The Old-Fashioned Purim of a Litvak – Common Modern Purim Misconceptions Debunked
One area in which this is particularly evident is on Purim.
Sometimes people don’t even realize that they are being fed new and questionable ideas, posing as authentic Torah, as if they were תורה מסיני, rather than recent creations and concoctions. People are so busy and harried, that it is difficult for them to think things through thoroughly, to give these new ideas a proper evaluation.
So, to make it easier on the ציבור, some of these questionable ideas and proper approaches to them are gathered below. So we should hopefully have a proper Purim, rather than a fantasy one.
(Some have previously been discussed here, while others are new)
1) In the future, other ימים טובים will be בטל, but Purim will never be בטל.
Reality – Incorrect, see our previous post on the matter.
2) On Purim one can ask הקב”ה for anything.
Reality – One can ask Hashem for anything anytime, not only on Purim. ה’ יתברך is close to us all year, as the pasuk in ספר דברים says.
3) On Purim one is guaranteed that he will get whatever he asked for from Hashem, as it states כל הפושט יד נותנין לו.
Reality – So one can ask to win the lottery and be guaranteed to do so? To know ש”ס בעל פה by next month? There is no such guarantee.
4) Why is there no הבדלה on Purim? So the simcha will stay all year.
Reality – Incorrect, see our previous post on it.
5) How can we have unbridled joy on Purim, doesn’t the gemara say that אסור לאדם למלא שחוק פיו בעולם הזה (it is forbidden for a person to fill their mouth with laughter in this world)? Supposed answer – Purim is not from עולם הזה, it is from עולם הבא.
Reality – even on Purim there are limitations, we do not accept a free for all ח”ו, the בית המקדש is still lacking.
(See other similar Purim related material here)
Wishing you a גוטען חודש און א פרייליכען פורים, of real simcha, not delusions and הוללות ח”ו.
לחיים 🍷
From Mr. Litvak, here.