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<a href="http://www.rabbihorowitz.com/PYes/ArticleDetails.cfm?Book_ID=1266&ThisGroup_ID=238&Type=Article&SID=231" eudora="autourl">
http://www.rabbihorowitz.com/PYes/ArticleDetails.cfm?Book_ID=1266&ThisGroup_ID=238&Type=Article&SID=231<br>
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</font><font size=4><b>"It is an Aveira to Get Drunk on Purim"
(Reb Shmuel Kaminetsky, Shlit"a)<br>
</b></font><font size=3><i>by
<a href="http://www.rabbihorowitz.com/PYes/Items.cfm?SearchType=Article&ID=Author;280;Rabbi%20Yakov%20Horowitz">
Rabbi Yakov Horowitz</a></i> <br><br>
2/12/10 <br>
This was a direct quote from Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky Shlit’a who took
precious time from his busy schedule and shared his da’as Torah with our
listeners on Thursday night during the Project YES conference call
titled, <i>“Purim Parenting: Keeping Our Children Safe and Sober.”
<br><br>
<br>
</i>I asked the Rosh Yeshiva to address this matter because many people
who heard about our Purim program had asked me to clarify the words of
our chazal (sages)<i> “Chayav einish l’besumei be’puria ad deloi yoda
bein arur Haman l’baruch Mordechai” </i>which loosely translated says,
that one is obligated to drink [on Purim] until he cannot discern between
Haman and Mordechai.<br><br>
<br>
“Chas v’shalom (Heaven forbid) that our Torah would consider getting
drunk to be a mitzvah!” said Reb Shmuel. He explained that the word
<i>l’besumei</i> is derived from the root word which means to sniff
something – and said that this means that one should have only “a whiff”
of drinking (wine only; he was clear to state). <br><br>
<br>
The Rosh Yeshiva also shed light on the words <i>“ad deloi yoda bein arur
Haman l’baruch Mordechai”</i> and said that when one sings verses of a
song when he is in a heightened state of simcha (joy) he occasionally
will sing the verses in incorrect order – meaning that he will sing the
verse of Arur Haman in the place of the verse of Baruch Mordechai. It is
inconceivable, he stated, that this is to be taken to condone drunkenness
– which is in direct contrast to the teachings of our Torah. <br><br>
<br>
There were many other important take-away messages gleaned from the words
of Reb Shmuel and from those of our two other guests, Dr. Benzion Twerski
and Professor Lazer Rosman, and I plan on writing them in detail next
week. But I feel an obligation to disseminate the words of Reb Shmuel
Shlit’a today so parents and educators can discuss them with their
children over Shabbos. <br><br>
<br><br>
This is an important discussion, one that will help us enjoy Purim in a
safe and enjoyable manner. <br><br>
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