Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email - 7 Adar 1/Feb 8

 

What is the minimal amount for matanos l’evyonim? Each person must give two gifts (one per person) to two evyonim (poor people) on Purim. This obligation is incumbent on both men and women. If a person will be giving on behalf of his wife, the poskim disagree about whether he must gift the money to his wife before giving on her behalf. The gift can be either a food that the evyon can eat on Purim or money to purchase what he needs. Mishnah Berurah rules that a prutah, or a prutah’s worth of food, is sufficient. Some later poskim say that presently one must give more, since a prutah cannot purchase even the most basic food item. A hiddur mitzvah would be to give a substantial amount—enough to make the evyon happy and allow the gift to be received with dignity.  [שו"ע תרצד, א, ומשנ"ב א-ג; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 6-2] Who should give money to commemorate the machatzis hashekel? There is a longstanding custom to give money to tzedakah before Purim as a remembrance of the mitzvah of machatzis hashekel. Mishnah Berurah says that the proper time to give this money is before Mincha on Ta’anis Esther, so that the tzedakah can serve as an atonement along with the fast. Some people give on Purim night instead. The custom is to give three “half coins” of the local currency. The poksim disagree about whether an adult below the age of twenty is included in this custom. Practically, though, the custom is to give on behalf of all men, women, children and even the unborn. [שו"ע תרצד, א, משנ"ב ד-ה, וביה"ל ד"ה ויש; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 17 ,18 ,26 ,ו־27] Which kriyas haTorah has only nine pesukim? The kriyas haTorah on Purim morning is the story found at the end of parshas Beshalach which discusses Amalek’s attack on Klal Yisroel. As a rule, kriyas haTorah must include at least ten pesukim. This section, however, has only nine. To reconcile the kriyah with the general rule, the Sephardic custom is to repeat the last pasuk. The Ashkenazic custom is to allow the section to be read as is, bucking the rule. This “incomplete” reading is symbolic of the concept that as long as the nation of Amalek remains undecimated, the name and throne of Hashem are incomplete. [שו"ע תרצג, ד, ומשנ"ב י; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 17-16] All credit goes to  Dirshu | 911 County Line Rd. , Suite 205, Lakewood, NJ 08701