[By Rabbi Yair Hoffman]
Notwithstanding the headline, this is a rather serious article that painfully cries out for a solution.
Let’s begin with both a plug for and a criticism of the Secret Service. The Secret Service does an excellent job in protecting the President and his family. Yet there are problems – serious ones that demand a new modus operandi. Below are some of the serious problems that transpired due to improper procedures and protocols.
In September of 2014, an intruder jumped over the White House fence and entered the White House through an unlocked door. He effortlessly made it deep into the East Room. Who caught him? It was an off-duty agent – someone that shouldn’t have been there.
A week later, an armed individual with an arrest record was in the same elevator as President Obama. In 2011, shots were fired at the White House where the president’s daughter was inside. It took four days for the Secret Service to realize it.
An outside government study demonstrated that the Secret Service has systemic problems associated with its culture of leadership that will not resolve overnight. These were egregious systemic failures.
Now let’s go to Purim and our Yeshivos. Our Yeshivos do a fine job in educating our children in Gemorah. But there is also a secret that we are keeping – one that many of us don’t wish to talk about. The “secret” is an accident waiting to happen.
The secret is that there are high school aged students who dorm away from home in yeshivas. On Purim, many of these students go collecting for various institutions and or Tzedakos. They tell their parents that they are going to Person X or community Y.
“Don’t worry, Ma, I am going with responsible people.. One of them is Gadol B’s grandson! Everything will be fine.”
They go. They drink. They are given more alcohol by well-meaning Baal HaBattim distributing Tzedakah to those who knock at their door. The reluctant host parents are unaware, in fact, that they are the host parents. The parent is assuming that there is a host parent. The Yeshiva takes no responsibility for anything.
There is drinking, more drinking, and running around to find a fun “Matzav” as the term goes. The period can last anywhere from after the first Megillah reading on the night of Purim – all the way to the day of Shushan Purim – 36 hours in total.
Boruch Hashem, some Yeshivos have actually hired bouncers to take control of the alcohol consumption. They keep out strangers who have imbibed too much. But this is a rarity.
The situation is such that there are people asleep in a drunken stupor at homes where the mothers do not even know the identity of the kid in the drunken stupor.
Indeed, recently, one reluctant host parent who did not even wish to be a host parents asked another reluctant host parent to take and email a photo of the kid in the drunken stupor to make sure that that kid is not the kid that they were looking for.
One responsible ninth grader told his parents that there were meat balls in front of the house. He then commented and inquired, “First I thought it was vomit, but then I saw that it was meatballs. Is it even possible for a person to actually throw up whole meatballs?”
In the meantime, there are hundreds of young men getting seriously drunk to the point where they need medical attention. There are Hatzolah calls, hospital visits, and thousands of incidents of vomiting. There are home break-ins in which the drunken to Lot-level-shikrus Yeshiva student needs a bed to stay. There are DUI and there are arrests. There was even a case of a life-threatening stabbing, requiring emergency surgery and months of recovery – a stabbing from unzer to unzer. And thousands of mothers are worried sick if they are aware of what is happening, and if not – they are oblivious.
All this information is suppressed. The Yeshivos suppress because if people knew the extent of what has or can transpire they would neither send any child to that Yeshiva nor support it. And the parents suppress because of Shidduchim.
There are systemic problems in the Dorm Yeshiva Purim scene and it is an accident waiting to happen. Wait one second – that is inaccurate. The accidents are happening and they are happening all the time.
A protocol needs to be developed where these systemic issues are addressed. Signing Kol Korehs and taking out ads in Jewish newspapers is not enough. It is a mere platitude – lip serviceto a deeply rooted problem, that not only endangers our children but is a huge cause of national Chilul Shaim Shamayim.
The protocol should address and delineate the Yeshiva’s responsibilities, the parents’ responsibilities, the Tzedakos’ responsibilities, the responsibilities of the Tzeddakah homes they visit, the host parent responsibilities (reluctant though they may be), and the friends’ responsibilities.
Those in the know realize quite well that the problem here is not being overstated in the slightest. Women in our community dread Shushan Purim because of the volume of vomit cleaning that they must perform. There is a reason why every Hatzolah is spending much needed money in the newspapers.
My personal thinking is that the collecting should be stopped. It is a recipe for disaster. The providing of alcohol to young men collecting should also be stopped – aside from the fact that it is illegal. Both the parents and the Yeshivos should work together to ensure that the whereabouts of each child is known at all times – hour by hour.
