5 Things You Should Know About The Month Of Adar

By: Rabbi Amichai Cohen

“When Adar enters we increase in joy”

-Talmud, Taanit 29a

The month of Adar is considered a very auspicious month. Someone born in the month of Adar does not have an evil eye on them and it says that”״מזלו בריא״, there mazal (fortune)is healthy. Why is it is especially connected to joy? What are the components of real happiness?

1. Permutations

The Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation) tells us:

1. The permutation of Tetragrammaton is ה ה י ו
2. The tribe of month is Naftali
3. Letter of the month is ק
4. Body part is the spleen
5. The sense of the month is the sense of laughter
6. Sign of month is Pisces- fish

2. Planting An Adar

The Talmud (Tractate Beitza 15b) says “anyone who wants to make sure that there investments will be successful and reap results should plant an Adar”.

Adar isn't found anywhere in the scriptures as referring to a tree but obviously if it is planted it is referring to a tree.

What does it mean that you should plant an Adar?

The great Chassidic Master the Bnei Yissachar explains that an Adar refers to the recognition that no matter what someone does they should know that it is not there own doing.

If someone wants to preserve their investments they must be in the right state of mind. By consciously planting an Adar, one plants the deep awareness tthat G-d’s essence that is within nature.

3. Within Nature/ Above Nature

There are 2 ways in which G-d functions within the world.

1. The way that G-d functions and runs the world within the laws and confines of nature.
2. The way that G-d runs the world that is completely above nature- the miraculous.

The difference between nature and above nature is to discern that nature itself is also a miracle. Kabbalah and Chassidus explains that miracles that come from within nature actually come from a higher source. G-d is working at all times but we don't see it because its hidden and not revealed.  

If a person wants their investments to be prolonged has to be fully aware and bring to fruition within himself that it is G-d that is running everything in a way that is within nature. This gives a person the trust (bitachon) and the consciousness that G-d runs everything and that is the secret to true and everlasting joy. 

4. Dispelling Doubt

“There is no greater joy than dispelling doubt”- When a person has doubts, they are foggy and they cant make sense of the world around them. A person has laughter, true joy when something happens that is not expected to happen but it does. G-d hiding his revelation and working within nature, brings to the greatest unexpected results and hence the greatest joy.

In Adar we have one of the greatest miracles that ever happened to the Jewish people, the miracle of Purim. The unfolding of the miracle of Purim is such that it seems like it is just current events taking place. When we read the miracle we reveal that within the hiddenness (Esther which comes from the word Seter, hidden or secret) the greatness of G-d and that leads us to the greatest joy. This teaches us that all the current events that is unfolding in our lives we will look back and laugh at because it will one day all make sense.

Month of Adar corresponds to the letter ק, which impersonates the letter ה. the letter kuf is considered that other side of holiness where as the letter  ה, is the letter of holiness. The letter Kuf is different than the letter Hey because it dips down to the other side. It dips down into nature and tries to get lost in nature. the letter of Kuf in its rectified state is the letter of the month. we have a special commandment in the month of Adar to remember Amalek.

Amalek

1. Comes from the word “malak”, to sever. When Amalek would fight they would sever the heads of the enemy. On a spiritual level it is severing the mind from the rest of the body, its a psychological disconnect that makes us know one thing but feel something else in the heart.

2. Amalek- comes from “עמל ק”- the work of kuf. Amalek is about taking the kuf and trying to combat the people, making people believe that the superficiality is what its about. It entrenches us within nature and allows us to believe that that nature is what its about. We have to rid Amalek from within us, we all have that component within us when our mind is disconnected from who we are. True joy is when we recognize that there is the oppositional force trying to pull us away and make us feel that its all about nature and not seeing the above nature and the G-dly force behind it all. The first step is to recognize that e have that kuf within us.

Haman who is the enemy in the Purim story came from Amalek and the whole redemption and joy of Purim is being cognizant and aware of this.

The spleen is the  organ of the month- the spleen is responsible to sift the blood, it has to do with overcoming the anger and depression that is stored within the spleen. For a person not to be drawn down by the superficiality of the world,  they have to realize that what they see is not what we get and to combat the negativity and come to that place of true joy.

The sign of the month is the fish. Water is the hidden world, we are constantly in this reality that this world is hidden. It says that a fish has no evil eye  because it is constantly in its source. Its always within that reality so no evil eye can be within. In the month of Adar we recognize that every step that we take is divinely ordained and we bask within the source the entire month and that is the secret to true joy.

5. Tribe of month is Naftali

It says that Naftali is satiated with the will of G-d. Naftali has the same word as the word for Tefila (prayer). That is the secret for the month of Adar, our prayers are always answered but we don't see the delivery right away. This month has the special virtue of seeing the results of our prayers. In the story of Purim there was suppose to be the annihilation of the entire Jewish people and everyone prayed. The prayer of Naftali has the ability to illicit a fast response, fast like a deer and to get the results of his requests. All of us have the quickness of the deer within us and we have the ability to pray and draw down a new reality which is the idea of V’Nahafochu (transformation) of the letter Kuf in the month of Adar and to bring out the laughter.

Adar comes from the word Alef Dar, that G-d is constantly dwelling within us and that we have a special ability in the month of Adar to illicit and reveal this reality within us.

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