MEGILAT ESTER
This year, 5781/2021, the Purim will fall on a Friday, February 26. Which means that on Thursday, February 25, we will observe the fast of Esther, from the morning. On Thursday night, after Arbit, we will read the Megillat Esther and at the end we will break the fast. In our community in order to minimize the number of people attending the Minyanim, this year we have organized multiple Minyanim for Arbit and Megilla reading following Mincha and for this year only we will also offer the possibility of late Minyanim at 7:00pm or 8:00pm. Whoever is going to attend one of these Minyanim later can break the fast with a snack, but a formal dinner can only be held after reading the Megilla. If a person has COVID symptoms or is in quarantine and cannot attend the Bet HaKeneset or a Minian where the Megilla is read, he or she will be able to hear the Megillah by Zoom. Now, if he has or can get an Kosher Megilla – that is, a Megilla made of leather and handwritten – he can follow the reading by Zoom, saying normally the Berakha. But if he does not have or cannot get a Megilla and only has one book, he will be able to follow the reading of the Megilla by Zoom, but without saying the Berakha, because formally the Megilla reading is only valid when is read from a Kosher Megilla.
GIFTS AND MORE GIFTS!
On Friday morning we will say the normal Tefilla of the day of Purim, with Tora reading, followed by a Megillat Esther. Then, we have to perform 3 Mitzvot: 1. Matanot Laebiyoim (giving portions of food to the poor. In our days, we also give the equivalent amount of money. See at the end). 2. Mishloach manot (giving portions of food to neighbors, friends, etc.) and 3. Seuda, the Purim banquet. Actually the first two Mitzvot are totally related to the third. 1. On the day of Purim, especially during the morning, we distribute meals to the poor (at least two portions of food to two needy people) so that they have enough food to celebrate the Purim banquet. 2. Mishloach Manot, also consists of sending two servings of food to at least one friend. And that portion of food should, in theory, be eaten at the “Purim banquet.” The idea is that when I celebrate my Purim banquet, apart from having my own food, I would also have on my table different delicious dishes sent by my friends and neighbors: cooked foods, desserts or drinks. In this way, Mishloach Manot is a way to celebrate “sharing together “our foods.
THE PURIM BANQUET
The Purim banquet is usually celebrated around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. But when Purim falls on a Friday, which doesn’t happen very often, we have to have the Purim banquet at another time. Why? Because it is forbidden to have a formal meal a few hours before Shabbat begins, because if we eat close Shabbat we will lose our appetite for Shabbat dinner!
Therefore, we have two options for having the Purim banquet.
PURIM BRUNCH
The first option is to have a “brunch”, at 11.00, 11.30 etc. In this case we would have to perform first the other two Mitzvot: giving food to the poor and giving gifts of food to our friends. Only after we did this we begin the Purim meal. This would be the option recommended by most Rabbis today, and it is perhaps the best option, in practical terms, for those who can avoid going to work this coming Friday. However, if one has to go to work and / or won’t be able to have the Purim banquet in the morning (and or cannot drink during the day) there is an alternative way.
THE NUCLEAR OPTION
This option is a little less known. It consists of holding the Purim banquet immediately before Shabbat dinner, combining the two events. Except that to show that Shabbat meal is a different meal once Shabbat begins we spread another tablecloth on the table, covering the bread and all the food for a few minutes while we recite the Kiddush. Afterwe finish Kiddush, we remove the extra tablecloth, and we continue with the Shabbat meal. At the end we will say Birkat HaMazon and then Tefilat Arbit of Shabbat.
I will explain it once more in more detail:
√ Suppose that sunset, which is when Shabbat officially begins, is at 5.45pm.
√ Say Mincha Guedola, at 1.30pm, 2.00pm or 3.00pm, etc.
√ Start your Purim banquet around 4.30pm – 4.45pm.
√ At 5.30pm the woman of the house should light the Shabbat candles, while we continue eating.
√ At 5.45pm you bring a second tablecloth, and you cover the table and the food, and you say Kiddush (if during the Purim banquet you drank wine, and you said HaGefen, you should omit in the Kiddush the berakha Bore Peri haGefen).
√ After Kiddush you remove the second tablecloth. If you made HaMotzi at the Purim banquet, you DO NOT recite HaMotzi again, but rather you distribute a piece of bread to each of the guest, as we do on a normal Shabbat, but without reciting any blessings.
√ Then you say Birkat haMazon, with ‘al hanissim (because we started the meal when it was Purim) and Retse veHachalitsenu, for Shabbat.
√ Then you pray Arbit.
Please, consult with your community rabbi to learn more or different details of this second option
