Summary of the day

Shushan Purim is 15 Adar, the day after Purim. In Jerusalem and in cities that were walled in the time of Joshua son of Nun, the 15th is Purim itself, and they keep all of its mitzvot. In the rest of the world it is called Shushan Purim, with no special mitzvot.

The mitzvot of the day

• In Jerusalem: Megillah reading, mishloach manot, gifts to the poor and a feast, as on Purim.
• Elsewhere: no fasting and no eulogies; some have the custom of a light meal or of increasing joy, but there is no obligation.
• Jerusalem on Shabbat: when the 15th falls on Shabbat, the mitzvot are spread over three days (“Purim Meshulash”), since the Megillah cannot be read on Shabbat.

Origin in history

In Shushan the capital, Esther asked the king for one more day to fight: “Let it be granted to the Jews in Shushan to do tomorrow also according to today’s decree” (Esther 9:13). So there they rested on the 15th, and in the rest of the provinces on the 14th (Esther 9:18). The Sages ruled that cities walled since the time of Joshua celebrate on the 15th “in honor of the Land of Israel, which was desolate at that time” (Talmud Megillah 2b), above all Jerusalem.

The message for today

In Shushan, the Jews were not content with one victory. They asked for another day to finish the job. For us, it is a reminder that after the celebration there is always more to do. And one joy in Jerusalem and another in the rest of the world teach that joy does not depend on one place.