On a Friday Purim, when do I perform all the day's mitzvot?

Question:

This year Purim falls on Friday. When do I give mishloach manot and the gifts to the poor, and when do I schedule the Purim feast?

Answer:

Purim on Friday is a fairly unusual occurrence, and requires some planning in order to fulfill all the mitzvot in their proper time, and still be ready for Shabbat on time. The Megillah is read Thursday night and Friday morning, and mishloach manot (food gifts) and matanot laevyonim (charity) are both given during the daylight hours of Friday.

The real question is when to hold the festive Purim meal. Ideally we do not eat a full meal in close proximity to Shabbat, this to ensure that we approach the Shabbat table with a hardy appetite.1 The best solution is to have the Purim meal on Friday morning, before midday. If this is not an option, try to schedule the meal as early in the afternoon as possible.2

Tip: Have your Shabbat cooking finished by Thursday night so that your Purim won't be one mad rush!

Malkie Janowski for Chabad.org

FOOTNOTES
1.	Bear in mind that halachic midday is not necessarily twelve noon—it is the halfway point between sunrise and sundown. Now that in many areas Purim is during DST, this can be more than an hour after noon. Click here to find out when halachic midday is in your location.
2.	There is another option employed by some on Friday Purims. They start their Purim meal before nightfall and continue into the night—combining the Purim meal with the Shabbat meal. If this option strikes your fancy, speak to your rabbi. He will let you know whether it is advisable in your situation, and if yes, he will tell you how it is done (how and when to make the kiddush, eat the challah, etc.).

By Malkie Janowski

Malkie Janowski is an accomplished educator who lives in Coral Springs, Florida. Mrs. Janowski is also a responder on Chabad.org's Ask the Rabbi team.

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March 11, 2008

Friday Purim

It's the people in Yerushalayim that really get the interesting Purim. Purim on Friday for us is Purim on Shabbos for them, as they celebrate Purim on Shushan Purim. They split the Mitzvos of Purim between Friday, Shabbos, and Sunday. Since they read the Megillah on Friday (Thurs night and Fri morning like the rest of us outside Jerusalem), for once they go to the Megillah reading hungry!

SRP
Brooklyn, NY