Kabbalah teaches that every month has its own unique energy and within it, it's very own spiritual and personal healing. Each person is influenced by this energy, some more sensitive to it than others but nevertheless, affected.
Sefer Yetzirah, the Book of Formation teaches that each month corresponds with Hebrew letters, a tribe of Israel, sense, body part, zodiac sign, and a planet. By learning about the energy of the month, you utilize this time and explore the depths of your potential while having support from God in the action you take.
Sefer Yetzirah is the earliest existing Jewish esoteric work and the only one mentioned in the Talmud. According to tradition, it was authored by none other than Abraham the patriarch and written down by Rabbi Akiva in the time of the Mishna. In Sefer Yetzirah, one can find secrets of understanding the energy of the month, how to navigate it, and the different energies that make up the DNA of creation.
To read the full report on Adar, click here to read the blog. In this blog, we will explore the differences between Adar I and Adar II. An ordinary year has one Adar. In a leap year (like this year) there are two Adar’s- Adar Rishon and Adar Sheni. Leap years occur seven times every 19 years to ensure the Jewish lunar calendar can align with the solar calendar. Thus, the lively and festive holiday known as Purim is to be celebrated in Adar Sheni while in Adar Rishon, we celebrate a small Purim (Purim Katan) on the 14th of Adar.
These are the major differences between Adar I and Adar II - the energy of Purim, reading Megillat Esther, the Fast of Esther, and so forth. Adar II is where the real happiness of Purim happens, where the full force of Adar is felt.
To bring everything together, Adar is the last month of the Hebrew calendar, bringing the whole year into a full circle. Adar brings the winter months to an end while bringing to life the spring season. The energy is high, sensitive, exuberating yet refreshing, and joyful.
Coming out of the winter hibernation, the energetic influences begin to pick up - the energy escalates and becomes more intense with the holidays. The winter months are for hibernation, planning, and planting seeds while the spring and summer are for execution, action, and reaping the fruit from the seeds planted in the earlier months.
A month that could have been a catastrophic time for the Jews, turned into a month of rejoicing for the nation. Adar is when things completely turn around as we learn from the phrase “completely turn around” (Megillat Esther 9:1 - וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא). This is the main key to connecting with the energy of Adar, where we have the opportunity to transform unpleasant events and the darkest parts of ourselves and others into light.
In fact, there is no other month in the Jewish calendar that affects the entire month. Adar is an auspicious time for joy. But what is the connection between Adar, Purim, and joy? Continue reading to find out!
When reading about the story of Purim, according to the Ba’al Shem Tov, we are meant to connect to the story and Megillat Esther as if it is happening in our time, not something that happened over 2,000 years ago. The intention here is to connect to the events and our ancestors, make them relatable in our lives.
In brief the story of Purim: After nearly a millennium of freedom, independence, and miracles, the Jews found themselves banished from their land. Helpless. The Temple in Jerusalem was in ruins. Their spirituality and faith were deteriorating.
In Jeremiah’s prophecy, after seventy years of exile, God would return the Jews to their land and rebuild the Temple. Seventy years had elapsed (or so everyone thought, due to miss calculations), the redemption did not arrive.
Purim celebrates a time when we were at a low point in our history – but our relationship with the Creator remains prosperous. The joy in Adar is, therefore, greater than the joy of any other holiday because it demonstrates the faith and certainty in God, even though the most difficult.
After all the ups and downs of the entire year, we enter a month of healthy and cathartic laughter while acknowledging the blessings that rained upon us.
The transformation of fear into laughter connects to the phrase: pachad yitzchak - פחד יצחק, "the Fear of Isaac," which literally means "fear will laugh!" This is the theme of Purim, the holiday that we celebrate in Adar. On Purim, we celebrate how all the fears of Haman and his planned genocide of the Jewish people were overturned. The fear turned into laughter, the Jewish nation had faith that lead them. This is why the motto of the month of Adar is "abound with joy." When there is but a little amount of joy, it tends to remain concealed in the heart. But when there is an abundance of joy, it overflows and is expressed as booming laughter.
But what message can learn from these two dualities experienced in Adar, fear, and faith?
In the sign of Pisces, there are two fish. These two fish have a few teachings but for this blog, we will learn about how they resemble two different paths a person can walk.
One fish represents doubt while the other is faith.
Doubt your biggest enemy and this is also known as Amalek. In the story of Purim, Haman, is the grandson of Hagag (Amalek) and Esther is the granddaughter of Shaul HaMelach. In the book of Esther, the Jewish nation continues an unfinished war between the two sides.
In Adar, we have a choice to either be our biggest enemy or biggest redeemer. To doubt creates fear and prevents you from transforming when things get tough. When doubting, you doubt the light stronger than the darkness. You doubt you will find a way out because nothing is going as you planned. But when you are totally connected to the light, you know that is an opportunity to grow, to change, to transform - rather than complaining about your circumstance, you take action to change your outcome.
Adar is all about hidden miracles, we learn this from the sign of Pisces. Pisces is fish protected by water, in Adar, you have protected light accompanying you in all that you endeavor. To read more on the sign of Adar, click here.
If you remind yourself that the darkness is in front of you for your growth and transformation, the light will always be there.
You give the power to the light to guide you, protect you, and support you. All you need to do is start, get moving, and the path will light up as you go.
If you can’t see the path, assume that it’s been paved. If you don’t move, you’ll be stuck. Hopefully, you have someone by your side to remind you to connect to light over darkness.
May Adar II bring you many miracles that leave you feeling guided, supported, and protected. May you experience true spiritual growth, connection to the light, and overcome your biggest enemy.
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Chodesh Tov and Purim Sameach,
Elisheva
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