by Rabbi E. Tauger
ADAR : Dates To Remember
The Fast Of Esther
On the day before Purim, we commemorate the fast Esther undertook in prayer for the deliverance of the Jewish people. Although she was a queen and wielded immense power, she realized that the key to the Jews redemption was repentance and prayer. Every year, we emulate her example and fast before the Purim holiday.
Purim - A Festival Of Unbounded Celebration
The Talmud states that on Purim we are obligated to drink wine to the point where we do not know the difference between Baruch Mordechai (Blessed be Mordechai!) and Arur Haman (Cursed be Haman!). Our Rabbis point out that according to the rules of gematria, Torah numerology, the letters that constitute the two phrases have the same numerical value. This numerical correspondence is not coincidental, but instead, reveals an intrinsic bond between the two subjects.
G-d created the world through speech. The letters that spell out the Hebrew name of an object comprise the conduit which conveys its G-dly life-force, bringing it into being and maintaining its existence. It follows that if there is a letter-relationship between the names of two objects, there is also an underlying spiritual relationship between them. Hence, though the expressions Blessed be Mordechai and Cursed be Haman appear to be diametrically opposed, their shared numerical value reveals a basic similarity between them. The same Divine intention motivates both of these expressions.
Nothing created by G-d has a negative purpose. In some cases, G-ds positive intention is openly manifest; in others, He desired that man reveal His positive intention by transforming apparent evil into good. G-d created Haman (as well as everything else that appears to be evil) so that the Jewish people could bring about a fundamental change in the nature of evil and transform that which is evil into good.
It is for precisely this reason that the Sages obligate us to blur the distinction between Blessed be Mordechai and Cursed be Haman. On Purim we are required to elevate our understanding to the point that we perceive no essential distinction between Mordechai and Haman. For the ultimate goal in the creation of Haman is that he becomes a force for good, like Mordechai.
The events of Purim exemplify this concept. The threat posed by Haman endangered the very existence of the Jewish people. In response, they demonstrated self-sacrifice and dedication to Torah which transcended the limits of reason. Nor was this an individual effort. Before approaching the king, Esther told Mordechai: Go gather together all the Jews. Our entire people undertook a commitment of self-sacrifice, rededicating themselves to the observance of the Torah. Their commitment transformed the entire nature of the situation. And thus, instead of destroying our people, Hamans plot enriched us with a festival and a day of rejoicing.
The AriZal commenting on the verse, And these days are recalled and celebrated, teaches that when a holiday is recalled properly, when it is relived, the same spiritual influences which were originally revealed become celebrated and actualized every year anew. Renewing our commitment on Purim arouses influences of redemption. And as in that era, this is an undertaking shared by the entire Jewish people as a collective. Two practices - Mishloach Manos, presents of foods to friends, and Matanos L'evyonim, gifts to the poor - commemorate the Purim story, and translate this theme of oneness from theory into fact, binding us together as a united people. They are easy to perform. Prepare a present of two food items and offer it to a friend. Give charity to at least two needy people.
Our celebration of Purim also contains a foretaste of future joy. Our Sages teach that in the final stages of the Era of the Redemption, the celebration of all the holidays will be nullified with the exception of Purim (and according to some opinions, Chanukah). Because Purim was instituted during the trials of exile, its joy and celebration will continue even after Mashiach's coming.
Adar - The Month Of Happiness Our Sages state: When (the month of) Adar arrives, we increase our joy. That's a very important message. Too often, we get weighed down, heavy. Our jobs, our responsibilities - even our recreations, bombard us with an ever-increasing amount of data to process, and we feel the need for a breather. We want to let loose and relax. Joy is important, not merely to reduce tension and alleviate pressure, but as a value in its own right. When a person is happy, his joy fills him with energy and vitality. And that energy is contagious. When a person greets you with a smile, that makes a difference. You're willing to open up to him or her, and the communication is more genuine. And yet, we don't want merely frivolous happiness, the kind of hollow joy that leaves you used up and unsatisfied. We want to be able to look back the next morning - and for that matter, the next year, with pleasant feelings about the experience. We want to be able to say not only: Wow, I had a good time, but That was a good experience, something that I'd like to remember and tell my children about. For happiness to be genuine and lasting, we expect it to be meaningful.
A Selfless Smile This message is not new, stemming from our popular culture, but rather a truth rooted in the core of our Torah heritage. Psalms tells us: “Serve G-d with joy; come before Him in celebration.” Celebration is the medium which allows us to come before G-d, as it is written: “Strength and joy are in His place.” We’re used to thinking of religious people as somber and serious, perhaps a little bit sad. This is the direct opposite of the Torah’s ideal. Maimonides writes: “The happiness with which a person should rejoice in the fulfillment of the mitzvos and the love of G-d is great service… There is no greatness or honor other than celebrating before G-d.” For when a person is happy, he rises above self-concern; he is not thinking only of himself. That opens him up to other people and enables him to relate to them without an ulterior motive. Instead of thinking “What can they do for me?” and “What can I get out them?”, a happy person sees the other person as he is and willing to go out of his or her way to do that individual a favor if necessary. Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin would say that there is one thing which is not a sin, but is worse than all sins and that is sadness. For when a person is sad, he is always looking for others to do something for him. Openly or subconsciously, he is saying: “Give me a happiness pill to pop.” We see these people all the time. Even when they have a smile pasted on their faces, it’s easy to see past the facade. Their actions drown out their words, as they go through their lives constantly clutching for the straws which they think will bring a flicker of joy to their hearts. A happy person isn’t like that. He gives, as well as takes. He or she has an inner sense of peace and security that allows him to share with another person as a friend. And if that person has a need, he is willing to give of himself to fulfill it.
