There are four mitzvot for Purim:
1. Shalach Manot (Gifts of food to promote friendship)
Send to one person at least two readily edible foods that will be appreciated by the recipient. Sending gifts of food (mishlo'ach manot) must be done on Purim day. The earliest time to send mishlo'ach manot is after hearing the morning megila reading (so that the commandment of giving gifts to friends is also covered by the blessing of she'hecheyanu over the megila).

2. Gifts to Poor People
Give some money to at least two poor people or to a fund designated to give to poor Jews on Purim. The earliest time in the day to give gifts to the poor on Purim is daybreak.

3. Hearing the Megila Twice (evening and morning)

• If you miss hearing a word or even syllable of the megila on Purim, say it to yourself and then catch up to the reader.
• If you are not near a minyan and do not have a megila scroll, you should read the megila from a book.  But you will not have fulfilled the commandment of reading the megila and so you do not say any of the blessings.

4. Eating at a Purim se'uda.

• The minimum amount to eat and drink for a Purim meal is at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of bread, any amount of meat (if you enjoy meat), and some wine (any amount more than you normally drink).
• The earliest time you may eat the Purim meal is from daybreak; the latest time you must begin is before sunset.  You must eat at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of bread and some wine (and meat if you enjoy it) before sunset. You may continue your meal after sunset as long as you ate the bread before sunset.

 

On Purim, give money to anyone who asks.
Note If for an institution, you are not required to give.

On Purim, give money to anyone who asks.
Note If for an institution, you are not required to give.

Purim commemorates the saving of the Jews in the Persian Empire from Haman's plan to wipe them out completely. The story is a classic example of how God intervenes in human history in a hidden manner. The essential element was that the Jews were saved from physical destruction/death (contrast with Chanuka, where the Jews were not being threatened with physical death but with the destruction of their religious beliefs and practices).
 

• Giving charity to poor people.
• Giving gifts of ready-to-eat food to friends.
  Reason To promote friendship and a feeling of community.
• Reading the megila of Esther at night and the next day.
• Eating a festive meal.
• Giving three half-dollars (or whatever the local unit of coin currency is where you live) to charity in commemoration of the half-shekel, which was given by all Jews to the Temple when it stood in Jerusalem.
  Note This is not actually an observance of Purim, but it has become traditional to give the 3 half-dollars on Purim.

• Dressing up in costumes.
• Making noise during the reading of Haman's (and his wife's) name in the megila, in order to wipe out their names.
• Drinking more wine than normal.

Shiva is interrupted for Purim and resumes (except on shiv'a's 7^th day) after Purim (or, in Jerusalem, after Shushan Purim).

All Jews, both men and women, must fulfill the commandment to remember what Amaleik did to the Israelites. The paragraph about that episode, called Parashat Zachor (found in Parashat Ki Teitzei:  Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19) is read on the Shabbat morning before Purim as a law established by Chazal (takana). The commandment is fulfilled whenever that episode in the Torah is read, even privately and at home, but there is special value in hearing it read in a synagogue on that Shabbat preceding Purim.

Chanuka commemorates the miracle of God's saving the Jews during the time of the Greek empire. The Greeks wanted to destroy Judaism and Jewish practices and have the Jews follow the Greek culture and religion. A small group of Jews defeated the Greek army, which was the world's greatest military force at the time. Contrast Chanuka with Purim (on Purim, the Jews' physical lives were in danger while on Chanuka, their religion was being threatened).

The idea of getting drunk ad dlo yada is that, even when optimal mental functions are impaired by alcohol, a person's essence is on such a high spiritual level that he or she can see God's hand in the actions of the evil Haman just as in the actions of the good Mordechai.

The dead person benefits if his/her son or sons lead public prayer services, whether during shloshim or the entire year (11 or 12 months). However, if the mourner is uncomfortable leading the minyan or is not a good reader or will be embarrassed, he should not feel obligated to do so.

 

A mourner does not lead a minyan on:

• Shabbat;

• Jewish Festivals (including chol ha'moed);

• Purim;

• Rosh Chodesh.

Opinions differ concerning Chanuka, so follow your local custom.

Tachanun is related to judgment. Tachanun is NOT said at times of din/judgment:

• At night,
• On Tish'a B'Av,
• In a house of mourning, and
• Yom Kippur.

Tachanun is also NOT said at times of simcha/happiness:

• Shabbat,
• Jewish festivals,
• Rosh Hashana, and
• Rosh Chodesh.

