A drunken Purim – right or wrong?

STAFF REPORTER

Last week a petition went out around Johannesburg to “stop the dangerous Purim activities in Johannesburg”, claiming that “numerous Hatzolah ambulance calls testify to the life-threatening danger of this event”. The petition was to be sent to OhrSom Student Johannesburg, who held a Purim party for young people.

The petition signed by 118 people by Tuesday this week, made numerous ugly allegations, but one of them hit a chord with many Jewish parents and rabbis. This was: “To allow such an open flow of alcohol to young adults and teenagers, is undoubtedly a severely dangerous activity that should be halted immediately.

“ How can it be allowed for people to get so drunk that they need to go to hospital in the name of religion?”

And another uncomfortable point made was the first comment under the petition, which was from Zach Davidowitz, who claimed the petition was outrageous. “Those who were taken to hospital (myself included) were not force-fed alcohol. I made the stupid decision to drink too much myself.

“It is absurd that OhrSom Student is taking the fall for the reckless behaviour of one or two individuals at most, when in actuality all OhrSom did was provide us with an opportunity to celebrate Purim.”

Darren Sevitz, CEO of Hatzolah, would not confirm or deny anything, saying the organisation respects patient confidentiality and does not report on specific operational events.

Tellingly, however, the Hatzolah website gives statistics for their activities during 2016. Of the 2 183 call-outs the Jewish ambulance service had last year, 49 are described as “overdose”.

The buzz on social media claimed that three young people were taken to hospital by Hatzolah with alcohol poisoning, while many others were so drunk they were running around Glenhazel with hardly clothes on. This could not be verified as a veil of secrecy has dropped over the apparent goings-on at this popular Purim party.

The question of getting so drunk at Purim is contentious, as some schools of thought not only practise it, but see it as a mitzvah. Others completely disagree with it.

The social media story of the year-to-date in the community is seeing many questioning the practice of getting drunk on Purim, and asking if there is not a more spiritual and refined way of celebrating the happy holiday.

Drinking excessively was in the past never the norm for Jewish people.

Chabad.org lists over 80 articles on this subject.

In one, called “The Purim Drunk” by Yanki Tauber, he questions how the statement in the Megillah should be implemented in practice, saying there was a disagreement between various halachic authorities.

Says Tauber: “All halachic authorities are unanimous in ruling that it is a mitzvah to drink, and drink to excess on Purim, though there are differences of opinion as to whether the obligation is to get as drunk as Rava enjoins, or to a lesser degree.

“In any case, the concept of becoming intoxicated on Purim to the point that one’s reason is totally incapacitated is a legitimate halachic position, which requires understanding and validation regardless of whether or not it is accepted in practice.”

In contrast, another well-known Chabad.org commentator, Tzvi Freeman, answers a question in an article called “Do I have to get drunk on Purim?”

Freeman wrote: “Purim is not about drinking. Purim is about being drunk with sincere happiness.”

He says that traditionally, Jews have celebrated Purim by “drinking a little extra wine at their Purim feast with friends”, and if that gets you there, then it’s the halachically prescribed way to do the mitzvah.

“Drinking, according to the sages of the Talmud,” writes Freeman, “can heighten the joy and excitement of Purim. So, they declared it actually is a mitzvah – as long as you are confident that your behaviour will remain at the high standard expected by the Torah.

“If you are planning to drive, or you know that drinking can otherwise get you in trouble, then alcohol might as well be pork juice.”

One modern Orthodox rabbi put it in the following manner. “To have a drink, is okay, to get drunk, however, can never be considered a mitzvah.,”