Yeshiva
Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Purim & The Month of Adar
- The Month of Adar
Happiness and Hiddenness
It’s common knowledge that Adar is the happiest of all months. But why should it be? True, it contains Purim in it, & Purim is indeed filled with fun & food, single malt & masquerades. But does that make it the happiest?
What about Tishrei, which has in it both Rosh Hashana, a pretty upbeat, happy holiday, as well as Sukkot, with its meals eaten al fresco, the only Chag that commands us, "v’hayita ach sameach" – you must only be happy!
Or what about Nisan?! That’s the month when we were finally freed from slavery, achieved independence & had umpteen miracles done for us. That’s not happiness?!
More on this in just a moment, but first, another question: Why is Esther called Esther, rather than her given name Hadassah (perhaps after the hospital?!)? The classic answer, of course, is that "Esther" connects to "nistar – hidden," since she wisely kept her Jewish lineage hidden from King Never-can-spell-his-name-right-in-English.
But I have another thought on the matter for you: The name "Esther – hidden" relates to much more than just one solitary person. It is a grand statement about the entire saga of Purim in Persia and in fact, it suggests a deeper, more profound comment on Jewish life itself.
The Jews of Shushan were baffled & totally besides themselves. Just the other day they were the sovereign’s sweethearts, close up & cushy with the king, sitting at his banquet in choice seats & sipping (kosher) wine. And now, in a flash, they’re destined for destruction at the hands of Haman the Heartless, without a clue as to their crime. "Why us?" they cry. "Where did we go wrong?"
And then, to their further chagrin, they see Esther strutting royally about the palace. "Hey, what is she doing?! Did she cut some kind of secret deal with the crown; did she sell us out?!"
But all this anxiety & foreboding suddenly turns upside down when the Jews get the news that Haman got the noose. Our salvation is kept hidden til then, but when it is finally revealed, our joy & jubilation knows no bounds. True happiness, you see, is when unexpected – maybe even undeserved - good fortune comes our way. And that is why Adar qualifies as #1 in the happiness column.
In truth, this describes all of Jewish life. We worry, we face enemies, we fixate on all the hassles & heartaches that we think surround us. Yet all the while, Mazal & miracles are being Divinely prepared for us; they’re only hidden til just the right moment. So on Purim - & every day – be happy!
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 17- "Miracles Don't Make a Messiah (87)
After learning about the unique "mass-revelation" at Sinai, the question was asked: what about the Christian claim that their "messiah also did miracles in front of people. The class summarizes the 3 significant differences between that claim and Israel's "mass-revelation".