Are we mad? Why are we accepting of this reality – a situation of sheer and utter lunacy? The dangers are far greater now than ever before.
Why do we need a death or a tragedy to spur us into action?
These issues are the pressing ones that should be addressed at our organizational conventions and meetings. Kashrus issues such as bugs in orange juice, and Hashkafic threats about schismatic movements like Open Orthodoxy or people that go on the Temple Mount are certainly important – indeed, this author has written a number of articles about these issues. But we need to develop a protocol and a solution to this systemic problem within our own communities. These are the pressing of our time and we cannot remain with our heads in the sand.
May Hashem bring yeshuos to Klal Yisroel.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
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46 Responses
I think you will have to take it up with he mechaber who paskens.
“Chayav inish……”
Every male age 13 years and above is obligated to drink ad d’lo yada.
Any difference of opinion is no better than the reformers in the 1800s or the anti-mbp folks today.
What is this some kind of liberal propaganda puff piece? answer me this question can you point to one death attributed to drinking on purim in the last 50 years? no? why not isnt it an epidemic of epic proportions? i think not. And now for some science it is really very hard to die of alcohol the brain is made up of two parts one part we think with and carry on our lives with one part on the bottom of our brains called the medulla just controls our bodily functions heart lungs etc. the way alcohol works is it effects our main brain first when we had to much our main brain shuts down which is why the person passes out and cant walk or move. this is a safety mechanism built in that the person cant drink anymore so his medulla shouldn’t be effected, this allows his heart and lungs to continue to keep him alive. the only way to bypass this safety mechanism and the alcohol should shut down his vital organs is to drink so much so quick that it shuts down his first brain and goes straight for the medulla that would be like gulping down 2 glasses of whiskey almost impossible and people just dont do that. this is why we dont see deaths from alcohol
to the SPECTRUM:
plz refer to the rambam and shulchan aruch, the mitzva of drinking WINE is only during the SEUDA. not during the evening before nor the morning nor after tzeis hakochavim. and ESPECIALLY NOT IN THE COURSE OF WALKING IN THE STREETS, that is not in the context of the seudas purim. furthermore, drinking in the streets is definitely what chazal meant!
I can’t believe the first few responses here. Chazal say to drink, but not endanger your self or other people. Nor do Chazal say to let your teenagers be completely hefker!
of course there is a mitzva of ad dlo yada, the author of this article doesnt disagree. The disagreement is when, where, with whom and under whose supervision it is being done. My own sons point that the shulchan aruch, yet they are unable to pinpoint where it says they must drink any amount, if anything ither than wine at any time besides the purim seuda. I have yet to see any posek who writes the seuda begins after the megilla at night continues through maariv the next night. Nor can they point to the posek who states one should part purim night to the detriment of tefilla bizman the next morning or to completey miss mincha of purim and maariv and shachris orcshushan purim sleeping off the booze.
Eric55, you are the perfect example of what alcohol does to one’s brain. I am assuming you are not drunk right now but clearly impaired based on your unintelligible comment.
to eric55:
According to the CDC, “An average of 6 people die of alcohol poisoning each day in the US.” (Google “Alcohol Poisoning Deaths” to find the page.)
This is a serious problem, and whatever one’s shitta on ad d’lo yada is, the danger of excessive consumption has to be taken into account.
eric55- I don’t know where your getting your garbage science. This is not a scientific issue…its a chillul Hashem issue.
Spectum- the entire year us Ashkenazim follow the Rama and M”B who are 85% of the time more machmir than the Shulchan Aruch. Now, on Purim we go against the Rema and Mishnah Berurah?!
Goofus- and you have unfortunetly lost your Chelek in Oilam Habah (Apikores: Zeh Hamivazeh talmid chochom) because you are calling the Rabbeinu Efraim, Ran, Bach, Rama, Mishna Berurah (probably also the Rambam who says only to drink bsoch haseudah) reformers. That’s gonna be a tough din v’cheshbon right there.
Once again, the author remind me of the guy who would only change his socks when they would stick to the wall. It’s nice to come up with problems, BUT COME UP WITH LEGITIMATE SOLUTIONS TOO
answer to number 2) you are an am haaretz and an idiot! havent you seen the Rama in 695 who says that you drink a little and go to sleep.