Doing A Mitzvah With A Smile The same is true in our relationship with G-d. A sad person thinks that he is doing G-d a tremendous favor by keeping His commandments. G-d owes him for his observance. Why does he feel this way? Because fundamentally, he is insecure. He sees himself as lacking and creates G-d in his own image: a G-d who needs him to perform a mitzvah or study His Torah to bring Him joy. And by bringing joy to G-d, he will establish his own worth. Not a very pretty picture of religion. And definitely not Judaism’s view. Judaism teaches us that G-d doesn’t need our mitzvos. In an absolute sense, it makes no difference to Him whether we slaughter an animal from the front or from the back. Why did He give us mitzvos? So that we could have a connection to Him, to enable there to be a meeting point between a finite man and an infinite Creator. By observing a mitzvah (äåöî), a person establishes àúååö, a bond of togetherness between himself and G-d. That’s something to be truly happy about. In human relations, a happy person will establish positive relationships with others and that will bring him even more satisfaction. Similarly, in the spiritual sphere, a person should approach the Torah with happiness, and this will enable him to increase his happiness as he continues living a life of meaning, depth, and purpose.
Happiness That Wells Up From Within And we all have something to be happy about. Every person has a soul that is an actual part of G-d. That is who He really is. And he is living in a world which G-d maintains at every moment and controls with Divine Providence. Everything which happens - from a leaf turning in the wind to upheavals among nations - happens because G-d wants it to. Isn’t that reason enough to be happy?
From A Dream To Reality But often we don’t realize this. That is what exile is all about. We get so caught up in the details of what we’re doing that we forget what our lives are all about. Our Rabbis point out that the Hebrew words for exile, (Golah), and redemption, (Geulah), share the same letters, except that Geulah has an alef. The alef stands for Ein Sof, G-d’s infinity. The only difference between exile, our present condition, and the Redemption is the awareness of G-d’s presence. “The entire world is filled with His glory”; He is always here with us. But during exile, we don’t appreciate that He is here, and during the Redemption, we will. That’s why Psalms tells us that in the Era of the Redemption: “Then our mouths will be filled with gladness.” Because at that time, we will appreciate G-d’s presence in every dimension of existence. We should not look at the Redemption as merely a promise of the future, but rather as an ongoing dynamic that affects our lives today. By living with the Redemption, we can anticipate the mindset that will permeate that era and use it as a force to mold our lives today. Although we cannot tangibly appreciate the G-dliness that permeates our world at present, that does not prevent us from knowing that He is here. And that knowledge is a powerful enough force to promote the ongoing base of happiness from which our life experience should flow. This will empower us to share happiness with others. By doing this, we will spread this approach to others, and lead to the time when “crowned with eternal joy,” we will appreciate the Redemption as actual reality. |
The Torah Portions of the Month
Parshas Terumah - This reading contains the commands the sanctuary in the desert, the first time G-d's presence was openly manifest within our world.
With regard to the Sanctuary, the Torah states: "And you shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell within them," using a plural form, interpreted by our Sages to refer to the Jewish people. Not only was G-d's presence manifest in the Sanctuary, every Jew became a "sanctuary in microcosm," a medium to manifest G-dliness.
Parshas Tetzaveh - Parshas Zachor - This is the only Torah reading from Parshas Shmos until Parshas Devarim where Moshe's name is not mentioned. Throughout the entire chronicle of the Jews' journey, Moshe features with the exception of this Torah reading. Why is Moshe's name omitted from this reading? Because when Moshe defended the Jewish people after the sin of the Golden Calf, he told G-d that if He destroys the people, he should "wipe me out from the book which You have written." Since every statement made by a great man has an effect, Moshe's name is "wiped out" from at least one Torah reading, Parshas Tetzaveh. Our Rabbis note that this Torah reading is almost always read on the Shabbos before or the Shabbos following Adar 7, the date which is the birthday and the yahrzeit of Moshe Rabbenu. This indicates that Moshe's most fundamental characteristic was his willingness to sacrifice himself on behalf of the Jewish people.
Parshas Ki Tissah - This Torah reading contains the story of the Golden Calf, a disastrous sin that affected the spiritual history of all mankind. Nevertheless, the name of this week's reading literally means "When you elevate." Implied is a mystic dynamic. No decline ever occurs for the sake of regression. Instead, every descent is for the purpose of an ascent.
In a manner which only G-d's wondrous providence can comprehend, every act we perform holds in it the seeds for deeper connection to Him. At times, the process of connection is immediately apparent, and on other occasions, the spiritual service of teshuvah (repentance) is necessary to reveal the positive thrust, but it is always present.
The culmination of this cycle of descent and ascent will be the Era of the Redemption, of which it is said: "The Jews will repent and immediately, they will be redeemed."
Parshas VaYakhel-Pekudei - Parshas Parah - The commentaries have noted that these two Torah readings are seemingly redundant, for they primarily describe how the Jewish people observed G-d’s command and constructed the Sanctuary in the desert according to the instructions related in the previous readings. There is nevertheless a distinction. The The Torah mentions the month of Shvat in Sanctuary described previously was spiritual, the object of G-d’s thought. The Sanctuary spoken about in these portions, by contrast, is actual, a structure which existed in our material world. This idea that G-dliness came to dwell in our world - not only in His thought, but in actual fact, is the new concept taught by these readings.