לעילוי נשמת

יואל אפרים בן אברהם עוזיאל זלצמן ז”ל

Question: Could you please review some of the rules and rationale of the practices of Purim Meshulash (Triple Purim) in Yerushalayim? (This is a re-edited repeat from decades ago.)

Answer: When the 15th of Adar—celebrated as Purim in cities that were walled at the time of Yehoshua (notably including Yerushalayim)—falls on Shabbat, when some of the mitzvot of Purim are inappropriate, the various mitzvot of the day are spread over three days, as we will explain. We will start conceptually and then review day-by-day activities.

Even in such a year, conceptually, the main day of “Shushan Purim” is still the 15th of Adar—even though it is the least “eventful” of the days. Therefore, matters that are connected directly to tefillah, and are not problematic on Shabbat, are done on Shabbat. This includes reading the story of the battle of Amalek (the last nine pesukim of Beshalach) as maftir and the special haftarah and reciting Al HaNissim in Shemoneh Esrei and Birkat Hamazon.

Megillat Esther is not read on Shabbat for one of two reasons (Megillah 4b). Rabba says that it is out of fear that someone will carry the Megillah in the public domain and, thus, desecrate Shabbat. Rav Yosef says it is because at the time of the Megillah reading, poor people look forward to receiving charity, which they cannot do on Shabbat. As the rule is that Megillat Esther is never read later than the 15th of Adar (based on the words, “and they shall not pass,” see Megillah 2a) the reading is pushed forward to Friday, 14 Adar. One who is celebrating Purim Meshulash should be extra careful to hear the Megillah with a minyan in such a year (Mishna Berura 690:61), as when Megillah is read early, it requires a minyan.

Matanot la’evyonim (presents to the poor) follow suit and are given on Friday (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 688:6). After all—according to Rav Yosef—that was the reason to read the Megillah early, and even Rabba must accept some level of linkage between reading the Megillah and giving matanot la’evyonim (see Megillah 4b).

The seuda (festive meal) is held on Sunday, 16th of Adar, according to most authorities (Shulchan Aruch ibid.). The Yerushalmi (Megillah 1:4) learns that it is not held on Shabbat because it must be a seuda whose obligation can be attributed only to Chazal’s decision at the time of Mordechai and Esther. On Shabbat, of course, there is a mitzvah to have a festive meal irrespective of Purim. Therefore, it says to delay the seuda. There are opinions that one can/should have a Purim meal on Shabbat, and so some make an effort to have more food and wine than usual at the Shabbat-day meal (Purim Meshulash (Diblitzki) 5:11). At the Sunday meal, Al HaNissim is not recited—at least not in the body of Birkat Hamazon (see Mikraei Kodesh, (Harari) Purim 15:(34), in the name of Rav Yisraeli).

The mitzvah of mishloach manot is apparently linked to the Purim seuda, and thus we give them on Sunday (Mishna Berura 688:18). Those who want to have a Purim seuda on Shabbat (see above) can attempt to fulfill mishloach manot as well by giving to a neighbor or having a guest at the meal.

Visitors to Yerushalayim over Shabbat (even if they celebrated a full Purim on Friday) are obligated (according to most authorities—see Mikra Kodesh ibid. 15:30) to do the mitzvot of both Shabbat and Sunday (wherever they are on Sunday)—even if they leave Yerushalayim soon after Shabbat. This is because the obligations of Sunday are tashlumin (a make-up date) for what ideally should have been done on Shabbat (Purim Meshulash 8:15). (One should give the mishloach manot to one who is obligated in the mitzvot of Sunday). Based on the same logic, one who comes to Yerushalayim after Shabbat is not obligated (ibid.).

This column is written by Rabbi Daniel Mann on behalf of the Eretz Hemdah Institute in Jerusalem, which trains dayanim and has many projects on behalf of klal Yisrael, including its “Ask the Rabbi” service in conjunction with the OU. Rabbi Mann is a dayan at Eretz Hemdah, a senior member of the “Ask the Rabbi” project, and author of its “Living the Halachic Process” series. He is also a Ram at Yeshiva University’s Gruss Kollel in Israel.