Kiddush Hashem Reminders for Purim:
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Please help publicize these important messages from the Agudah and Torah Umesorah. 

Kiddush Hashem and chillul Hashem sensitivities are fully applicable on Purim:
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• One cannot become drunk on Purim if doing so will cause one to make a chillul Hashem by alcohol-induced inappropriate behavior.  
• Be fully aware of your surroundings - whether you are driving, playing music at night, or drinking. Remember that there are neighbors watching.
• Perhaps place some mishloach manos at your non-Jewish neighbors’ doors with a note. This generous gesture goes a long way to minimize any hard feelings and enhance darchei shalom.
• Know where your children are. Ensure that a Rebbe/adult joins them in their car if they are collecting.
• Participate in the incredible learning programs such as Yeshivas Mordechai Hatzadik.
• Be sensitive in your choice of costumes. Exercise great care to avoid any take off on other cultures, because they may be considered mockery and lead to a reaction of open hostility. 
• Remember that all of our actions can easily be publicized in mere seconds to thousands around the world.

Let's assure that this year's simchas purim will be a true Kiddush Hashem!

Have a freilichin Purim!
Rabbi Shraga Freedman

Links to Enhance Your Purim Experience

There are a lot of aspects to Purim. The halachah of intoxication applies only to men, and the parameters of this halachah is explained by the Poskim.

But there are many other aspects of Purim as well which apply to both men and women.

Here are some of those points to think about, and each person should try to do them on his or her own level, according to his or her personal capabilities – and not based on any reasons influenced by factors that are either social, or emotional, or family-based, because there are many times where people act based solely on “what’s normal”, and this uproots any serenity and joy that they could have on Purim.

1) Consider the aspect of reading the Megillah on Purim.

Both men and women are obligated to hear the Megillah on Purim.

And on a more inner level, both men and women can reflect on the events in the Megillah and see how there was Divine Providence laced throughout this story, because the word “Megillas Esther” means to “reveal” the “hidden”, to turn the concealment (hester) into giluy (revelation of Hashem’s Divine Providence).

A person can go through all of the details in the Purim story, from beginning until end, and he can see how it was all an unfolding process of Hashem’s Divine Providence - as opposed to a bunch of random details that have no connection to each other.

On an even deeper level, each person, whether man or woman, on his or her own level, can see Hashem’s inner mode of conduct hidden in the Creation, as explained in sefer Daas Tevunos, and how every event in the world can be seen through the lens of Hashem’s carefully planned Divine Providence, His goodness, and the revelation of His Oneness.

2) Consider the mitzvah of sending Mishloach Manos on Purim.

The purpose of this mitzvah is to increase love and friendship.

On the obligatory level, everyone is obligated to send two portions of food to someone. On an inner level, one should also think about whom he will make happy by giving Mishloach Manos to.

Then one should think, “What can I put into this Mishloach Manos package which will make the other person happy? What would that person really enjoy?”

One should put thought into how much Mishloach Manos to send, what the quality of it should be like, how nice it should look, and what kind of nice messages he can send with it.

Everyone should do this only according to her personal capabilities, and not to over-do it.

Even more so, when giving the Mishloach Manos, it should not just be an act of giving motivated by logic alone, but it should be given from the depth of one’s heart, with love and joy, to make the other person happy.

Included in this aspect (gladdening other people on Purim) is to make the children happy, with costumes and the like.

But again, one should do this only within her actual capabilities, and only if she can do it with joy.

3) Consider also the mitzvah to give Matanos L’Evyonim (gifts to the poor) on Purim.

One should look for a person who needs it the most, and who would be the happiest to receive it – and one should strive to give Matanos L’Evyonim specifically to this kind of person.

A woman usually needs to ask her husband about whom she may give Matanos L’Evyonim to, mainly so that her husband should agree with her decision.
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4) Regarding the seudah of Purim, try to serve good food to each person who is dining by you, fitted to each person’s particular tastes.

The main point of the seudah on Purim is to think about and discuss Purim-related matters and what Purim is all about, and to stay away from words that disparage people, which only awaken the most impure forces in one’s soul.

5) The purpose of the day of Purim is to reach a deep place in one’s soul that is above one’s daas (logical reasoning and understanding).