People like you bring a churban to klall yisroel- go and learn you jerk!!!
I agree with you Rabbi Hoffman 100% 15 years ago when my son participated in one of those stretch limo drinking party’s at age 12, we also saw kids from good homes drunk in the gutter (literally) my wife and I decided that we will never again spent Purim in New York – so every year we leave behind the crazy’s and spend a quiet Purim with the Family have a nice lively seuda with wine and give our charity where we want to.
Thank you for writing it the way it really is and hopefully ALL ROSHEI YESHIVAS will wake up to the reality and ban this madness.
I grew up in the sevetys and all my Rebbeim died from cancer as they were smoking like chimneys it took me 20 years to kick the habit and b”h today in the US no one smokes in Israel in Brisk and all other Yeshivos you can still see Bochurim smoking outside on the streets and I tried talking to the Roshei Yeshivos about it but “they” know better I guess this is also “daas toire” ?
Sorry….But עד דלא ידע does not mean to become drunk till you don’t know What’s doing with yourself and knowing the difference if your human or an animal….it does not mean become soo drunk till you throw up in some stranger’s house leaving them with the disgusting mess to clean up and does not mean drunk so you break household items or furniture in strangers houses. It mean drunk responsibly…so you still know your a human being and can take care of yourself….. too many irresponsible drinkers around….
First of all the oilam who says shulchan aruch says to get drunk is a bunch of am haratzim. It says in the hakdama to shulchan aruch that it’s just a chazara for beis Yosef and if u want to understand look there. And in beis Yosef he writes and I quote “kasuv b’orchos chaim chaiv inish lbisumei bpuria lo sheyishtaker ki hashikrus issur gamur vein lcho aveira gedola mezu shehu gomer lgilui araois vshfichus damim vkama aveiros chamuros zulasan ach shyishte ktzas yoser mlemudo maat” u clearly see he says not to get drunk!!!!!!! Let’s see what ur kids have to say about that
*gorem lgilui
Kol hakavod to the author of this article. It’s truly a big problem and I believe that the Roshei Yeshivos can only stop this whole scene by prohibiting the collections on Purim. The Yeshiva Gedolah’s go out in fleets of rented cars to go collecting and I’m not sure how responsible these drivers can be when there are SO MANY others doing the same thing. I say, stay home and keep your family home indoors on Purim because it is so very dangerous outside. Or if you can afford it, take your family away from the big cities for a few days, like BarSechel said.
Unfortunately it was my non-religious brother who sent me this article, and as embarrassing as this situation is for us in the frum community, we need to stand up and do something about it to make changes.
Everyone here misses the point.
Being the parent of sons who went through the yeshiva world
I can tell you who is at fault:
It’s the Rebbeim in elementary school, high school and beis medrash who teach the bochurim that the mitzva is to get totally drunk on Purim and that on Purim anything is permissible when you are drunk!
You can see the evidence of this from the comments that keep coming justifying this attitude. The commentators here aren’t making this nonsense up by themselves, they are repeating that which was taugh to them by their “responsible” rebbeim.
as #5 said
“I can’t believe the first few responses here. Chazal say to drink, but not endanger your self or other people. Nor do Chazal say to let your teenagers be completely hefker!”
does anyone really believe that the chafetz chaim walked around the streets of radin on purim throwing up.
in general dorms are hefker all year round. we are sending immature young adults away from home and putting them in unsupervised situations. a good dorm has one counselor (who is probably not much older then the kids they are watching) for 20 or 30 kids. compare that to a home. Purim is the worst of it…but its not better the rest of the year
Jerusalem reader
you prove my point 6 people a day in the U.S is nothing, more than 6 people die from Cheerios each day. and my point was as to jews who drink on purim it never happened yet that someone should die, because as you point out from statistics its an extremely rear occurrence
Simple summary -1.Point well taken
2.Points about how this connects to the mitzva in general should have been addressed with a disclaimer that this article is about the excesses and not dealing with the question of if and how much to drink when at home and not running around.
3.rebuttals to Eric55 or goofus that were written in anger will do no good and will not convince anyone.
4.The alternative that might work would be to obligate the hiring of bouncers
Btw words like jerk should not make it past the moderator
this problem should not be swept under the carpet!
this needs to be taught in yeshivas how dangerous it is to drink.
maybe some kind of large reward can be offered to the yeshiva that their students did not drink, or act irresponsibly.
