An elderly lady sits outside her tiny wooden home beside the rail tracks and waits for the afternoon train to go past. Maiktila, Myanmar,2017.

Just to set the record straight as regards the halacha, it is the consensus of the authorities that literal fulfillment of this requirement is limited only to those who are capable of doing so without impairing their ability to fulfill all of the mitzvos connected with the festive Purim meal, (washing hands, blessings before and after, etc.) or inciting them to improper conduct. For most people it is sufficient to drink more than is their custom and to achieve the level of fuzzineness through a drink-induced nap. But our original problem still remains. Why encourage excess drinking altogether and why set a goal of such enigmatic nature? CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE.....

An abandoned tin mine on the Cornish coast. Cornwall, England, 2018.