Rosh Chodesh Tov!!! May you all have a blessed month!
What can I say? As I’m writing down today’s post my heart is broken. The horrific news of yesterday’s school shooting in Florida touches me very deeply and I imagine all of you feel the same way today.
How can we reconcile with our sages telling us to increase in our joy when the month of Adar enters, if we are today so saddened? The month of Adar is very much connected to the Holiday of Purim, which falls on the 14th of Adar (Wednesday,February 28 at nightfall).
The story of Purim is about a man called Haman who wanted to annihilate the Jewish people. He was able to convince king Ahashverosh to sign the decree. By Divine intervention of H”S,the king kills his queen Vashti, then all this beautiful young girls are brought to the castle so the king can choose his new queen. Esther, a young Jewish girl is chosen as the new queen and her with her uncle Mordechai are able to turn the darkness into light by saving the Jewish people.
So you might be wondering what is the connection here?
As Jews,our job in this world is to bring light to it and fill it with Mitzvahs. When we live in this way we bring a Tikun (correction)to the world. Even so much more when there is so much darkness around us, we need to do more.
This is what the sages mean by “when the month of Adar enters we increase in joy.”
The fact that we can learn Torah and do Mitzvahs is a good reason to be joyful.
As my teacher Shimona Tsukernik says:”you can be sad but you can never be not happy.”
The Rebbe Lubavitch once asked,”what is keeping Meshiach from coming, why hasn’t he arrived yet? Everything has been done that needs to be done for him to come. The job of our generation is to live with Joy, Joy will bring the redemption.”
And that joy comes from knowing that you can make a difference by doing kindness and bringing light.
May the holy souls of all those that have been lost have a special place in the world to come, may their loved ones be comforted and find peace.
May we merit to see the day in which all darkness has been transformed into light.
#roshchodesh #adar #joy
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