This week Sunday and Monday of Parshas Pekudei, Klal Yisrael celebrated Rosh Chodesh Adar Beis. Chazal famously tell us משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה. Just as when the month of Av arrives, we are told to decrease in engaging acts of joy, comparably so, when the month of Adar arrives we should increase our joy and elation.
Seforim Hakdoshim explain that even though the Purim-neis only occurred on the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month, the entire month is considered a time of great joy. As the possuk in the megillah says (אסתר ט כב) והחודש אשר נהפך להם מיגון לשמחה ומאבל ליום טוב the month which had been turned about for them, from grief to joy, from mourning to Yom Tov.
In addition to increasing joy throughout the month of Adar, Chachomim established specific mitzvos for the day of Purim itself, there are specific halachos which we must follow, enabling us to increase our joy. So too, every Yom Tov has certain actions we're obligated to perform in order to increase our simchas Yom Tov. For example, we are obligated to consume meat and wine, as well as partake in other pleasures which increase simchas Yom Tov such as nice clothing for women and treats for the children. These actions, whose purpose is to increase our joy, are mitzvos in their own right.
However, during the month of Adar, we are merely commanded to increase our joy, rather than being told specific mitzvos which would serve as a means to do so. With the statement of משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה Chazal are not instructing anything specific. Rather, it appears to be a general calling for us to understand the significance of this month and hence naturally be filled with joy.
Thus, it is advisable to delve into the neis, which is the catalyst for our increased joy this month, and learn about the great influences and forces of this elevated month, as well as the power of simcha. This will help us to follow Chazal's directive and we can thus attempt to appreciate the power of this month, increasing our simcha during this time.
Closeness with the Shechina
The מאור עינים tells us that the greatly elevated simcha during this month is a result of increased השראת השכינה amongst Klal Yisrael at this time. He explains that the name of each month is an indication of its inherent power.
אד"ר represents אלף דר; Alef is a reference to Hashem Yisborach, דר means to 'dwell'; Hashem comes to dwell amongst us during this month. He quotes a possuk in Yirmiyahu that uses Alef as a reference to Hashem. The possuk says (ירמיהו ג ד), אלוף נערי אתה, You are my Lord since my youth. In this vein, Rashi as well as other commentaries often use the term אלופו של עולם, the Lord and General of the entire world.
He also provides another reason why Hashem is referred to as אל"ף. Just like Alef is the first letter of the Alef-Beis, so too, Hashem is ראשון לכל הנמצאים the first entity in existence. Since during this month, אל"ף, the first and only General of the world, דר, comes to dwell amongst His nation, this is a time of great joy and elevated celebration.
The חדושי הרי"ם also tells us that during the month of אדר, the Shechina is דר, it resides in greater measure amongst us. He says that in this month, a great desire and longing to be close to Klal Yisrael is awakened in Heaven. He likens it to the famous Midrash that tells us that after Matan Torah the Shechina did not want to part from Klal Yisrael, so much so that He commanded us to build a Mishkan as a dwelling for Him. In this manner, the Shechina could permanently remain in close proximity to its children.
This intense desire that Hashem had after Kabbolas Hatorah is reawakened every year in the month of Adar. It was at this time of the year that Hashem commanded His children to build the Mishkan. During this month, Hashem once again longs for an 'earthly abode' to enable Him maximum closeness to Klal Yisrael. This is compared to a king who tells his newly acquired son-in-law to build him a house on his premises, so that he can remain close to his daughter even upon her marriage. So too, Hashem seeks to remain attached to us, and increase His closeness to us during this time, through residing amongst us.
Surely, we must seek to return this boundless love of Hashem towards us, through a reciprocal burning desire to seek closeness to Him by means of serving Him - בכל לב ונפש with our whole heart and soul.
Welcoming the Shechina's Presence
The Chiddushei Harim gives us guidance on how we can create a 'Mishkan' for the Shechina to reside in, especially in the month of Adar. During the times of the Beis Hamikdash, Klal Yisrael donated their shekalim towards the Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash throughout the month of Adar. So too, we must dedicate our own 'shekel' as a contribution towards meriting השראת השכינה in our personal מקדש מעט.
He says that שק"ל is an acronym for שבתך, קומך, לכתך, our sitting, arising and going should be for Him. As the we recite in Shema: You should talk about this - Hashem's Oneness and His Kingship over us, בשבתך בביתך, ובלכתך בדרך ובשכבך ובקומך (דברים ו ז) when you sit in your home, when you journey on your way, when you lay down for the night, and when you arise in the morning. Every single moment of your day should be devoted to Him.