“First I thought it was vomit, but then I saw that it was meatballs. Is it even possible for a person to actually throw up whole meatballs?” Actually, if they are the meatballs I am thinking of, they were not thrown up, they leaked from a pan I was carrying to a neighbor for the Sudah….
To #1 and #2.
Let’s for the sake of this discussion assume that there is a bona fide chiyuv to get drunk to the levels being discussed.
However many more serious mitzvos (asei and lo sansei) are waived for health reasons. A bris ( which is Kares if not done) will sometimes not be done for the possible danger to the baby.
One can be mechalel Shabbos (chiyuv sekila) for a possible danger – I repeat – possible danger to life. How can anyone claim that if there is a safek of danger to the one drinking, that the “chiyuv” of ad dlo yoda is still in force?
I have no issues with anyone drinking responsibly. That means at the seuda. That means not missing benching (a de’oreiso by the way -unlike drinking which is mi’d’rabanan) Not missing maariv (which includes the de’oreiso of krias shma). Not missing shacharis the next morning (which also includes the de’oreiso of shma. ) I challenge anyone to show where the d’rabanan of drinking overrides any of these issues.
How come Yair Hoffman is aware of this “prevalent” nightmare scenario playing out in yeshivos everywhere, while I and those I know who’ve been in yeshiva their entire lives never heard anything remotely close to this scenario?
If I may add my humble opinion, to all the commenters who have stated that in order to fulfill the mitzva according to the shulchan aruch you must be intoxicated enough not to be able to differentiate between arrur Haman and baruch mordechai, please make sure you are following all the other laws of the shulchan aruch also. Of course we have to always grow in our service to Hashem but in my humble opinion there are other things to work on first. To get completely drunk and endanger yourself and others and ruin other people’s property, not to mention possibly causing a chillul Hashem in the process is probably not what the shulchan aruch had in mind.
eric55
Yes I do know a 15 year old boy who died on Purim from drinking. A family no longer has Purim as a joyous day but rather the yartzeit of a tragedy. I am sure he is not the only one. Anything else you want to say?
Thanks Rabbi Yair. This definitely opened the eyes of some people and only good can come from this. Thanks.
As a side note, could anybody point me to anywhere that it says there is a chayav to drink the entire day at all? It says one should drink on purim ad dlo yada. Does this mean that the entire day one should be under the influence? Is there a v’chol hamarbe?
I understand all who are against this. They are our teenagers who consider every kind of advice or learn from others failures to be kind of restrictive. They love to drink and are who Rabbi Yair is referring to.
Now what did this have to do with the Secret Service again???
First of all, I will bypass all the comments made out of shear ignorance. Also, I think some of the commentators need a chill pill. Just because you disagree with someone doesn’t mean you have to be condescending to prove your point.
The Reality is:
1) Most are more familiar with the expression “Chiyav Inish…” then they are with the actual Halachah.
2) Unfortunately, many Rabbanim are not only guilty of misguiding their talmidim in Halachah, they are often a poor role model as well.
3) From what I have seen it appears that most or at least too significant an amount of talmidim that go collecting end up either very drunk or worse, plastered by the end of the day (or night). As a result they put many lives in danger.
4) Fact – many Talmidim get drunk Leil Purim and on Shushan Purim when there is absolutely no mitzva to do so.
5) All too often people are guilty of giving these kids alcohol when they come to collect (as if there won’t be a chance for them to drink at their own seudah later in the day). Let it be known the when I dropped off Meshalach Manos to a very Chashuv Posek here in Israel this year I noticed that he gave out juices and other non-alcoholic beverages to all that came to his door collecting. There is absolutely no excuses to be offering them alcohol! They are not guests of your seudah! Not to mention that it’s rare for any of these “hosts” to inquire how many cups these kids have already drank.
A complaint was lodged that a solution was not given in the article. Although I beg to differ, I will give clear guidelines below:
1) Rabanim should make it absolutely clear what the guidelines are for drinking on Purim.
2) Specific regulations should be made that ONLY students that promise not to drink outside of their seudah are aloud to collect for the yeshivah. They should be informed that any student that is reported as having violated this agreement will never be allowed to collect again for their Yeshivah. Trust me, the boys that want to collect will take it to heart. (Also, they should be informed on how to politely decline offers to drink. Being that they usually collect in groups of 4 or 5 it won’t be hard to collectively decline.)
