Every Jewish boy knows that the Talmud (Megillah 7b) quotes the opinion of Rava that a person must become drunk on Purim so as not to be able to tell the difference between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordecai.”
But most of us didn't bother to learn, as the late Paul Harvey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Harvey) would intone, "the rest of the story."
The rest of the story in the Talmud is that Rabba and Rav Zeira became drunk on Purim, so much so that Rabba murdered Rav Zeira with a knife. Rav Zeira was revived through a miracle. When Rabba invited Rav Zeira to a Purim celebration the next year, Rav Zeira declined.
According to an Angel for Shabat article by R. Marc Angel (http://www.jewishideas.org/angel-shabbat/sobering-thoughts-purim-and-every-day) Maimonides (Hilkhot De’ot 5:3) states: “One who becomes intoxicated is a sinner and is despicable, and loses his wisdom. If he [a wise person] becomes drunk in the presence of common folk, he has thereby desecrated the Name.” In his section on the Laws of Holiday Rest (6:20), Maimonides rules: “When one eats, drinks and celebrates on a festival, he should not allow himself to become overly drawn to drinking wine, amusement and silliness…for drunkenness and excessive amusement and silliness are not rejoicing; they are frivolity and foolishness.”
From Sobering Thoughts by Rabbi Eli Zoldan (http://www.priority-1.org/html/email/Sobering_Thoughts.pdf) we learn that according to some authorities, Rema was saying to drink until the stage right before intoxication. The Yad Ephraim further comments that beyond that point would be against the will of the hakhamim , because the purpose of drinking is to open our hearts to praise HaShem out of joy, but when our clarity of mind is gone, we can no longer recognize the great miracle to praise HaShem.
The Aruk haShulhan proposes the same idea, but then goes on to say that this is what a sage means when he says to drink a little more that the regular amount. He also proposes this as a possible explanation of Yosef Caro's Shulhan Aruk , which means that the Yad Ephraim and Aruk haShulhan explain the Yosef Caro's Shulhan Aruk to be saying that one should only drink a little more than his regular amount, and not to drink until the point of intoxication. This would mean that the opinion quoted by the Rema and the Shulhan Aruk are in agreement as to how much one should drink.
While we always answer to "a higher authority," we also are obliged to answer to a "lower" authority - the government's authority.
That means, among other things, that if we are inebriated in public we can be thrown in jail; if we are drunk behind the wheel, we should be thrown in jail (G-d forbid we should injure anyone), and if we give intoxicants to minors we can find ourselves facing jail time.
It's one thing to take a drink to celebrate the holiday of Purim, but let us not - like Rabba - kill anyone, either with a weapon or even with words. Miracles are not common in our time, and we cannot depend on one to restore someone we have injured.
Even if we were to follow Rava's admonition to imbibe until we don't know the difference between "curse Haman" and "bless Mordecai" the preservation of life takes precedence over everything, even Shabat.
Endangering a life - either with a weapon such as a vehicle or a weapon such as a knife or gun, or with words that shame or disgrace a person - because we became intoxicated is forbidden. Period. End of story.
Hacham Ovadia Yosef rules that if a person becomes intoxicated on Purim, and as a result he acts in a reckless manner, causing damage to other people – such as if spills food on people’s clothes, or gets into some kind of accident in which people are hurt or property is damaged – he is liable to pay compensation. The Purim festivities are not an excuse for reckless behavior, and one is fully responsible for his actions on Purim just as he is at any other point throughout the year.
According to R. Eli J Mansour, "the Misva of drinking on Purim is fulfilled by drinking more than one is accustomed to so that he grows tired and falls asleep. This way, one reaches the point described by the Gemara as “where one cannot distinguish between ‘Cursed is Haman’ and ‘Blessed is Mordechai.’” Moreover, if there is even the slightest concern that drinking wine will lead one to dangerous or inappropriate behavior, it is Halachically preferable for him not to drink on Purim. This concern is, without question, a valid basis for an exemption from this requirement. Especially in today’s day and age, when addictions and alcohol abuse are, tragically, so rampant, even in our community, it is preferable to forego on drinking altogether on Purim if there is even a small risk of irresponsible drinking. Many people mistakenly consider drinking on Purim the primary Misva of the holiday. This is absolutely incorrect. It is just one of numerous Misvot, such as Mishlo’ah Manot, charity to the poor, reading and studying the Megila, and so on, and if one wants to be stringent about the laws of Purim, he should be stringent in these areas, not about drinking. And, as mentioned, if there is any risk of drinking leading to dangerous or improper behavior, one is entirely exempt from the obligation to drink. To the contrary, it would be a Misva not to drink, in order to avoid danger and impropriety."
I might have a - as in "one" - shot of maheyah at the synagogue and a second at home before I head for the bed and the oblivion of sleep where I surely won't know the difference between "curse Haman" and "bless Mordecai."
Besides, we need a clear, sober head for morning prayers.
