PURIM INSOMNIA Matthew Goldstone
The Talmud famously teaches about Purim that a person should intoxicate themself until they do not know the difference between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai . 6 The 16 th century code of Jewish Law , the Shulhan Arukh , affirms this practice . 7 However , Rabbi Moshe Isserles qualifies that some say one does not need to drink more than they are accustomed , one can simply sleep on Purim and , while asleep , they do not know the difference between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai . The Book of Esther and its Second Temple additions include two instances of sleep that we can see as reflecting this idea and which can provide greater insight into our experience of Purim today .
At the beginning of chapter 6 of the Megillah , we learn that King Achashverosh has difficulty sleeping – “ That night , sleep deserted the king .” 8 The Midrash 9 offers two contrasting interpretations of this phrase . First , that the King in this verse refers to God . But , the rabbis query , isn ’ t it true that God does not sleep ? 10 So what does it mean that the heavenly King was unable to fall asleep ? The midrash answers , when the Jewish community is in distress it is as if the Divine is asleep and must be roused . God is awakened when the Jewish community is threatened .
The second interpretation offered by the midrash understands the king in 6:1 to refer to the human Persian king , Achashverosh . In this version , the king dreams that Haman is
6
BT Megillah 7b . Thanks to Rabbi Peter Stein for his helpful suggesQons .
7
SA OH 695:1
8
NJPS TranslaQon .
9
Esther Rabbah 6:1
10
See Psalm 121:4 .
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