For men, whose main mitzvah is to learn Torah, their main work on this world is to develop the power of their logic throughout the year, by studying Torah.

That is why men need the intoxicating effects of wine (or the dulling effect of sleep) in order to “nullify” their logical understanding and reach a place that goes beyond logical understanding.

However, women, who are exempt from Torah study, are therefore closer to the concept of nullifying their understanding and to more easily reach a place that goes beyond logical understanding. This is the point known as temimus (non-intellectual simplicity or earnestness).

Thus the main avodah of the day of Purim is, “Be wholesome with Hashem your G-d”, to walk with Him in temimus (simplicity), without any intellectual thinking.

It is about sensing His unlimited love for us, just as the people in the time of Achashveirosh re-accepted the Torah out of their great love of Hashem that they saw through the miracles of Purim.

It is about feeling how He always give to us, out of His great love for us, by saving us from trouble, and by bestowing good upon us.

From this understanding, we can come to feel the sweetness and pleasantness of being close to Him.

This is the root of true simchah on Purim, because by feeling close to Hashem a person feels physically lighter, in the body in general and specifically in the feet, and that is why one can easily sing and dance on Purim – just as by the song of Miriam.

And that is why the miracles on Purim happened precisely through women [Esther].

It is because women are closer to this temimus (simplicity and earnestness).

Men need to drink as a means to reach this place of temimus, whereas women are closer to reaching it, without the means of drinking.

​It only requires a little bit of reflecting and calm silence, and to enter into the deepest place of one’s soul – each person on her own level.

Tsadikim say that the light of Purim Katan (the small Purim) is brought upon all those who feel small in the sense that they need a yeshua (salvation); those who feel little because they are lacking in something.

Purim itself is the biggest day of the year to have our prayers answered.

Purim Katan is a big and auspicious day as well.

Rabbi Tsadok of Lublin writes that on the day of Purim Katan, a person can merit to get ‘a new heart’. Meaning that his heart can be purified on this day.

Someone who is not able to see the good in situations, in others…can be granted ‘a good heart’ on the day of Purim Katan.

To receive the light of Purim Katan, we must prepare the proper vessel.

There are some minhagim (customs) that Tsadikim have suggested we do on this special day.

​These customs make it so we are blessed with an abundance of blessings.

Seudat Purim Katan
One should make a seuda (meal) in honour of Purim Katan, just as we would do on Purim. It is a mitzvah to make a meal anytime on Tuesday before sunset. 
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One should also make it a point to drink some wine during the meal.

​It should be a meal filled with joy. This meal holds a lot of yeshua (salvation). 

Chazal say that Moshe Rabbenu was born on the 7th of Adar Aleph (the first Adar in a leap year) and therefore his Brit Milah was on the 14th of Adar Aleph, which is the day of Purim Katan.

Given that at that time, the Jews in Egypt were forbidden to have children (Pharoah ordered that the newborn Jewish boys be killed) and Moshe was hidden in order to keep him alive, they were not able to celebrate the Brit Milah and make a proper meal – Seudat Brit Milah (a holy meal that holds a lot of yeshua (salvation)).

The Beit Israel of Gur/Ger explains that in a leap year, we make a big seuda on Purim Katan, the 14th of Adar Aleph, in honour of Moshe Rabbenu’s Seudat Brit that he didn’t have.

On this day, Moshe Rabbenu is honour and comes down to be with us.

At this holy time, in the presence of Moshe Rabenu’s holiness, we can ask Hashem for all the things we need and want, and we are bound to see yeshuot (salvations).

Tsadikim also say it is good to say the following chapters in Tehillim during the meal:
22, 39, 62, 77, 100
כ׳ב, ל׳ט, ס׳ב, ע׳ז, ק׳

Then, open our hearts and pray for all our needs.

Rav Mordechai of Nadvorna ztz’l says Purim Katan is a wonderful day and it has a tremendous influence in Shamayim (Heaven).

The Baal HaMaagale Tsedek ztz’l, a student of the Ba’al Shem Tov, states that Purim Katan is also a Yom Tov (a holiday), and it has a great influence in Shamayim.

This day is remembered, and prayers are answered.

All one must do is pray and Yeshuot will come.

Sometimes, the Yeshua takes time, but it will come b’H!

It would be a shame to miss out on such a holy and promising day.