“During the month of Adar, joy increases (BT Ta’anit 29A).” During the Jewish lunar leap year, similar to the Babylonian lunar leap year, a thirteenth month is added to the calendar: Adar, the final month in the Babylonian and Biblical Jewish calendar, is repeated. In Babylonian, the name Adar refers to the darkness created by cloud cover during the last month of winter. In Hebrew, Adar is most closely connected to adir, meaning strength. The sages teach that joy increases during the month of Adar, doubly so in a leap year, when there are two months of Adar. The joy we experience during the months of Adar, according to the sages, affects both matters of spirit and matters of commerce. The Talmud even encourages Jews engaged in litigation with non-Jews to pursue such litigation in Adar, as the months promise good fortune for the Jewish people. The association between Adar [...]

As we enter the first week of the Hebrew month of Adar I, Rabbi Josh examines what our tradition has to teach us about joy, stemming from the Talmud’s suggestion that, “During the month of Adar, joy increases (BT Ta’anit 29A).” Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (z”l) critically examines the association between joy and Adar, questioning the suitability of responding to the tale of Purim with joy. After all, for the people who narrowly escape destruction, relief may feel more appropriate than joy and celebration. He also notes that we do not sing psalms of joy and praise (hallel), as we do on most festivals. The joy we experience during Adar, Rabbi Sacks reasons, must therefore be distinct from the joy born of gratitude that we feel during traditional harvest festivals, when hallel is recited. It is, rather, a defiant joy, a selective response to the vulnerability arising from Jewish life. By making merry [...]

As we enter the first week of the Hebrew month of Adar I, Rabbi Josh examines what our tradition has to teach us about joy, stemming from the Talmud’s suggestion that, “During the month of Adar, joy increases (BT Ta’anit 29A).” This past year, Surgeon General Doctor Vivek Murthy released an advisory report entitled, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” cataloging increasing rates of loneliness among Americans, as well as the myriad health risks posed by isolation to Americans’ health and well-being, including higher risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and suicide. Healthy relationships and a sense of belonging, according to the report, reinforce our sense of joy and fulfillment, providing innumerable benefits to our health and wellness. Jewish tradition has always been aware of the dangers of isolation and discourages detachment of the individual from the community. The great first Century sage, Hillel, warns his fellow Jews, “Never separate [...]