Adar is the sixth month of the Hebrew calendar. In seven out of every 19 years, a second month of Adar is added in order to keep the agricultural cycle of the Jewish lunar calendar synchronized with the solar year. The rabbis taught that one rejoices when the month of Adar begins.
Notable Sources
All Sources
A
A Time of RejoicingTALMUD
A Time of Rejoicing
TALMUD
The Jewish month of Adar, when the holiday of Purim falls, is a time of increased joy and good fortune. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Ta'anit notes the special status of Adar and suggests different ways to take advantage of the good fortune that the month is sure to bring.
What Happens in Adar?MISHNAH
What Happens in Adar?
MISHNAH
The month of Adar contains both the celebratory holiday of Purim and preparation for the coming of spring. Tractate Shekalim of the Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law, from the early third-century land of Israel, outlines the various activities and obligations that are associated with this month.
The Doubled MonthHALAKHAH
The Doubled Month
HALAKHAH
Because the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, every several years a second month of Adar is added to the calendar as a leap month in order to realign the lunar year with the solar one. Rambam, in his comprehensive 12th-century legal code, Mishneh Torah, explains why it is Adar specifically that is doubled.
Mystical Meanings in the SkyKABBALAH
Mystical Meanings in the Sky
KABBALAH
According to the Jewish mystical tradition, the months of the year are each associated with letters, parts of the body, and zodiac signs, which are part of a complex web that is the created world. Sefer Yetzirah, the earliest work of Jewish mysticism, explains the constellations and letters associated with the month of Adar.
The Casting of LotsMIDRASH
The Casting of Lots
MIDRASH
Purim, the Jewish holiday that takes place in the month of Adar, celebrates the Jews' victory on the day that the villainous Haman sought to destroy them. Esther Rabbah, a work of midrash on the biblical book of Esther, describes the lottery process through which Haman chose that date.
Etymology of AdarREFERENCE
Etymology of Adar
REFERENCE
The names for the months of the Jewish calendar come from other ancient Semitic languages. Ernest Klein's dictionary explores the Akkadian roots of the name "Adar," offering several possible meanings of the word.
Four Special Torah ReadingsHALAKHAH
Four Special Torah Readings
HALAKHAH
Each Shabbat during the month of Adar, synagogues add a selection from the Torah to read aloud in addition to the regular weekly Torah portion. Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Sperling's 20th-century work, Ta'amei HaMinhagim Umekorei HaDinim, explains the significance of each of the readings and its place in the Jewish calendar.
Purim's Joyful TraditionsTANAKH
Purim's Joyful Traditions
TANAKH
Purim, the major holiday celebrated during the month of Adar, commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people from a plot to annihilate them. The biblical book of Esther describes the establishment of the Purim holiday, including the celebratory practices associated with the day.
Celebrating "Little Purim"HALAKHAH
Celebrating "Little Purim"
HALAKHAH
In a leap year, when the Jewish calendar contains two months of Adar, Purim is celebrated on the 14th or 15th day of the second month, but those dates during the first Adar have ritual significance as well. Rabbi Joseph Karo, in his authoritative 16th-century legal code, the Shulchan Arukh, explains the practices and prohibitions observed on the 14th and 15th of Adar I, also known as "Little Purim."
Collective Prayer and Unity on the Fast of EstherMUSAR
Collective Prayer and Unity on the Fast of Esther
MUSAR
The Fast of Esther is observed during the month of Adar, immediately before the holiday of Purim, commemorating the Jews' collective prayer during the Purim story. Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kaidanover, in his 18th-century work of Jewish ethics, Kav HaYashar, underscores the significance of this day as a time for communal repentance and supplication.
Purim Inside and Outside the City WallsCOMMENTARY
Purim Inside and Outside the City Walls
COMMENTARY
The Jewish holiday of Purim, celebrated during the month of Adar, is observed on different days depending on whether or not one lives in a city that was surrounded by a wall in biblical times. Ralbag, in his 14th-century commentary on the book of Esther, explains how the events of the biblical Purim story led to the establishment of this practice.
Triple PurimHALAKHAH
Triple Purim
HALAKHAH
The 15th of Adar, during which Purim is usually celebrated in walled cities, can occasionally fall on Shabbat, and when it does, most of the traditions of Purim are pushed off to the following day. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, in his contemporary presentation of Jewish law, Peninei Halakhah, explains this calendrical oddity that results in Purim celebrations spread over a three day period.
The Day of NikanorSECOND TEMPLE
The Day of Nikanor
SECOND TEMPLE
The thirteenth of Adar is known as the Day of Nikanor and marks the victory of the Jewish Hasmoneans over a Greek general. Megillat Ta'anit, an ancient Jewish chronicle, lists this day among other celebratory days when fasting and other mourning practices are prohibited.
Moses's Birth and Death DayTALMUD
Moses's Birth and Death Day
TALMUD
According to the rabbinic tradition, the seventh day of Adar is both the birth and death day of the biblical Moses. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Kiddushin explains how the rabbinic sages calculated this date from the biblical verses that describe the period surrounding his death.
Purim in a Leap YearTALMUD
Purim in a Leap Year
TALMUD
Every few years, the Jewish calendar adds an extra month of Adar, known as a "leap month." The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Megillah recounts a debate about whether, during such a year, Purim should be celebrated in the first Adar, adjacent to the previous month of Shevat, or during the second Adar, adjacent to the following month, Nisan.
The Mystical Power of the Leap MonthCHASIDUT
The Mystical Power of the Leap Month
CHASIDUT
In the Jewish mystical tradition, the additional month of Adar observed in leap years holds unique spiritual power. Rabbi Tzvi Elimelekh Shapira of Dinov, in his 19th-century Chasidic work Bnei Yissaschar, argues that the leap month offers immunity from the influence of magic and witchcraft and connects this mystical notion with the plot of the Purim story.
Observing a Yahrzeit in a Leap YearRESPONSA
Observing a Yahrzeit in a Leap Year
RESPONSA
When a yahrzeit, or the anniversary of a death, falls in the month of Adar during a leap year, legal authorities rule differently about which commemorative practices should be observed during the first and second months of Adar. Rabbi Yitzchak Nissim, a 20th-century Sephardic chief rabbi of the state of Israel, offers his own legal ruling on the question.