivering Mishloach Manot. Click here to sign up.

Please Note: BDJ Mishloach Manot are very meaningful and convey the spiritual value of warmth that we as a shul family hold dear. But they do not officially fulfill the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot. It is essential that in addition to the BDJ Mishloach Manot that you send, that you also deliver at least one Mishloach Manot gift to another Jew on Purim day. This package should contain at least two types of food that are ready to be eaten. The reason for this is because Mishloach Manot must be sent איש אל רעהו, 'one person to another'-- meaning not through an organization or in partnership with others. Thank you for bringing joy to our BDJ friends both through our communal shul Mishloach Manot and through the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot.

PURIM HALACHA HOW-TOS

Ta'anit Esther - Thursday, March 13:

The fast will begin at 5:54 AM. Shacharit with Selichot and Torah reading will be at 6:30 AM, and Mincha/Ma'ariv will be at 6:30 PM. The fast ends at 7:27 PM.

Purim - Thursday, March 13 & Friday, March 14:

1)  Thursday Night Megillah Readings:  We’ll begin at 7:30 pm sharp with the family-friendly Megillah reading in the main shul, and a parallel reading in the social hall. As men and women alike are obliged to hear Megillah, and we know that 7:30 pm will be too late to bring some of the kids, we will also have additional readings at 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm to allow parents to switch off.  Please see the special Halachik note below about the 8:30  reading.

(2)  Delivering Mishloach Manot: Mishloach Manot is specifically a daytime Mitzvah, thematically connected to the Purim Seudah (festive meal). If you need, for reasons of convenience, to deliver some of your Mishloach Manot on Thursday night (or earlier in the week), please ensure that you deliver at least ONE on Friday itself, to properly fulfill the Mitzvah.

Please Note: BDJ Mishloach Manot are very meaningful and convey the spiritual value of warmth that we as a shul family hold dear. But they do not technically fulfill the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot as they are being sent by multiple givers. This is the reason that they may be delivered to you during the week preceding Purim, depending upon the schedules of our volunteer drivers.  (P.S. - Have you signed up to deliver yet?) In addition to the BDJ Mishloach Manot that you send, you also need to deliver at least one Mishloach Manot gift to another Jew on Purim day. This package should contain at least two types of food that are ready to be eaten. 

(3) Matanot L’evyonim: Halacha calls for these monies to be distributed to the poor on Purim day itself. To facilitate this, we will again be sending the Matanot L’evyonim contributions that you have made through the online form, to Yad Eliezer in Israel, which will distribute these funds in Israel on Purim. 

(4) Purim Seudah (festive meal): When Purim falls on Friday, the Seudah offers an interesting proposition in terms of timing. As a general rule, we do not begin large meals on Friday so as to not compromise our appetite for the Friday night Shabbat meal. This is particularly true once we hit the ninth halachik hour of the day (which is 4:03 PM on Purim this year). For this reason the ideal practice is to eat the Purim Seudah before Halachik noon (1:02 PM this year). (Rama, Orach Chaim 695:2) If that is not possible, it would be best to at least begin the Seudah before  4:03 PM. If this too is not possible, we may begin even after that and just complete the Seudah before Shabbat, with the general concern for our having an appetite for the Shabbat meal simply needing to bow to the Mitzvah of Purim Seudah. (See Mishna Brurah 249:13) 

Halacha does provide an alternative path through which the Purim and Shabbat meals essentially become one, thus obviating the “appetite” concern.  Known as “Pores Mapah U’Mikadesh” (spreading a cloth and reciting Kiddush), this option involves:

  1. Starting the Purim Seudah 30 or more minutes before Shabbat begins, which gives you enough time to wash, have bread, and to eat something of some substance.
  2. As Shabbat approaches, covering all the bread (including the two loaves that will be your “Shabbat loaves”), breaking for candle-lighting and Kabbalat Shabbat (preceded by Mincha if you haven’t yet davened Mincha), and Ma’ariv too if you’d like to daven Ma’ariv at this juncture.
  3. Returning to the table, reciting Kiddush [If you’ve already recited “Borey Pri Hagefen” during the Purim segment of the seudah, then you omit this bracha during Kiddush, and just recite the rest], and continuing directly into your Shabbat meal, starting with uncovering your two “Shabbat Loaves” (no need to recite HaMotzi again) and cutting up and eating these Shabbat loaves as you normally do on Friday night.
  4. After bentching (which includes “R’tzeh” for Shabbat but not Al Hanissim for Purim, presuming that you’ve eaten bread after 7:30 PM), davening Ma’ariv if you hadn’t yet done so in step (2) .  

 

You can find more important details in this summary, penned by Rabbi Dov Linzer here.

We’re excited to announce that, with the leadership of our Young Professionals community, we will be having a “Pores Mapah U’mikadesh” Seudah at shul this year. Register here.

(5) The Minhag of Machazit Hashekel: It is customary, prior to (or on) Purim, to remember the mitzvah of the half-shekel that was performed at this time of year when the Temple stood in Jerusalem. The half-shekel was the annual contribution for the purchase of the communal offerings. The customary procedure is the following: First, place (at least) $1.50 in the plate. Then, lift 3 of the half-dollar coins, symbolically purchasing them. Finally, return the 3 half-dollar coins to the plate. This final step symbolizes the giving of the half-shekel. Many have the custom of giving the half-shekel for each one of the members of their families

AN IMPORTANT NOTE FROM RAV YOSEF REGARDING MEGILLAH

 As you will notice on the Purim night schedule, one of the three scheduled readings will be done by our dear friend Sara Smith. A word of halachik background is appropriate.

The Shulchan Aruch rules that men may fulfill their obligation through a women’s reading of the Megillah. This is based upon the Talmud (Megillah 19b and Arachin 2a-b) which rules that women and men are equally obligated in the reading of the Megillah, and that women may therefore discharge the obligation of men in this regard. Among the Rishonim (medieval authorities), this is the halachik position endorsed by Rashi, Rambam, Meiri, and Or Zarua. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef endorses this position as well.

The Shulchan Aruch also cites an alternative opinion which holds that a man cannot fulfill his obligation through a woman’s reading. This opinion is based on a Tosefta which doesn’t explain the basis of its ruling. Some understand the Tosefta as being uncomfortable with the propriety of such an arrangement, and others posit that the Tosefta is assuming that while a man is obligated to read the Megillah, woman are only obligated to hear it being read.

This disparity in obligation would preclude a woman being able to read Megillah for a man. Tosafot, Mordechai and others rule in accordance with the Tosefta. And while this difference of opinion persists, leading to a general practice that men are the readers when there are men among the listeners, there is a substantial group of Achronim (later authorities) who rule that the Tosefta’ s position only pertains to the daytime reading of the Megillah, through which the essential Mitzvah of Megillah is fulfilled. The nighttime reading, according to these Achronim, is done in order to achieve “pirsumai nissa” (publicly declaring the miracle), which is an obligation that falls equally upon men and women (as is does, for example, regarding Chanukah lighting). These Achronim therefore rule that even according to the second opinion cited in the Shulchan Aruch, men may fulfill their obligation at night through a woman’s reading.

Needless to say, there are those who disagree with the position of these Achronim as well, and men should make their own decision as to which of the readings they would like to attend. To be clear though, I feel very comfortable offering Sara’s reading as a valid halachik option. 

Thu, March 20 2025 20 Adar 5785