• Isru chag (the day after each of the Jewish festivals),
• Entire month of Nisan.

• All of Chanuka, Purim, Shushan Purim, Tu B'Shvat, Rosh Chodesh, and from Rosh Chodesh Sivan until the day after Shavuot.
• Tishrei from shacharit before Yom Kippur until after Simchat Torah (Shmini Atzeret in Eretz Yisrael). Resume saying tachanun:
  • Second day of Cheshvan, or
  • Day after isru chag of Simchat Torah (this is the more prevalent custom among Ashkenazim). Each person should follow his or her family or community custom.

• Mohel,
• Sandak, or
• Father of a boy having his circumcision.

In addition to prayer obligations (see Women: Minimal Prayer), women and girls 12 years old and up are required to keep these time-dependent positive commandments, among others:

• Candle-lighting for Chanuka (see Chanuka: Candles: Who Should Light )
• Candle-lighting for Shabbat, Jewish festivals, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur.
• Havdala (say or hear) after Shabbat, Jewish festivals, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur.
• Kiddush (say or hear) on the first night (or first two nights outside Eretz Yisrael) of every Jewish festival, and also the next morning.
• Passover (all commandments, including eating matza at the Passover seder).
  Note Because she must eat matza, she must therefore say birkat ha'mazon afterward (so if a woman omits ya'ale v'yavo in birkat ha'mazon at the seder, she must repeat birkat ha'mazon!).
• Megila on Purim.
• Shabbat (For why women must keep time-dependent, positive commandments on Shabbat, see Introduction to Shabbat )
• Shofar on Rosh Hashana.
  Note Jewish women universally accepted upon themselves to hear shofar on Rosh Hashana, but they only need to hear 30 blasts.
• Hearing the reading of Parashat Zachor.

Charity/Tzedaka: To Whom: General Rules

Charity: Family First

Give charity first to family; then to your local or nearby community. Only then may you give to remote communities, especially if the remote communities are in Eretz Yisrael.

Who Qualifies To Receive Charity

A person may receive charity if he or she has so little money that he or she must worry about having sufficient funds to buy a non-luxury item.

An institution is needy if it does not have enough money for basic needs (repairing buildings, maintenance, utilities...).

There is no need to donate to people or institutions if their basic needs are covered.

Charity/Tzedaka: To Whom: Beggars

Charity to a Jewish Beggar for Himself

If a Jewish beggar asks for money for him/herself, and you know him/her to be needy, you should at least give something, but it does not need to be much.

Charity to a Beggar for Jewish Institution

If a beggar asks for money for a Jewish institution, you do not need to give.

Charity/Tzedaka: Assumed Beggar at Door

If someone knocks on your door and you assume that he or she is a beggar, you do not need to answer the door.

Charity/Tzedaka: To Whom: Purim

Charity on Purim

On Purim, give money to anyone who asks.
Note If for an institution, you are not required to give.

Charity/Tzedaka: To Whom: Poor Brides/Hachnasat Kalla

Charity/Tzedaka: Poor Brides (Hachnasat Kalla): How Much

Hachnasat kalla means helping a poor woman pay the expenses to hold a wedding and set up a household for married life. The minimum required is enough so that she is not embarrassed. It does not include paying for an opulent wedding. There is not any absolute amount of money that you should give per guest and even the quality of the food, decorations, and any entertainment are dependent on the individual.

Introduction to Fast Days
The purpose of Jewish fast days is to make us reflect on our behavior and improve it by:

• Eliminating negative actions and thoughts, and
• Taking more care in our observance of the commandments.

God told the Jewish people on many occasions that He did not want their pointless sacrifices or fast days but rather wanted the Jews to improve their behavior. If people fast but still have reprehensible behavior, the people have missed the point and purpose of bringing sacrifices and having fast days.
All fast days may be circumvented for health reasons. Consult a rabbi.
Fast days come in several varieties:

• Major fast days: Yom Kippur and the Ninth of Av (Tish'a B'Av). 
• Minor fast days: There are four minor fast days; see below.
• Fast for First-Born
• Individual Fasts

The Major Fasts
Yom Kippur and the Ninth of Av begin before sunset and are both slightly longer than 24 hours. Yom Kippur is a festive day while, on the Ninth of Av, Jews mourn for the destruction of both Jerusalem Temples (the first was destroyed by Babylonians; the second, by the Romans). On both fasts, it is forbidden to:

• Eat or drink.
• Wear leather shoes (but you may wear any other clothing made of leather).
• Bathe (or even to wash anything more than fingers; you may not use a deodorant--not even a spray type--since it is similar to washing).
• Have marital relations.
• Use cosmetics or body scents.

