Purim narrative and anti-narrative - Moishe House - Adar 5779

(17) Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt— (18) how, undeterred by fear of God, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear. (19) Therefore, when the LORD your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!

...Esther sent to the Sages: Write me for all generations! They sent back to her: It is written: “Have I not written for you three times” (Proverbs 22:20), indicating that Israel’s battle with Amalek is to be mentioned three times in the Bible and not four times? The Sages did not accede to Esther’s request until they found a verse written in the Torah: “Write this for a memorial in the book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: That I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens” (Exodus 17:14). The Sages understood that “Write this,” refers to what is written in the Torah in Exodus and in Deuteronomy; “a memorial,” that which is written in the Prophets on this matter; and “in the book,” that which is written in the Megilla.

Let us also recite hallel on Purim!? ... Rav Naḥman said: The reading of the Megilla itself is an act of reciting hallel. Rava said: ... No, even after the miracle of Purim, we were still the servants of Ahasuerus.

After Purim we read the portion called Parah, which is a preparation for Pessach. For we read Parah in order to be careful with regards to purification from the highest impurity, in order to be pure for Pessach. And in the beginning, it has the aspect of Pur ("lot"), and Purim is also named after the Pur. Afterwards, it is read as Parah, since Purim is certainly on the way to Pessach... For Purim is on the way to Pesach, so that they could be careful with regards to chametz. (Here Rabbi Nachman paused in the middle of the issue, and did not reveal more.) For in the beginning, all the beginnings began at Pesach, and therefore the mitzvot are all in memory of the exodus from Egypt. But now... (And he didn't finish.)

לִהְיוֹת נִזְהָרִין מֵחָמֵץ: (וּפָסַק בְּאֶמְצַע הָעִנְיָן וְלֹא גִּלָּה יוֹתֵר). (ה) כִּי בַּתְּחִלָּה הָיוּ כָּל הַהַתְחָלוֹת מִפֶּסַח, וְעַל־כֵּן כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת הֵם זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. וְעַכְשָׁו… (וְלֹא סִיֵּם).

Rava said: A person is obligated to become intoxicated with wine on Purim until one does not know how to distinguish between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai.

It is permitted to get married on Purim. Rama: This refers to both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of the month... As to the custom of wearing 'faces' on Purim, and men who wear women's dresses and women wearing men's attire - this is not forbidden, for the people have no intention other than pure pleasure. So too the practice of wearing kilayim, forbidden mixtures of clothes. And although some say it is forbidden, we follow the first opinion. So too, the custom of stealing from each other in a happy way - this does not fall under the prohibition of 'Do not steal', and this is what is done, as long as one does not transgress what is considered acceptable by the elders of the town.