# Purim Torah: where do the "laws" come from **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573 "2014-03-12T23:34:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/1 "2014-03-12T23:34:39Z")
Pretty much what it says in the title: where do Purim Torah “laws” come from? Is it real stuff taken from real sacred writings, just out of context, or do you just make them up? Or must you find them somewhere? Also, feel free to explain Purim Torah, just in case we don’t understand it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/2 "2014-03-12T23:48:21Z")
I’m not sure what you mean by “Purim Torah”. The Torah is the first five books of the Old Testament. There isn’t any other Torah. There is a single scroll (the Torah is a double scroll) that is read on Purim but that’s just the Book of Esther. There are no laws involved. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/3 "2014-03-12T23:50:11Z")
Purim Torah - basically, applying Talmudic logic to “prove” (or at least discuss in depth) an absurd premise - is usually based on any sort of misreading, whether a pun, or a phrase taken out of context, or a genuine law applied in an absurd way to a non-sensical situation. Basically, it’s a joke, and the origins of the premise can come from any source from which humor can be mined. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/4 "2014-03-12T23:51:00Z")
I admit I’m not the most observant, but are there any laws relating to Purim, other than “tell the story” and “get drunk”? ETA: oooooooooh. got it. But From whence the “purim” modifier? Is it because Purim is associated with madcap levity, disguises, chance, etc? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/5 "2014-03-12T23:51:27Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Purim Torah - basically, applying Talmudic logic to “prove” (or at least discuss in depth) an absurd premise - is usually based on any sort of misreading, whether a pun, or a phrase taken out of context, or a genuine law applied in an absurd way to a non-sensical situation. > > Basically, it’s a joke, and the origins of the premise can come from any source from which humor can be mined. I have never, ever heard that before! Learn something new every day. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/6 "2014-03-12T23:52:30Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Purim Torah - basically, applying Talmudic logic to “prove” (or at least discuss in depth) an absurd premise - is usually based on any sort of misreading, whether a pun, or a phrase taken out of context, or a genuine law applied in an absurd way to a non-sensical situation. > > Basically, it’s a joke, and the origins of the premise can come from any source from which humor can be mined. Hm. I had never heard of that before. I should have searched before I answered that. My apologies. > **[Purim Torah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purim_Torah)** > > Purim Torah is humorous and satirical comments in the learned style of talmudic or halakhic comments customarily read, recited from memory or authored on or for the Jewish holiday of Purim. Purim Torah can be simple or elaborate. > Parodies of Jewish life and the world have been found as early as the twelfth century. In some examples, the boundary between humor and irreverence is very thin. An example of such is the fourteenth century Masekhet Purim by Kalonymus ben Kalonymus, condemned by many s... ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/7 "2014-03-13T00:02:08Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > . . . are there any laws relating to Purim, other than “tell the story” and “get drunk”? Don’t forget the costumes and hamantashen. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/8 "2014-03-13T00:26:26Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I admit I’m not the most observant, but are there any laws relating to Purim, other than “tell the story” and “get drunk”? > > ETA: oooooooooh. got it. But From whence the “purim” modifier? Is it because Purim is associated with madcap levity, disguises, chance, etc? Last first: right, it’s Purim as an adjective, as in “crazy logic.” Laws of Purim: **cmkeller** or another with more knowledge than I will, I hope, post on this. There’s not much law: it’s not “tell the story,” it’s basically “hear the reading of the Book of Esther, publicly” (usually in synagogue.) There are a few extra bits thrown into daily services, as well. The Book of Esther includes that we should rejoice and make merry, whence the law of eating a festive meal, donating food to charity, and giving foods (usually desserts or fruits) to friends. Customs included eating and drinking and dancing and costumes and what-not. The “get drunk” that you mention is from a Talmudic comment to get so drunk that you can’t tell the diff between Haman (bad guy) and Mordecai (good guy.) ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/9 "2014-03-13T00:27:42Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Don’t forget the costumes and hamantashen. And the noise-making! ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/10 "2014-03-13T02:28:46Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > And the noise-making! > [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Haman _spins [gragger](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gragger)_ I don’t think I’ve ever heard the phrase Purim Torah either. But I’m not what you’d call an observant Jew. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/11 "2014-03-16T03:53:50Z")
Sorry, I just assumed it was a common term, since it was mentioned on the Jewish Stack Exchange. But, yeah, I was wondering about the fake laws made this time of year. Here’s one I [stumbled upon](http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/36193/why-do-we-not-shower-every-night/36199) that I thought was funny. I was wondering if stuff like that came from real scripture taken out of context or maybe some non-scripture books or if it was just made up. I didn’t want to ask on Stack Exchange because I thought that’d ruin the joke. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/12 "2014-03-16T12:30:58Z")
Purim jokes can come from real scripture out of context, from mistranslations, from changing one letter (e.g., changing “not” to “now”, say) or can just be made up. I think they’re funny when they’re real scripture twisted, but a joke is a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purim-torah-where-do-the-laws-come-from/683573/13 "2014-03-18T00:39:42Z")
Along the discussion of Purim laws, the Jews are commanded to hear the reading of the Book of Esther and drown out the name of Haman. Likewise, it is the practice of the orthodox to fold the scroll of Esther over upon itself, accordion style, as opposed to scrolling, while reading since Esther’s news was spread to her Uncle Mordechai by letter. There is also a custom to fast before Purim as Esther fasted before approaching the King unsolicited. There are additional customs for Jews who live in walled cities, since Shoshan (the Capital of Persia) was a walled city. Celebrations for those in walled cities are recognized on what is known as Shoshan Purim.