The Minor Fasts
The four minor fasts begin 72 minutes before local sunrise. They technically end at dark but functionally end after ma'ariv (and for the Fast of Esther, after hearing the megila). Unlike most times in the Jewish calendar, this 72 minutes is normal time and NOT based on the current length of the day (sha'a zmanit):

• Fast of Esther (Ta'anit Esther): Day preceding Purim (or sometimes earlier).
• Fast of Gedalia (Tzom Gedalia): Usually the day after Rosh Hashana.
• Tenth of Tevet (Asara b' Tevet):
• Seventeenth of Tamuz (Shiv'asar b'Tamuz): Beginning of the Three Weeks of semi-mourning beforeTish'a b'Av.

On all fast days, eating and drinking are forbidden. The Tenth of Tevet and the Seventeenth of Tamuz additionally have the same restrictions as the Nine Days. So you may wash or bathe on the Fast of Esther and on Tzom Gedalia but not on the Tenth of Tevet and the Seventeenth of Tamuz. (See Nine Days: Restrictions).
Note On a fast day that has been delayed for Shabbat, there may be leniencies for:

• The mohel, sandak, and father of a baby getting a brit mila to eat after mincha.
• Pregnant or nursing women (this leniency applies to eating throughout the day).

Fast for First Born
Fast for first-born males 13 years old and older, on the day before Passover. This includes first-born cohanim and Levites (levi'im). The fast begins 72 normal minutes before sunrise and ends with kiddush at the seder. However, the widespread custom is to attend a siyum on the day before the first seder so that the first-born men do not need to fast on that day.
 
Personal Fasts
Fast by a groom and bride on their wedding day is an example of personal fasts. This fast begins 72 normal minutes before sunrise and ends with drinking wine under the chuppa.

Who Is a Mourner

A mourner is defined in halacha as someone mourning during the 12-month mourning period for parents or the 30-day mourning period for the other five relatives (spouse, brother, sister, son, daughter). After 30 days, one is no longer a mourner for anyone but one's parents.

Mourners' Restrictions

If the mourner goes about business as usual, it may show he or she doesn't care about the close relative who died. The mourner should ideally not want to do these things. The mourner honors the dead person by refraining from pampering him/herself and refraining from going about his or her life as usual.

Public Meals

A mourner may not attend a public meal for any purpose. For example, if the mourner attends a lecture or Torah class at which food is being served, he or she may not eat the food. This only applies to sit-down meals; snacking is permitted.

Siyum/Brit/Bar Mitzva

After 30 days after a parent's burial, a mourner may:

• Attend a siyum or bar mitzva and eat there.
• Attend a brit but not eat there.

Note If there is music (live or recorded), the mourner must leave.

Weddings

A mourner may not eat at a wedding and may not even be in the wedding hall after the ceremony took. The mourner may also not hear the music at a wedding.

Exceptions

• If the mourner is the parent of someone getting married, the mourner can fully participate in the wedding.
• If the mourner is the bride or groom, he or she must normally wait to get married until after shloshim/30 days.

Note If it is after shiva, but still during shloshim, consult a rabbi.

Kiddush and Shabbat or Festival Meals

A mourner may not publicly (noticeably) mourn on Shabbat or festivals so he or she may attend Shabbat or festival meals and kiddushes if he or she would be expected to attend. If the mourner always or routinely invites some person or a lot of different people on Shabbat or festivals, it is still permitted. If the mourner does not routinely invite some person or a lot of different people to a Shabbat or festival meal, then he or she may not, for his or her own enjoyment, invite guests for meals. However, the mourner is permitted to do so for other purposes (for the benefit of the invited person or people), such as kiruv or hachnasat orchim. There is no limit to how many guests the mourner may host.

The mourner may attend or host a sheva brachot in his/her home.

A mourner should not be invited to meals, even for Shabbat or festivals; but if he/she was invited, he/she may go.

Holidays

A mourner does eat at a Purim or Jewish festival seuda, since there is no mourning on Purim nor on any festival (except Chanuka).