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It bothers me when people equate drinking on Purim with day to day drinking. While both of them are a problem, they are IMHO completely separate issues and should in no way be compared to one another. More importantly, I feel there is a serious danger in comparing them. On Purim thousands of people get drunk. While there are major campaigns against it, people till get drunk. A lot of people, chasuv adults included, don’t even think it’s so bad or that there’s anything wrong with it. Kids see this and pick up on it. They realize that while their parents and schools rails against drinking on Purim, it’s a matter of discussion and argument. “After all, isn’t it a mitzvah to get drunk?” People get drunk, we look away. Kids get drunk and don’t get in trouble. It’s a fight that is lost before it started. Then they hear us compare Purim drinking to day to day drinking. We equate them. We talk to them how bad drinking is on Purim as well as the rest of the year. The problem is that drinking is accepted on Purim. There are many people who drink on Purim. Alcohol is freely flowing. How can we say that Purim drinking is the same as the rest of the year, then have a question why they drink during the rest of the year when they see everyone drinking on Purim? We were the ones who told them it’s the same thing. A kid goes to school on Taanis Esther and see’s a video about how bad drinking is during the year and is told not to drink on Purim. Then the very next day he sees many people drunk because it’s a mitzvah to get drunk on Purim.They think that just like it’s no big deal to drink on Purim, it’s no big deal to drink during the rest of the year. And besides, I’m not listening to my Rebbe when he says not to drink on Purim, it’s the same thing as the rest of the year. (You can tell me logical reasons from today till tomorrow why they are different. Trust me. I know they are different. But teenagers will equate them and not care that there is a technical difference.)
I think if people do not understand the difference in at least some cases it may be
some might not ‘want’ to understand the difference.
I do not se any major problems with people understanding the difference
between eating a full meal at a Pesach Seder or Sukkoth and eating less (or sometimes not at all) during each weekly meal.
I do not see any major problems between understanding the difference between eating kosher or not kosher, or between Torah study and secular studies.
Could it be that those who do not understand the difference between drinking on a bit more on Purim (and lets remember even on Purim we are not supposed to drink to the point of sickness and vomiting) and less during other times, are simply looking for excuses?
Who compared? who equated?
drinking from the Yehuda Mond Foundation
At first glance I thought it said: “drinking from the Yehuda Mond Fountain”
I have’nt been fall-down drunk since my HS days, so maybe I’m not the best person to comment.
That said, I only allow the bottle to come to the table on friday night, afte rthe fish. And beer is only for shabbos day meal, and only if 2 or more people are going to share a bottle.
So I guess the rule of thumb we use is, MODERATION. Every day. The folks that run into a “drinking problem” are not drinking in moderation.
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