Tuesday, March 06, 2007

How I Spent My Purim

Harley and I are still recovering from Jameel's purim podcast, which we found to be both hilarious, and hard work. As a result, I'll just give you a run-down of what I did for Purim.

I heard megillah read at Darkhei Noam, an Orthodox Minyan that has a mechitza (divider), and where there are many opportunities for women to participate. For instance, well over half of the megillah readers were women. I went with the roommate. Because I am pretty lame I came straight home and did not go to any of the parties available in NYC. The roommate went to the bangitout party, and I had friends who attended Hazon at Makor (supposedly a lot of fun), SouthPaw, and other locations.

As a result, I was able to make it to services on time (9am sharp!) for shacharit and megillah reading. My parents happened to be in town, so I made CJ come with us. He sat with my dad, and my mom and I sat in the women's section, strategically located to be able to watch CJ with my dad. The most entertaining part of megillah reading was the guy with the trombone who kept playing short riffs whenever 'Haman' was read. At one point he played a riff of CJ's college's fight song, and I was terrified that CJ would yell out something school-spirited, but fortunately he didn't hear. Otherwise uneventful.

We had brunch, and then my parents left. This gave me an opportunity to deliver some of my awesome mishloach manot. Of course I didn't make hamentaschen (Orieyenta's put me to shame), and it was nowhere near as crazy as Ranger describes the delivery process in Israel to be. The Town Criers has a really good description of the requirements for mishloach manot (read: at least one package to one person with two blessings).

This brings me to an etiquette issue: what do you do if you get mishloach manot from someone whom you did not give to? Do you send one package to one person, or one package to one domicile? For instance, an acquaintance of mine made up three mishloach manot for my apartment, one each for the Jewish girls, but ignored the Iowan, who lives with us. I hadn't budgeted a mishloach manah for her. Another friend gave a basket addressed to me, addressed to me and CJ (really, receiving them as a couple? already?) but none to my roommates. The last thing I need is another way to offend people. I guess I probably should have asked Shifra a couple weeks ago. Why does Amy Dickenson never address these critical issues? If she has ONE MORE about who should pay for the wedding, I might actually stop reading.

Anyway, I attended a seudah (festival meal) at the roommate's house. For those who are concerned, I only had a glass and a half of wine (a glass over my normal consumption at shabbes meals). OrthoMom, Shira of On the Fringe, Greg of Presence, DAG of NFOSS, and Rabbi Gil Student of Hirhurim (along with many others) address the issue of drinking on Purim, its necessity, the commandment (or lack thereof) and the problem of children (especially teens) using the holiday as an opportunity to drink to excess.

At any rate, it was a fun and busy day. I didn't actually dress up this year, due more to lack of prior planning than any other reason. Sad. Maybe CJ will let me dress up as a princess for my birthday outing. For which I just ruined the surprise. Oops.

5 comments:

Notsofrummie said...

You so should have gone out to one of the parties saturday night. There was some that was real fun. Im sure you could have woken up for the 9 am, or found a later megilla. I was worried being drunk at 2 am will make me miss morning megilla, but was able to make a 10.30 megilla was still partially hungover.

Shoshana said...

"mishloach manot (read: at least one package to one person with two blessings)."

Common myth, needing two different blessings. Two items with the same blessing is fine, as long as the two items are not the same exact things, prepared exactly the same way.

As far as wanting to dress like a princess, I'd like to join you in that pursuit! ;)

Genevieve

Anonymous said...

What amazes me about purim is that people make a big deal about making sure they hear megilla, which is definitely a rabbinic commandment. But they have no problem skipping shacharit which is at least a rabbinic commandment but quite possibly a biblical commandment.

Good job Annie making sure you make it to shul for shacharit in addition to megilla.

Annie said...

NSF- yeah, I am fairly lame. Also, I didn't want to roll into megillah reading late, and hungover with my parents. That seemed like a poor choice.

Genevieve- thanks for the correction, but you should check the artscroll megillah too, they hold that you should have two gifts to two people with two different brachot. Or at least, I am fairly sure that is what it said.

Anon- I'm a big fan of subjectivism, in other words, whatever works for them. That said, I hate getting to shul late, especially if it is due to oversleeping/being lazy. It seems trite and frummy, but I don't show up late to dates with my friends, why should I do it with G-d?

orieyenta said...

We're meshugganah, we made more hamentaschen last night. My little one wanted them for her lunch - she definitely wouldn't have bought my story if I said she couldn't have them since Purim is over. Next year we'll load them up with butter and send them to you gals.

A surefire way to make sure you don't miss the megillah reading? Be like us and offer to chant some of it. Little Orieyenta was the youngest one at our shul who chanted (yes, I'm kvelling.)