By completely dedicating our arising, our sitting, and our going for Hashem we are contributing a שקל for the Mishkan. And thus, we create a place for השראת השכינה so that Hashem can dwell amongst us during this month. This is the primary reason for joy. When Adar comes and brings with it increased השראת השכינה, then the joy is boundless.
A Fitting Preparation for Nissan
The Chiddushei Harim finishes off by telling us that this heightened cognizance of living only for the sake of Hashem, and seeking to enable His presence amongst us, is a fitting preparation for the coming month of Chodesh Nissan which is the month of geulah.
This idea - that the month of Adar serves as a preparation to Nissan, is also cited in שם משמואל in the name of his father the אבני נזר. He says that like the month of Elul is a preparation for the holy month of Tishrei, so too, the month of Adar is a preparation for the elevated month of Nissan, the month of redemption.
He says that אדר is an expression of strength, as in the possuk מקולות מים רבים אדירים משברי ים (תהלים צג ד), More than the voices of great waters and more than the mightiest breakers of the sea. This is a reference to the obligation of every Yid to strengthen his Avodas Hashem during this month. He says that one must use 'תוקף וגבורה', courage, in understanding the elevated source of our souls and their ability to reach great heights. During this month, one who is ready to act in accordance with the holiness of his soul is given extra סייעתא דשמיא to understand the great capacity of a Yid. And in this way, he can adequately prepare himself for Chodesh Nissan, the month of geulah.
Continuous Redemption
The idea that Adar is a preface to Nissan is already found in the Gemara (מגילה ו:). The Gemara asks why we do not celebrate the Yom Tov of Purim in the month of Adar Alef during a leap year. Generally there is an halachic principle that אין מעבירין על המצוות, one does not let an opportunity for a mitzvah pass by without utilizing it immediately. Thus, it would be incumbent upon us to fulfill the mitzvos of Purim on the first opportunity which is during the month of Adar Alef. However, the Gemara tells us that Chazal established that we celebrate Purim in the month of Adar Beis because מסמך גאולה לגאולה עדיף, it is better to continue from one geulah directly into another geulah.
This gives us insight into the crucial connection between the months of Adar and Nissan. The need to connect the two months actually superseded the general rule of performing a mitzvah at the earliest given opportunity. This highlights the importance of understanding that all salvation comes from One source. The geulah of Purim, and the geulah of Pesach both come from our loving Father who constantly seeks our good. Thus, we spend the month of Adar in praise and thanks of our merciful Master who constantly redeems us. This then serves as a fitting preparation for the month of Nissan; the chief month of redemption in which we are told we will merit the final and everlasting geulah.
Rashi explains the Gemara of משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה mentioned earlier. He says ימי נסים היו לישראל פורים ופסח when Adar begins, we increase our joy because Purim and Pesach were days of miracles for Yisrael. This means that both Chodesh Adar and Chodesh Nissan are days of joy. This explains Chazal's use of the expression משנכנס, at the coming of Adar, as opposed to simply stating באדר מרבין בשמחה in the month of Adar we increase our joy. This is because Rosh Chodesh Adar actually heralds an extended period of heightened simcha; from the beginning of Adar until the end of Nissan, which are days of great simcha as a result of the miracles which occurred in these days. Hence, it is one lengthy period of heightened joy as a result of the amazing miracles we were granted, as well as the ultimate miracle we will witness at the time of the final redemption בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להגאל.
Revealed Divinity
The Chasam Sofer provides another explanation as to why Chodesh Adar is a time of such great joy, and why the miracles of Purim especially are a reason for constant simcha. He contrasts the nature of the great miracles of Purim to those of Pesach, and explains why the miracles of Purim specifically are the reason for increased and everlasting simcha.
The events of Yetzias Mitzrayim were an amazing revelation of the power of יד ה'. It became apparent to all that Hashem runs the world, and only He has control over nature and every single creation. Furthermore, it demonstrated Hashem's great love for His children, that He will change the course of nature and manipulate multiple events for the good of Klal Yisrael.
However, there were still those who claimed that although Hashem is indeed the Highest power, He only exercises השגחה פרטית on select occasions in which Klal Yisrael merit greater miracles. They still claimed that Hashem does not, chas vesholom, run the everyday course of nature. Rather, they claimed, His influence is only over the wonderous as opposed to the everyday, mundane happenings of the world. They professed that though on some special occasions Hashem controls and manipulates events according to His desire, this does not prove His constant control.
