Image: Three Jews celebrating Purim: a Cubs fan, a very silly rabbi, and a cowboy. Photo by Linda Burnett.
At last! Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet arrives at sundown on Thursday, March 7, 2019!
In a leap year, Adar Aleph is the “added in” month, so we have to wait a little longer for Purim. Purim this year (2019) will begin at sundown on Wednesday, March 20, aka 14 Adar Bet, 5779.
Two weeks is not too early to begin planning for Purim. Mitzvot require planning! Some things to do– follow the links for more information on each mitzvah:
- Plan our tzedakah to feed the poor. (A Purim mitzvah)
- Plan our mishloach manot, gifts of food for friends, aka Purim goody bags.
- Plan our festive meal (yes, another Purim mitzvah!)
- Plan where we will hear the megillah [Scroll of Esther] If you want to hear the whole scroll chanted, it is wise to phone ahead. Some synagogues have only a Purim shpiel.
- Plan costumes for yourself and your family! (Not a mitzvah, but still fun.)
Also, while officially we don’t begin preparation for Passover until after Purim, in reality many Jews begin the Passover prep before they put on their masks. If you want to start thinking about that process, I recommend taking a look at Cleaning for Passover: Begin in Egypt. It’s a guide especially for those who have never kept Passover before, or who find the prospect of cleaning for Passover overwhelming.
Shake off those winter blues, and get ready: Purim’s coming!
Hi Rabbi, can you tell me what the words are regarding the commandment regarding drinking on Purim? It is something like, drink until you can’t tell Haman name from Mordechai. But a rabbi told me that it doesn’t say you have to do this by drinking so you could just take a nap, during which you would not be able to distinguish one name from the other.
Thanks!