As most Israelis mark the Jewish holiday of Purim on Monday night and Tuesday under the shadow of war with the Iranian regime, they are required to abide by the restrictions issued by the Home Front Command to protect public safety and human life.

No public guidelines have been issued specifically for Purim as of the time of publication, but general restrictions include a ban on public gatherings, including public recitations of the Book of Esther, a spokesperson for the IDF told The Times of Israel.

Hearing the Book of Esther is among the mitzvot (Jewish commandments) of the holiday and a beloved tradition for many, with children and often adults attending the festive reading in costume. Jewish law states that one must hear the book, known colloquially as the megillah, read in person from a kosher parchment scroll.

“According to the defensive guidelines of the Home Front Command, all gatherings are prohibited, regardless of their purpose or location,” an army spokesperson said in writing, responding to a query by The Times of Israel. “The policy is intended to safeguard civilians’ lives on the grounds of pikuah nefesh [the obligation to preserve human life]. The megillah may be read in a household setting rather than in synagogues.”

Asked by telephone whether it was permissible to organize megillah readings in public bomb shelters, the spokesperson reiterated that it was not permitted.

In light of the current emergency situation, several leading rabbis, including the country’s chief Sephardic and Ashkenazic rabbis, and the moderate Orthodox Tzohar Rabbinical Organization, issued guidelines for celebrating the holiday this week.

Tzohar and at least some other Orthodox rabbis have endorsed live virtual readings via Zoom or other audiovisual conferencing technology as sufficient to fulfill the religious commandment, as during the coronavirus pandemic.

In their letters, the chief rabbis both stated the imperative to adhere to the Home Front Command guidelines. At the same time, they also suggest, where possible, to hold megillah readings with a minyan (a quorum of 10 Jewish men) in or near protected spaces, which presents an apparent contradiction to the Home Front Command guidelines. Asked to clarify, a spokesperson for the Chief Rabbinate said that the documents issued by the rabbis stress that the Home Front Command guidelines must be observed.

What is Purim, and what are its commandments?

Purim celebrates how the Jews of ancient Persia managed to overcome a powerful enemy, Haman, the highest official of King Ahasuerus, and a plot for all the Jews to be massacred on the 13th of the Hebrew month of Adar. Most historians identify Ahasuerus as Xerxes I, who reigned over the Persian empire between 485 and 465 BCE.

Thanks to the courage and wit of the Jewish Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai, the king is persuaded to let the Jews defend themselves and defeat their enemy. The story is recorded in the biblical Book of Esther, which is said to have been written by Esther herself, and also details the four mitzvot (commandments) of the day: two readings of Megillat Esther, in the evening and then in the morning; matanot l’evyonim or giving charity to people in need; mishlohei manot, or gifts of prepared food to friends or neighbors; and mishteh v’simcha, or drinking wine and having a festive meal.

In Jerusalem and other cities that were surrounded by walls in biblical times, Purim is celebrated a day later to commemorate how the Jews in the walled capital of Shushan fought their enemies for an extra day. Therefore, in Jerusalem, it is observed on Tuesday night and Wednesday.

Hearing the Book of Esther

According to Jewish law, both men and women are obligated to hear the megillah.

The megillah should be read directly or heard by someone reading from a kosher scroll written by a scribe on parchment from a kosher animal, and not a bound paper book. In an ideal Orthodox-observant situation, the reading should occur with a quorum of 10 Jewish men; however, many authorities hold that a woman can read before a quorum of 10 women. Some maintain that in extenuating circumstances, men and women can count together as a 10-person quorum. If it is not possible, one can also fulfill the mitzvah with an individual reading from a kosher scroll. In this case, the blessings before the megillah are still recited.

In a letter sent out on Sunday, Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef said that if an individual reading from a kosher scroll is not an option, one should read the megillah by himself from a book without the blessings. But, he stated, hearing a virtual reading through means such as Zoom, the radio, or the telephone does not fulfill the mitzvah.

In his guidelines ahead of Purim, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber does not mention virtual readings, but a spokesperson told The Times of Israel that he holds the same position as Yosef.

However, other rabbis have said that virtual readings are an option.

In its Purim guidelines, Tzohar, an Israeli consortium of Modern Orthodox rabbis, said: “When there is no option for either a minyan or to read from a kosher parchment megillah, one is permitted to hear it via an online format like Zoom.”

“Many [halachic authorities] are lenient on this matter and [rule] that this is an acceptable manner to be observing the mitzvah,” it adds. “The reading should be heard live and not a recording.”

Rabbi David Stav, chairman of Tzohar, told The Times of Israel over the telephone that Tzohar will organize multiple Zoom readings for people to attend, instead of the regular public events across the country.

Also, leading Religious-Zionist Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon, the rabbi of the Gush Etzion Regional Council and president of the World Mizrachi Movement, told Israeli outlet Ynet that, for those without access to a scroll, Zoom is an option.

All rabbis stressed that if a siren sounds during the reading of the megillah, whether alone or with others, people need to stop and take shelter (unless they are already in a protected area). The reading can resume from where it stopped after the emergency is over.

In order to fulfill the commandment, one should give to at least two people.

“Charity collectors and poor people who go from door to door should be received with respect,” Ber wrote in his letter. “If a siren occurs while they are present, they should be invited to stay in the protected space.”

Tzohar encouraged people to give through technological means.

“Giving matanot l’evyonim via online payment portals [Bit, Paybox, etc.] is fully permissible even if one is concerned that the transaction isn’t completed because the banks are closed on Purim,” the guidelines said.

Several organizations, such as Leket Israel IDF Widows and Orphans, have also launched special initiatives that allow those who celebrate to send virtual holiday cards to friends and family while donating to charitable causes.

The commandment entails the gift of at least two types of food to one person.

In his letter, Ber stressed that if possible, people should give to even more than one person “to strengthen the friendship and brotherhood between all parts of the nation.”

According to Tzohar, “out of concern for being caught outside during a siren, it is permissible to give mishloah manot to one’s family if they are not directly supported by that same family but are independent.”

The festival meal should be held during the day. It can be held within the immediate family, and does not have specific requirements other than that the food served be considered festive.

There is a tradition, and according to many authorities, a full mitzvah, of getting drunk to the point of not being able to distinguish between “Cursed is Haman” and “Blessed is Mordechai.”

However, Ber warned people to be careful about drinking this year.

“One must be careful not to drink and become overly intoxicated, to maintain the ability to follow instructions and be ready to prepare for and enter protected spaces if necessary,” he wrote.

Purim is a holiday for joy. Despite the difficult time and the heavy price Israel is paying in the war, with 10 people killed by Iranian fire and dozens injured, the rabbis stressed it is still possible to celebrate the festival in good spirits.

“It is our duty to increase joy and thanksgiving for the kindness of Heaven and to fulfill the commandments of the day,” Ber wrote, while also stressing the importance of adhering to the Home Front Command guidelines.

“Joy does not come at the expense of caution, and strict adherence to security rules is an integral part of our religious service during these days,” he said.

Stav said that people do not need to be disappointed by the inability to celebrate Purim as in regular years, saying it is a small sacrifice compared to the great miracle Israel is experiencing.

“We know that we are under attack, but we also know that we have the strength and the mentality to defeat our enemies,” he said. “This is a special time in Jewish history that we are gifted to live in, a time in Jewish history that allows us to defend ourselves.”

“Before the megillah, we read a blessing [that God] has done miracles for our ancestors, and we really believe that we also belong to an era of miracles,” he added.

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