Purim

The Chofetz Chaim said, "Because we are approaching the time of the Messiah, and we will soon have to destroy the seed of Amalek, we are going to need a lot of strength. You must therefore stay fit so that you have the strength to carry out this task."

Among Adar's unique traits is the fact that it contains opportunities for new beginnings as well as for conclusions. We find in this month both life and death, beginning and end. Birth and life on the one hand, loss and destruction on the other.

Jacob could see the hand of God at work in the world, and therefore exile did not apply to him. We can reach the level of Jacob by accepting the Yoke of Heaven, and this demands being part the Jewish people, for God appears in the world via Israel.

There are unique individuals whose consumption of food is not due to any desire to satisfy their base appetites. Their souls are so capacious that they need large bodies. They are like instruments, elevating the material world to their own level.

When we reach the month of Adar, it seems to us as if the rain and the days of cold are already behind us and we are approaching the end of winter. We can almost feel spring in the air. However, there are also a number of signs of winter in Adar.