A slight change was made in the post STAY SOBER ON PURIM AS ALCOHOL RAISES RISK TO GET A SEVERE CASE OF COVID-19.
For your convenience the change was made to the paragraph about Rabbeinu Ephraim:
It should read as follows:
According to Rabbeinu Ephraim it is Forbidden to get Drunk on Purim
This minhag (custom) to drink alcoholic beverages to the point where one can no longer tell the difference between good and evil (Haman and Mordechai) is based on a comment by Rava in the Gemara. However, Rabbi Yehuda Spitz of Ohr Sameach points out that the Gemara recorded several instances/rulings in regard to drinking on Purim.The Gemara first cites the statement of Rava that one should drink on Purim until they would not know the difference between Hamen and Mordechai (good and evil). However, on the very same page the Gemara relates a story about Rabba (not to be confused with Rava) who lived a generation before Rava, although they overlapped a bit. The story related that Rabba invited Rabbi Zeira to celebrate Purim with him. Rabba got drunk and murdered Rabbi Zeira. When Rabba saw what he had done while drunk, Rabba begged HaShem to resurrect R. Zeira and HaShem brought Rabbi Zeira back to life.
Rabbeinu Efraim, who was a Rishon (meaning many centuries after the Gemara was recorded), understood from the Gemara’s placement of the story with Rabba after the ruling of Rava as coming to qualify Rava’s statement – meaning the Gemara meant it as a cautionary tale and not to take Rava’s ruling literally. According to Rabbeinu Ephraim’s understanding, the Gemara’s conclusion was that one should not get drunk on Purim as it may lead to such extreme behavior and tragic outcome.
You can see the entire corrected post at:
Purim Samayach!
REACHING OUT FROM JERUSALEM 