Chazal state that on Purim, one should drink: עד דלא ידע בין ארור המן לברוך מרדכי - “Until one doesn’t know the difference between cursed be Haman and blessed be Mordechai”.
So, it seems that we drink on Purim until we don’t know. Yet, the Ahavas Yisroel of Vizhnitz zt”l points out that the first letters of, עד דלא ידע, spell ידע, to know. So, is the goal of drinking to know or not to know?
We will answer in two ways:
Reb Efraim Zalman Margulies zt”l of Brod (Yad Efraim on Shulchan Aruch 695) writes: “In a dream, it was explained that the purpose of drinking is to enable people to be joyous, because (Tehillim 104:15) ויין ישמח לבב אנוש - ‘Wine gladdens the heart of man.’ When one is happy... he can praise Hashem for the miracles with a whole heart... However, he shouldn’t drink until his mind becomes foggy because then he won’t be thinking about the miracles at all. When Chazal say one should drink until he doesn’t know the difference between Mordechai and Haman, this means, עד ולא עד בכלל, that he shouldn't actually get to that state. He should drink and be happy, but if he can’t differentiate between Mordechai and Haman, the purpose of drinking is lost. Chazal wanted the kind of drinking that leads to praising Hashem. When one [goes beyond that limit] and his mind becomes confused, he won’t be able to praise Hashem for the miracles. This was my dream, and I thought about it in the morning and saw it was correct.”
עד דלא ידע spells ידע. This hints that even when we drink, our goal is always to know what we are celebrating. If you lose focus from the miracles, you went too far.
Chazal say: חייב איניש לבסומי בפוריא - “One is obligated to be happy with Purim.” They didn’t say לבסומי ביין. To be happy with wine. The goal is not to become intoxicated with wine but to be happy with Purim and the miracles.
A second explanation for why ידע is implied in the roshei teivos of עד דלא ידע is from the Ahavas Yisroel of Viznitz zt”l. He explains that this tells us that when one drinks, one must know his limits. If his drinking results in him humiliating or harming others or causes him to be lax with any of the mitzvos, it is time to refrain. We know this because when we are told to drink עד דלא ידע, the first letters spell ידע, because one must always have an awareness of what he is doing or he has gone beyond the limit intended by Chazal.
The Kol-Bo writes: “One must become intoxicated on Purim, but he shouldn’t get drunk because that is forbidden. There is no greater sin than being drunk. Being drunk leads to shefichas damim [murder] and giluy arayos [adultery]. Rather, one should drink a little more than usual so that he will be happy. In his joyous mood, he should make the poor happy and console them. That is the proper way to be happy.”
The Matteh Moshe writes that one must be cautious that drinking on Purim doesn’t cause him to be lax in any halachah, such as washing for bread, bentching, or davening properly. He concludes, “All those who [are cautious] and rejoice and praise Hashem for the miracles Hashem performed for our forefathers, their children will be like them, and Hashem will grant them success in all their endeavors.”
The Lev Ha’Ivri writes that the Rema (Reb Moshe Isserles zt”l) was niftar at the age of 33, on the 33rd day of the omer, and at his levayah people said 32 praises. They were looking for one more praise to tell about the Rema so that the praises would equal the day of the omer and the years of his life. Someone came forward and said: “On Purim, the Rema would dress up (so people wouldn’t recognize that he is their Rav) and go from home to home to remind people to daven Maariv.” That was the 33rd praise.
A kohen gadol can't marry a widow (see Vayikra 21:14). What is the reason for this prohibition?
The Chida (Pnei David, Emor) explains that when the kohen gadol came to the Kodesh Hakadoshim on Yom Kippur to do the avodah, he would say the שם המפורש – “Hashem’s name הוי"ה” as it is written. When the kohen gadol said this name, he had a lot of strength. If he had in mind, at that time, that someone should die, it would happen. This is why the Torah forbade a kohen gadol from marrying a widow. If permitted to marry a widow, he may choose to kill a husband when he uttered Hashem's name on Yom Kippur so that he can marry his wife. To prevent this, the Torah says a kohen gadol may not marry a widow.
Doesn’t it seem farfetched that such a murder would ever happen? It is Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, and we are talking about the kohen gadol, one of the nation’s greatest people. He is in the Beis HaMikdosh, in the Kodesh Kadoshim, and saying Hashem's holy name – something only he can say, and only on Yom Kippur. Could it be that at this most sacred moment, he might intend to kill someone to marry that person’s wife? Apparently, it could happen.
Indeed, Chazal (Succah 52a) say: כל הגדול מחבירו יצרו גדול הימנו - “The greater a person, the greater the yetzer horah,” and Reb Yechezkel Levinstein zt”l adds, “The greater the moment, the greater the yetzer horah.” Therefore, it could happen. On Yom Kippur, in the Kodesh Kadoshim, while saying Hashem's name as it is written, the kohen gadol might wish for someone to die so he can marry that person's wife.
The Torah understands the yetzer horah and knows that even this is possible.
We mentioned this, so we shouldn't be surprised that the holy mitzvah of drinking on Purim could result in something negative. But, unfortunately, some people don’t understand this. They say: “Purim is one of the holiest days of the year, and drinking is a mitzvah. So how could anything negative come from it?
But don't be surprised. Drinking excessively could be damaging and lead to danger or sin; therefore, fortunate are those who are cautious. (R’ Elimelech Biderman)
The Gemara tells the story of Rabbah and Reb Zeira, who ate a Purim meal together, and due to the drinking, Rabbah killed Reb Zeira. Afterward, Rabbah resurrected him with his tefillos. Reb Efraim Zalman Margolis zt”l (Yad Efraim) writes, “They weren’t cautious; they drank beyond their limits. This resulted in a סכנה. Therefore, one must be cautious not to drink excessively. One should drink up to עד דלא ידע, but never actually get to that point.”
