On the maamar chazal, not on the poster; Warning–long
A friend sent me a beautiful piece on purim kattan bshem rav Shor, besham Chidushei HaRim. In the time of the Besht, there was a terrible gezera against the community, and they fasted, and davened, engaged in Mizvos with fervor, but the decree remained. The Besht then sent a messenger to fetch a certain drunkard from afar, with instructions that he should not drink on the way to the Besht. When the drunkard was brought before him sober, the Besht asked him for a bracha to abolish the gezera. The drunkard gave the bracha, and the gezera was lifted. When the Besht’s disciples asked what was the segula of the drunkard, the Besht told the following. The man had performed the great mitzvah of Pidyon shvuyim, at great cost and danger to save a certain girl. His reward from shamayim was the power to bless at random, and his blessings would bear fruit, but in the heavenly court it was argued that such a simple person could use this power for the wrong reasons. It was therefor decreed that he would have this power, but would live as a drunkard not knowing night from day, and so the gift would not be abused.
On Purim, there is the halacha, kol haposhet yad, nosnim lo, and this is true in tefilla as well, the tefilos of Purim have awesome powers, and can be uses for the wrong thing, so therefor, we are commanded to be drunk, and so not to abuse the tefilah. Now there is also statement that there is no difference between Purim and Purim katan but Megilah, matanos and seudah, meaning the power of tefilah is the same, without the handicap of chayiv ish levesumei.
I was disappointed to get this message after purim katan, but I took comfort in the knowledge that chayav ish, is not davka all day long. One generally davens Purim morning with a clear head, and perhaps davens mincha before the seudah, and personally I try to be not so incapacitated as to be patur from ma’ariv. Shavua tov, and a safe happy run up to Purim!