No!
I could leave it at that but perhaps something more emphatic is requisite: absolutely not. It is not proper for children to drink alcohol on Purim or at any other time. It is dangerous and unhealthy. It is “adult” behavior comparable to other forms of “adult” behavior that are little more than excuses or licenses to indulge in harmful vices.
There have been children who drank alcohol on Purim because they were told it is a mitzvah, and fun, and “adult,” who are now dead because they overdosed. Others have been arrested for driving while intoxicated and some have been injured or injured others because they indulged in this foolishness. Still others drank too much and acted boorishly, the antithesis of what a ben Torah should be. And none of this is idle speculation on my part.
But what of a person’s obligation “to become intoxicated with wine on Purim until he does not know how to distinguish between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai” (Megillah 7b)? The stature of the generations has declined, and today one must be able to differentiate between Haman’s evil and Mordechai’s greatness without becoming Achashveirosh. Reb Tzadok commented that the objective is to reveal the interior sanctity of a Jew’s heart; unquestionably, children who are first developing that very sanctity and struggling to implement it in all areas of life are ill-positioned to disclose their unconscious world. What emerges is not necessarily sacred.
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach stated (Halichot Shlomo, Purim, 19:28) that a child must obey a parent’s instruction not to become intoxicated on Purim. He added that the honorable way to fulfill the mitzvah on Purim is by exalting the soul ruminating on Hashem’s miracles, and not by engaging in despicable and lowly acts of drunkenness.
The answer remains no. Happy Purim!
– Rav Steven Pruzansky is rabbi emeritus of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun (Teaneck, N.J.), senior research associate at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (Jcap.ngo), and author of “Repentance for Life” and “Redemption for Today” (Kodesh Press).
* * * * *
Even drinking for adults on Purim needs to be directed to enhance the festive nature of Purim and not be a cause of revelry or lead to inappropriate behavior. Surly then permitting children to drink unsupervised is not in line with the celebration of Purim. Little children (under bar mitzvah) have no purpose in drinking as they are according to many authorities exempt from drinking four cups of wine on Pesach since wine does not cause them to be happy. Children over bar mitzvah should be allowed to drink with strict supervision that it does not lead them to cross the lines between simchas Purim and a debased drunken state where inappropriate behavior is exhibited. Better they should drink some wine and go to sleep and fulfill “ad d’lo yada” in that manner.
– Rabbi Zev Leff is rav of Moshav Matisyahu and a popular lecturer and educator.
* * * * *
Purim is a joyous holiday marked by celebration and mitzvot, including the custom of drinking “until one cannot differentiate between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman” (Megillah 7b). However, even for adults, halachic authorities debate the extent of drinking, making it clear that children should completely avoid alcohol.
The Rambam (Megillah 2:15) rules that the mitzvah can be fulfilled by drinking enough to fall asleep, avoiding actual drunkenness. The Rema (Orach Chaim 695:2) advises drinking slightly more than usual and then sleeping, a practice followed by many gedolim, including the Chofetz Chaim and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. Even authorities advocating for more drinking stress that it must not lead to neglect of mitzvot or improper behavior. The Biur Halacha adds that if drinking might cause laxity in fulfilling even one mitzvah – such as netillas yadayim, bentching, or davening – it is preferable to not drink at all, ensuring all actions remain l’sheim shamayim (for the sake of Heaven).
Given these concerns for adults, it is clear that children should avoid alcohol entirely. Introducing them to alcohol risks harm and unhealthy habits. Children are not halachically obligated to drink and can fulfill the festive spirit of Purim by taking a nap, safely achieving the idea of “not knowing” without any consumption of wine.
By fostering joy through mitzvot like megillah reading, mishloach manot, and the seudah, we teach children that Purim’s true celebration lies in spiritual elevation, not through alcohol. This approach ensures that the holiday remains meaningful, safe, and inspiring for all.
– Rabbi Jonathan Muskat is the rabbi of the Young Israel of Oceanside, a rebbe at Shulamith High School, and a pastoral health care liaison at Mount Sinai South Nassau.
* * * * *
Before discussing if it’s proper for children to drink, it’s worth acknowledging the majority of poskim who are against adults drinking excessively on Purim. And no poskim allow excessive drinking on a plain old Shabbos morning. But I digress.
In my home, on a regular Shabbos, if my child would like to taste my wine or scotch, I gladly let them take a sip. I believe that between watching their parent/s drink in moderation and being allowed to taste a small amount of alcohol, they can hopefully develop a healthy relationship with alcohol.
Purim, the chaotic day that it is, is not the best time to deliver delicate chinuch lessons about alcohol. So no, giving a child any amount of alcohol on Purim is almost always a very bad idea.
– Rabbi Yisrael Motzen serves as rabbi of Ner Tamid Greenspring Valley Synagogue in Baltimore, MD. He also serves as the Director of ASHIVA-OU and special assistant to the EVPs of the Orthodox Union. He is a graduate of Ner Israel Rabbinical College and holds an M.A. in Clinical Community Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.
