Purim is a day of feasting and joy.
It's a mitzvah to make a festive meal during the daytime. It is customary to begin the meal after mincha. One must make sure that most of the meal is eaten during the day. If the meal lasts into the night, Al Ha-nissim is still recited in the benching.
The Purim meal is celebrated amidst unbounded joy, with more wine served than usual.
During this meal one should praise and thank HaShem for His deliverance and compassion during the time of Haman's decree. It is proper to study Torah before the meal begins. Our sages comment: "The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor" (Esther 8:16). Light, this refers to Torah. ( Sefer Shaarei Halachah)
A One Minute a Day Torah Thought !
"Rational reasoning is used year around as a means to emunah - belief in HaShem. Once a year, however, on Purim, we must strip away all traces of reasoning and server HaShem on pure faith alone".
(Rav Chaim Shmulevitz ZT"L - Sefer Torah Tavlin)
50 Suggestions for Concentrating during Prayer!
(47) Rav Moshe Feinstein ZT"L says, three things help one to concentrate during prayer:
1) to pray from a siddur;
2) to remove all other thoughts before praying;
3) to think before praying about something new that you saw in the creation.
(Pathway to Prayer, Rabbi Mayer Birnbaum) |