Q: What is the mitzvah of seudas Purim, the meal that we eat on Purim and why do we do it?
A: The mitzvah of seudas Purim is to show our happiness in the great kindness that Hakadosh Baruch Hu did for our nation at that time. We have to demonstrate gratitude.
And the gratitude is for two things; for the great kindliness and also for the neis. It was a great miracle that took place there because in the midst of the worst kind of a threat everything changed and they saw a tremendous yeshua. And therefore, it’s our duty to demonstrate gratitude.
So the seudas Purim is a demonstration of our gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and of our recognition that He controls this world. That’s what it’s for.
And we should go out of our way therefore to make it a great celebration. It should be a very important affair, a very important celebration in your home. As much as possible make a big fuss out of the whole Purim day! And by making Purim very prominent in our lives, it becomes one of the jewels, one of the most beautiful tachshitim on the luach of the Jewish year – it’s one of the most precious jewels on our calendar.
Now, this year, I’m going to make one remark, that Purim is on Friday and so you shouldn’t eat the seudah late otherwise you won’t have any appetite for Shabbos, Friday night. So this year, you have to make it in the morning as early as possible.
Also, to prepare for Shabbos on erev Shabbos; that’s also important. How important? חָט¿בֻמ רָב¿ּכ ב∆ר∆ﬠָּב ‡ָּבּהוָּיƒל≈‡ ין≈‡∆ׁ ̆ ל≈‡ָר¿ׂ ̆ƒי¿ל ם∆הָל – The Am Yisroel is guaranteed that Eliyahu Hanavi won’t come to announce the good tidings of the geulah on erev Shabbos (Eiruvin 43b). You hear that? Even Eliyahu can’t come to announce Mashiach on Friday because the Shabbos is too important for us and we need time to prepare ma’adanim and ta’anugim for Shabbos. We can’t be bothered with Eliyahu right now because the achievement of the Shabbos seudos is too important.
Now, that sounds queer to people who don’t know but the Shabbos seudah is intended for achievement. When you sit down on Shabbos to eat so you’re thinking “I’m eating now ה≈ׂ ֲ̆ﬠַמ¿ל ר∆כ≈ז ̇יƒׁ ̆‡≈ר¿ּב, to celebrate that Hashem made the universe; everything, from nothing. ם≈ּׁ ַ̆ה רַב¿„ƒּבּוׂ ֲ̆ﬠַנ םƒיַמָׁ ̆ – All this came by the word of Hashem; יƒּכ יƒה∆ּיַו רַמָ‡ ‡ּהו – He spoke and it came into existence. And while you’re thinking that, you’re eating, so you’re appreciating not only that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is the Creator, but that it’s „∆ס∆ח םָלֹעו ה∆נָּבƒי, that He made a world of kindliness. It’s a geshmaka sugya this sugya of ̇יƒׁ ̆‡≈ר¿ּב ה≈ׂ ֲ̆ﬠַמ¿ל ר∆כ≈ז. A geshmaka chulent! You’re eating and enjoying it. And it’s so important that this sugya of Shabbos should be learned with cheishek and therefore Eliyahu has no business interfering with that. It’s too important. So on erev Shabbos he won’t come. It would spoil the lesson of Shabbos if we were too busy to prepare tasty foods; and it’s such an important lesson that even Eliyahu Hanavi has to wait.
By the way, it’s a very important lesson and we should utilize that lesson. When you sit on Shabbos and you’re enjoying the ma’achalim you should be thinking, “Baruch Hashem, that He gave us the Shabbos.” What a great blessing the Shabbos is for the Am Yisroel!
And among the blessings is יƒינ≈ּב ‡יƒה ֹ̇ו‡ יƒּכ ם∆יכ≈ינ≈בּו. The Shabbos is a special sign of recognition for the Am Yisroel. It’s a sign of kavod. Suppose a man came over to you and gave you a gold medal to hang on your chest. You’d be very excited. You’d wear it every day. Shabbos is a gold medal for us. And we’re so happy with it. And therefore you have to enjoy the Shabbos and feel what a kavod it is for the Am Yisroel – ם∆יכ≈ינ≈בּו יƒינ≈ּב ‡יƒה ֹ̇ו‡ יƒּכ.
And therefore Eliyahu Hanavi cannot come on erev Shabbos and spoil the geshmakeit of that seudah; because all these lessons go in best when the food is tasty. And so even though it’s Purim, remember that it’s erev Shabbos too.
