Calendar
HOW CAN WE EACH MAKE AN IMPACT?
by Rabbi Avrohom Drandoff, Head of School
We are just a few days into the festive month of Adar. The Sages tell us when we enter the month of Adar we should increase our joy. Why is it that of all the months of the Jewish calendar Adar is the month identified as the month for increased happiness?
Especially when you analyze Purim which is “the” holiday in the month of Adar the question seems to be stronger. The holiday of Purim does not contain any explicit miracles, as opposed to all other Jewish holidays. One would think the month of Nissan, which is when we celebrate Pesach, would be “the” month of joy. Pesach is riddled with countless supernatural miracles.
In order to answer our question, we need to first understand the role of miracles in the world order. What purpose do miracles serve? Why do we need them? Why doesn’t Hashem manipulate the world where everything works out perfectly with no need for life saving interventions like miracles?
The primary reason why Hashem performs miracles, which breaks the natural order of the world, is to serve as a reminder to us that Hashem is here and cares about us. Miracles inform us that Hashem loves us and cares about our daily happenings. Before the miracles of the Purim story, the messages from miracles were limited. The power of the miracle was also its limitation. When the excitement of the miracle dissipated it was easy to fall into the trap that we were still alone. The lack of supernatural miracles throughout the Purim story taught us a critical lesson that still resonates. Hashem is always orchestrating events and circumstances for the betterment of our lives. When we read the megillah and analyze how all the insignificant events over the course of years lined up perfectly, we can then understand the truest depth of how much Hashem is involved in our lives. This deep message of divine intervention is why the month of Adar is the month of joy. The awareness of Hashem consistently in our lives should be a tremendous source of joy.
