We are in the month of Adar, a time of extra joy, as it states, “When Adar enters, we increase our joy.” But how do we do that?
Our Sages offer a very practical answer in the Gemara. They take the famous verse at the end of Megillat Esther, “For the Jews there was light and joy and gladness and honor,” and turn it into concrete guidance for daily life. They explain:
“Light” refers to Torah.
“Joy” refers to festivals.
“Gladness” refers to circumcision.
“Honor” refers to tefillin.
In other words, the true light in the world is found in Torah study; joy is expressed in the way we observe our festivals, with enthusiasm and anticipation; the gladness of a Jew is the covenant of brit milah, and honor is the laying of tefillin.
Joy, then, is not a fleeting pleasure that fades as quickly as it appears. Real joy connects us to something eternal. It is grounded in simple, practical actions: mitzvot and good deeds that anchor us in purpose.
During the month of Adar, you are invited to cultivate this mindset and consciously add authentic joy to your life.
Seeing What Is Hidden
Shabbat at my parents’ home in Herzliya. On Shabbat morning, Rabbi Yehuda Botman of the Oneg Shabbat shul shared a thought that stayed with me.
“I want to speak about three hidden presences,” he began. “The first is Moshe Rabbeinu. He does not appear in Parshat Tetzaveh, which we just read. It is the only portion, from the time he is born until his passing, in which his name is absent. On the surface, it seems as if the Torah erases him, diminishes him. But in truth, he is more present than ever. The reason for his absence is that after the sin of the Golden Calf, when the Jewish people faced destruction, Moshe was willing to be erased from the Torah entirely for their sake. His absence is a reminder of his immense love for us.
“The second hidden presence is G-d. In Megillat Esther, which we will read on Purim next week, G-d’s name does not appear even once. At first glance, He seems entirely absent from the story. But if one looks more deeply, He is the central figure, the director. He guides the unfolding events of the Megillah, weaving together all the twists and seemingly unrelated details into a story of meaning and salvation.
“The third hidden presence is our unity. On the surface, especially these days, we appear deeply divided. A few days ago, I was sitting next to a young man in a doctor’s waiting room. From the slogans on his T-shirt, it was clear what he thought about people like me… But then we began to talk, and we found it hard to stop. The sense of brotherhood between us may seem hidden, but only on the surface. It is there. We simply have to look more closely.”
May we merit to invest the effort to peel away the outer layers, and see all that is hidden from our eyes.
Building Our Castle
Parshat Tetzaveh is filled with mitzvot and practical instructions, details that can sometimes feel technical and demanding. I once heard a story that changes the way you read those details.
It was a hot day in a quarry. Three workers were hewing stones with heavy hammers.
“What are you doing?” someone asked the first.
“I’m cutting stones,” he replied, simply describing the task in front of him.
“And you?” they asked the second.
“I’m earning a living,” he answered. He saw the purpose: providing for his needs.
Then they turned to the third worker. “What are you doing?”
He looked up, his eyes shining. “I’m building a palace.”
All three were right. But the third understood the larger picture, the meaning behind the effort. He saw how every small action, every detail of daily work, becomes part of something far greater. In the end, the little things we do are what build a palace.