Why now, in the month of Adar? And why joy? Why, in such a challenging and scary time are we called upon to bring in joy? How can we live up to the duty presented by the arrival of Adar?
Rabbi Binny Friedman urges us to reflect on the essence of joy. According to Rav Binny, the essence of joy is purpose. The command to feel joy, at its core, is a command to refocus on why we are here, the purpose of our existence. In our moments of greatest joy, for example the creation of a new home or the arrival of a baby child, we understand that we are all one and that oneness is revealed in the world through acts of love and trust and nurturing.
As we enter Adar, filled with such deep challenge and profound danger, may we refocus ourselves on our ultimate purpose and seek to live out the message of the Talmud in Masekhet Makkot. There the Sages teach that the summary, the short-form of Torah is: the Divine path of "doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God."
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