9 Lessons
The Month of Adar 10. Commemoration of the Half-Shekel
Chapter 14: The Month of Adar
People customarily give charity in the month of Adar in commemoration of the half-shekel that each individual would donate to the Temple, in Adar, to fund public offerings.
The Month of Adar 7. Are Women Obligated to Hear Parashat Zakhor?
Chapter 14: The Month of Adar
According to most poskim, women are not obligated in the mitzva of remembering Amalek, because this mitzva is connected to the mitzva of annihilating Amalek.
The Month of Adar 6. Parashat Zakhor
Chapter 14: The Month of Adar
The Sages instituted the reading of Parashat Zakhor once a year in order to fulfill the Torah commandment to remember and not forget the evil deeds of Amalek.
The Month of Adar 5. The Mitzva to Wipe Out Amalek
Chapter 14: The Month of Adar
The mitzva to destroy Amalek is primarily incumbent upon the people of Israel as a whole. Indeed, the Sages taught that the people of Israel were commanded to fulfill three mitzvot upon entering Eretz Yisrael
The Month of Adar 4. The Three Mitzvot Concerning the Obliteration of Amalek
Chapter 14: The Month of Adar
Three mitzvot in the Torah relate to Amalek. The first is a positive commandment to remember what Amalek did to us. . The second is a negative commandment not to forget what Amalek did to us. The third is a positive commandment to eradicate Amalek’s offspring from the world.
The Month of Adar 2. The Four Parshiyot
Chapter 14: The Month of Adar
The Sages instituted the public reading of four Torah passages (parshiyot) in addition to the weekly Torah portion: Parashat Shekalim, Parashat Zakhor, Parashat Para, and Parashat Ha-ĥodesh.
The Month of Adar 3. Leap Years and the Added Month of Adar
Chapter 14: The Month of Adar
It is well known that the Jewish months are fixed by the lunar cycle, whereas years follow the solar cycle, because Pesaĥ must always be in the springtime. In order to keep the lunar months in sync with the solar year, leap years, in which an extra month is intercalated, must be declared occasionally.
The Month of Adar 1. When Adar Arrives We Increase Our Joy
Chapter 14: The Month of Adar
The Sages said, “When Av arrives we curtail [our] joy, and when Adar arrives we increase [our] joy”. In saying this, the Sages teach us that nothing happens by chance and that every season has its own character and nature.