Drinking on Purim - from Rav Yitzchok Hutner

Two friends who had studied together in their youth developed a strong bond. Subsequently, they each made their way in the world, each in a different place. It happened that they ran into each other one day in a kretchma (inn) and they fell upon each other. Their hearts opened and words began to fly between them. The hours passed and it seemed to them like mere minutes. All of a sudden the wagon driver  walks in and announces “It is time to go; the horses are ready.” The two friends remained engrossed in their conversation, “We still want to talk to each other, but this low-life will not allow us to.” One of them calls out to the bar tender “Give the low-life a drink. Let him go to sleep and we will be able to talk.”

Similarly, Jewish souls learnt together in the Yeshiva in Heaven . Subsequently each נשמה (soul) entered into a body – this one here, this one there. Each one really doesn’t know what is going on with the other. But it happens that they meet up at a סעודת פורים (Purim Feast) and they are dying to open up their hearts to each other.  Along comes the low-life and says “You need to be on your way to work!” There is only one thing you can do, give the low-life a drink, let him go to sleep and let us continue to talk together. Now we can really drink well!

But we are going to take this idea up one notch. Hashem put into food the ability to sustain a person. Food strengthens the body and the mind. But in wine ה' (God) instilled the ability to strengthen the imagination. When we learn together we share our brains. When we daven together we share our hearts. When we eat together we share our bodies. But when we drink together we share our imaginations. Sitting together at a סעודת פורים (Purim Feast) is saying “Let us fantasize together.” This is an altogether different מדרגה(level). Fantasizing is, in and of itself an act of combining, as it necessitates the combining of one’s mind and senses. Drinking together is combining within combining. Drink some more!