3) Gedolim should sign on kol korehs forbidding people to hand out alcohol to boys collecting.
4) Special identification cards should be handed out by the schools for the parents to fill in that their sons will be required to carry in case they get excessively drunk.
Yes, it is impossible to totally eradicate the problem. After all, Chazal clearly state in many sources the Torah’s disdain for becoming inebriated, but non-the-less there has never been a time in history in which there were not some drunkards among klal Yisrael?! (I’m not talking about Purim)
The key word here is “Reduction”; To drastically “reduce” the number of unnecessary inebriated kids roaming the streets on Purim due to a lack of social responsibility.
Yes, there will be kids that won’t carry the ID card on them and who will purposefully get recklessly drunk on Purim. However, many kids will be protected from self harm caused by inexperience with alcohol. Not to mention, prevention of becoming future alcoholics that does happen at time as a result of drinking on Purim. …and while we are at it, abolishing the “minhag” of “Purim cigarettes” which often is the catalyst for many frum chain smokers.
Just to drive the point home, I personally love drinking on Purim and look forward to it every year. I have no gripes about underage kids (13-21) drinking “at the seduah” in order to “fulfill the halacha”. However, it MUST be done responsibly! Meaning – 1) they need to have transportation arrangements set up prior to drinking, 2) they must not exceed 3 or 4 cups of wine maximum based on weight (best if they research their maximum safe blood alcohol level using a BAC on line) 3) ONLY wine, no other beverages.
LAST NOTE: Purim is a great time to learn who people really are. Who’s really responsible and who’s not. Let’s all try to be included in the later.
…and thank you Rabbi Hoffman for your important awareness article!
eric55:
It is ridiculous to say more people die choking on Cheerios every year than from alcohol poisoning,and demonstrably false. There are “57 childhood food choking deaths reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention annually” (presumably all 57 are not from Cheerios). Source: “Choking on food common among U.S. kids” by Genevra Pittman for Reuters.
And 6 deaths a day is “nothing”? 2190 people dead annually from alcohol is “nothing”? Wow.
I will not dispute the exact words of the Shulchan Aruch as written, since everyone seems to them all too well, but there are poskim on the Shulchan Aruch, which klal Yisrael has accepted the psak halachah.
Fistly. Rambam (Hilchot Megila 2:15), Tur, and Shulchan Aruch (695) all present the rule of drinking on Purim only at the Seudas Purim. No one will agree that this applies to the night before, during the day, or after Shkiya
(Sorry but I don’t have Hebrew font so I will bring down the relevant points in my own English translation)
Rama 695: Paskens L’halacha that it is not necessary to get drunk on Purim. He says that one should drink more than he is used to and go to sleep, thereby he won’t be able to differentiate between arur hamam….
Mishna B’rura and Pri Migadim: This is the proper way
Beer Hetev (Taz and Gra): If one can’t caclculate the gematria of A.h. and b.m, is is yotzei
Biyur Halacha in name of Meiri: The intent is NOT “hoililus and shtus”…if he will miss out on ANY mitzve i.e. brocha, benching, krias shma, mincha, maariv, or if will conduct himself with kalus roish then better he NOT get drunk.
Beis Yosef in name of Orchos Chaim: “The mitzvah to drink on Purim does not mean to get drunk, because being drunk is a total issur, and there is no greater aveirah than this..
Harav Shmuel Kamentzky Shlita: “Getting drunk on Purim is an aveirah, not a mitzvah.”
Let us be as makpid on all mitzvos- d’oraisa, d’rabanan and minhagim according to halacha!
I am simply addressing the current article and some the responses-
THIS DOES NOT EVEN TOUCH THE MUCH LARGER PROBLEM OF ALCOHOL ABUSE (I’m not using this term lightly) IN OUR COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY DURING KIDDUSH ON SHABBOS AND SIMCHOS.
L’iluy nishmas Yehuda Mond A’H, (you can google it) killed sat a young age due to “frum” alcohol abuse.
I don’t often comment on these topics but some of the aforementioned remarks bring the “best” out of me – so here goes:
As a veteran Hatzoloh member, I’d like to begin by saying that it would be nice to enjoy at least ONE Purim with my family UNINTERRUPTED because of an alcohol related emergency.
