מִשֶּׁנִּכְנַס אֲדָר מַרְבִּין בְּשִׂמְחָה - “When Adar comes in, we increase our rejoicing”3/20/2024 This phrase, which originates in the Talmud (BT Ta’anit 29a), is usually the tone setter for our Purim celebrations and the general fun and frivolity that permeate the entire month. We sing it and adopt its melody as a reminder of this season. We use it as a tagline when planning community events and as an excuse to have some extra fun at this time of year. This year, like all leap years, we get to connect with this idea for an extra month, with two months of Adar to celebrate.
I’ve been thinking a lot about our extra dose of Adar rejoicing this year, when neither month of Adar - just like the 5 months that came before - feels especially joyous. 167 days of hostages still held in captivity, with little hope on the horizon. Thousands upon thousands of lives lost and unimaginable suffering. Too much political posturing and not enough listening. Even the words of our sacred texts feel too close for comfort, with the Megillah’s description of the war with the Persians and Parashat Zakhor’s account of Amalek targeting the innocent and vulnerable. This year, the Talmud’s prescription for Adar is more complicated, harder to take in and harder to make happen. It might seem ironic that we experience this loop of joyless rejoicing for two months instead of one, but I think there’s something more in it, something that can help buoy us and prepare us to engage more fully with the joy of Purim this week: the idea of practice. I wrote last week about working with my 7th graders on their Purim shpiels. As we’re starting to rehearse on stage, with all the bells and whistles, I find myself reminding my students that what they practice is what they will perform. If they want their performance later this week to be great, then they need to put that energy and focus into their rehearsals. Stated slightly differently, the more you do something, the more you do something. Our double dose of Adar this year has given us just this opportunity. We’ve had lots of time to stretch our rejoicing muscles, to remember what it feels like to celebrate and even be a little bit silly. Now, as Purim is just a few short days away, we’re closer to being ready to bring our joy more sincerely, with more energy behind it. With that in mind, I want to encourage and invite you to find all the joy you can over this week of Purim. Join us for services on Saturday night - we’ll end Shabbat together and have our own shpiel before reading the Megillah. Join us again on Sunday evening and 5:00 for a potluck Purim Seudah. Bring a joke, a funny story, and prepare to have a great time with our Chevrei Tzedek community. Sign up here! Whether you’re rounding out your second month of increased joy or are just getting started, the more we find causes to celebrate together, the more we’ll be able to celebrate together. I wish all of us a Purim Sameaḥ and hope to see you at shul this weekend. Shabbat shalom!
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