.Q. Our dear Rabino. As you recommended we are making a seuda (small and fast) on Purim Kattan Be’H this Friday morning and we are inviting our very happy neighbours to join us with their children.
The kids want to know if they should already wear a costume. We wonder, is there such a thing as wearing a special attire on Purim Kattan?
A. On question 1279 regarding the reasons of wearing costumes during Purim we wrote: “Rema's ruling (695: 2) that you have to wear Shabbos clothing on Purim. However, it also says that you should wear an attire (partzufin). So which is more correct?
To what we answered; 'Different reasons have been mentioned for the minhag of donning disguises on Purim, such as giving the opportunity to the poor to collect tzedaka without being embarrassed. (Minhagei Kol Aryeh).
The miracle of Purim was disguised in ordinary occurrences and events, such as Vashti being executed and Esther taking her place. The Talmud (Megila 12a) writes that just as the Jews at the time pretended only to be serving other gods, Hashem also pretended that He was going to destroy the Jewish nation, and in the end it was only a semblance (Bnai Isoschor).
It would seem that we are being encouraged to wear partzufin. However, Rema (Shulchan Aruch O.H. 696: 8) and Mahari Mintz (17) mention only that it is permitted, but do not encourage it necessarily.”
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that they should be told to follow the traditions of their families
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu Shlit’a and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a.
Important Numbers