The Hidden Hand
The miracles of Purim however, completely discredited these heretical beliefs. In the Purim story, we see how every single event, starting from the great feast of Achashveirosh, up until the finale of Haman being hung and the decree being reversed for the benefit of the Yidden, all followed a pattern of 'natural cause and effect'. Every event was clothed in the disguise of nature. Vashti refused to heed the king's request to attend the banquet, therefore she was killed. Achashveirosh sought a new queen and Esther was chosen due to her natural beauty and charm. Mordechai happened to overhear Bigsan and Seresh plotting to poison the king, he asked Esther to report it to the king, thereby saving his life. Therefore, the king naturally recorded this favor in his book of remembrances. The king's inability to fall asleep also did not seem to be a supernatural event, it masqueraded as an entirely normal happening. According to the rules of nature man either succumbs to sleep easily or not. There does not seem to be any Divine intervention ruling our sleep patterns. But as the grand finale of the Purim story shows us, there definitely is!
What we hear, what we see, where we go, and what we do on a daily basis is all orchestrated Above. Nothing is happenstance. It seemed completely natural for Haman to be building a fifty-acre gallows on which to hang his arch enemy who was continuously defying the king's order to bow down to him. However, both the place where and timing when Haman built the gallows was an exact manifestation of Divine intervention, again disguised as "regular routine.
Thus, it became clear to everyone that Hashem does not only control the 'major' events. He exercises השגחה פרטית Divine Providence, through His involvement in every single detail of how the world is run and He does it all for the good of His children. The entire megillas Ester is a demonstration of this - of the hidden hand of Hashem in everyday events. This indeed is a great reason for joy! The obvious display of Hashem's involvement in every single phenomenon of this world is greatly reassuring. It demonstrated that Hashem is orchestrating events at all times. Even when His hand is hidden, and it seems as though we have been abandoned, as it did at times during the story of the megillah, we know now that He is actually manipulating events for our ultimate good. משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה, this השגחה פרטית for the good of Klal Yisrael should engender everlasting elation.
The Reason for Everlasting Simcha
The Chasam Sofer quotes a possuk from the megillah וימי הפורים האלה לא יעברו מתוך היהודים וזכרם לא יסוף מזרעם and these days of Purim did not pass over the Yidden, and its memory did not cede from their children. The memory of Hashem's loving hand working under the disguise of nature for the benefit of Klal Yisrael, will forever be remembered by the Yidden. They will remember that even in times of הסתר, when it seems that they have been abandoned, they are actually being lovingly guided from Above.
Here, he references the famous Ramban at the end of Parshas Bo that tells us that we must learn from the Nissim of Yetzias Mitzrayim that even everyday events are also actual nissim. Just like the makkos were miraculous events, so too the rising of the sun every day, is a completely miraculous occurrence. The Ramban actually says that one who does not believe that every act of 'nature' is a neis אין לו חלק בתורת ה' He does not have a part in the Torah of Hashem.
Indeed, Purim was a demonstration of this. Even the seemingly "ordinary" was actually G-dly. That which appeared to be the natural cause and effect of events on earth was actually Hashem's hand hidden in nature. In fact, throughout the unfolding of events at the time of Mordechai and Ester there was no indication of anything supernatural occurring. But at the end, it became clear that events from the start were being guided by Hashem. This understanding surely leads to the ultimate joy - the simcha of the knowledge that we're constantly in our Father's embrace.
According to the Preparation
Raising our awareness of this concept - of Hashem's constant, active involvement in our lives, even when it is disguised - is a fitting preparation during the month of Adar since this naturally increases our simcha. It also enables increased השראת השכינה which is the ultimate source of brachos and simcha.
The Beis Aharon quotes the possuk in the megillah ויעש המלך כדבר ממוכן. Many seforim tell us that המלך in the megillah is actually a reference to the מלך מלכי המלכים. He says ויעש המלך and the King will act with us in accordance with ממוכן - how extensive our הכנות, our preparations are. If we prepare appropriately for these great days of miracles, then the Yom Tov of Purim can indeed have a great השפעה on us and be the source of renewed miracles.
In accordance with Rashi on the Gemara, and the seforim Hakdoshim quoted earlier, this preparation during Adar is also a fitting preface for the month of Nissan. If we dedicate ourselves to Hashem and constantly remind ourselves of His complete and loving control over every aspect of our lives, that can serve as a הכנה to Chodesh Nissan. And in that merit, ויעש המלך, may the King of all Kings finally bring the everlasting geulah!
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