I’d like to recount a quick story that happened a few years ago (it still eats at me to this very day). I was called to a scene of a 15 year old yeshiva boy, VERY drunk, vomiting and unable to stand, in front of a yeshiva (not his, he was brought there) AT 3:00AM. After many attempts, I was successful in getting his address and resorted to doing a reverse search to get his home number (he couldn’t remember it).
The mother answered the phone, sounded annoyed by the call and requested that Hatzoloh drive him home because “she can’t wake he husband, he has to go to work in the morning”. He ended up coming to get his son.
There are dozens of similar stories I’ve experienced over the years – too long to write, but all get the point.
For someone to even remotely condone underage drinking, well, YOU REALLY NEED TO SIT WITH YOUR ROV and have a DMC.
Enough said!
Hahaha…. Could not stop laughing looking at so manny silly comments, each guy making up his own “dayah” to Provo his point….. I don’t wanna go personally I just would like to know if the Author of this article ever spent purim in out of town dorms, if he ever spent purim in Florida, la or any other places that bachurim go to (wich don’t get me wrong I’m very against it just for the hefkairus of other issues) I’m asking you this cause I have plenty of litcish freinds and j spent purim in manny dorms and yeshivos, I go there and I only see happy ppl dancing and trying to get closer to hashem, yes of course ppl throw up and sometimes something will brake, wich is understandably ppl are drunk. the only place I heated of such above issues is in areas of Flatbush neighborhoods in Far Rockaway were there the pretzus and znus and hefkayrus is so great in so manny other issues, what do you expect different from these innocent children that were ripped and destroyed from being an ehrlicha Ben tora by their ignorant stupid parents, and if you dig enough into what I say you’ll see that these type of issues in our more normal communities are only with those children that I have other Elicia issues or that are at risk “no Odense to any one in particular” but the point is that “nichnas yayin yutza soid”
I don’t see any of these issues in any chasidus or normal stable home!
And @commensence I’m ready to challenge you on what you said “no one died”
@barsechel you’re what I mean, allowing you’re child to go out at night at the age of “12” to have a limo party, Nebach on you for being from those that don’t have their own life and have to shtell tzue to those around him
And the guy that said I dong know how safe those drivers are” hahaha you got me rolling…..😃😃 if you don’t know then shut up!!
Don’t get me wrong, I totally disagree with drinking at night or on shush an purim. But to start knocking everyone and that this is the issue of the generation is Blakely wrong!!!
My son’s yeshiva went on through Purim. The boys drank, to be sure, but it was in yeshiva and the hanhala was there and things did not get out of hand. The collecting – or that Purim is an off day – is the problem.
It’s wrong to knock the debts to the side and say that it’s nothing but let me point out that these debts come from people that drink constantly do you destroy the livers from some of the drinks once a year
Death’s*
And let me say whoever Knox any Godel or Talmid Chacham you’re a loser you’re nothing better how much total do you know in tora or midos the star knocking to be such a little fact that you open up a newspaper to know some political politics
btw, according to my doctor it is impossible to choke on cheerios. choking hazards are things like hot dogs, popcorn and nuts.
The truth is that these nightmare scenarios are rare on Purim. Rare in that out of 25,000 bochorim, maybe two or three have a serious problem.
#34 – sorry to say but I have been in one of the “Out-of-town” cities you mention and have seen the same issues, especially from those Yeshiva boys flown in.
Also, I believe the author is from the west coast and probably can vouch for the same problem there. Speculation is not helpful. Check your facts before commenting.
The only thing conclusive here is that some people just wanna be heard!
Did you hear me?
I very much enjoyed the shiur klali given by softwords…..very thorough
#41 – I understand that you would like the truth to be on your side, but the reality is that if you speak to anyone (and I mean ANYONE) that works for Hatzalah or any other Emergency organization you’ll learn that the facts are just not like you say. There is no good that can come out of trying to bend the truth to fit your needs.
The fact is that it was a problem when I was young and it is just getting worse and worse. I’m not sure why, but more and more kids are showing signs of being out of control on Purim. It scares me when I see so many drunk kids jumping in front of cars in their stupor with no thought of the possibility of getting killed. There has not been one year in which I haven’t seen kids lying on the ground with their friends or strangers surrounding them to check his condition and try to get him some help.
Don’t try to blind others or yourself to the realities that exists. It doesn’t demand to stop drinking, but rather to be more responsible at drinking.
Drink until you’re drunk (at your seudah), not to the point of recklessness!