Modern Masters - Chodesh Adar: Let The Good Times Role | Rabbi Sam Shor | February 19th 2026

Everybody good afternoon. So our learning today just have ask everyone to please have in mind that our learning today should be in the of an ali for Ben Yehuda our dear uncle Mr. Barry Garfield of memory. So, and um not only that we should have his in mind, but of course we send continued wishes on the to his daughter, our cousin Joanna and her husband Mark and their amazing amazing children. Um and all of them Joanna, Mark, and all the children. They all emulate their father and grandfather's incredible midos and dedication to Israel. So we wish them continued and we wish the a continued aliyah. Okay. And um of course we know is a time where we on the calendar where we focus on increasing our joy and we know where that comes. when it comes to the the the gamarra and the end of where we learn that just as when we enter the month of Av we decrease our joy when the month of Adar begins so too we increase our joy and that's the primary you know the primary text this idea of being but I also want to look at the very first Mishna you take a look at text number two on our sheets the very first Mishna tells us that the migill can be read as early as the 11th of the month of Adar, the 12th of the month of Adar, the 13th of Adar, the 14th of Adar, which is what? >> Regular Pum and the 15th of Adar, which is Pum. Okay? And not earlier than the 11th and not later than the 15th. And then the Misha begin to spell out as does the Gamarra the various scenarios in terms of when someone would be able to read the migill as early as the 11th of Adar and when someone would read the migillah as late as the 15th. Okay. And we know that the ultimately who reads them go on the on the 15th those that were in walled cities from the time of Yoshua Benoon like us and you here in not a walled city >> from the time of Yeshua was a walled city. Okay. Oh no, actually was because Yeshua entered into came came to came to us wasn't built yet. But we know that also is a walled city. Okay. And therefore it's a did for Jerusalem. And then any of the other cities across Israel that were walled from the time of Yeshua Benoon. Okay. For example, Uria would be an example or or according to some opinions, Tavaria. According to some opinions, according to some opinions okay so there are different opinions but basically today prim who celebrates primarily us here in okay so that's the 15th everyone else usually celebrates on the 14th so one of the scenarios where you could where you could c read migilla earlier than the 14th would be if you were in a a villager in a small village okay and you didn't have either a minion in your village or a capable balore, someone who's capable to read the migilla or a kosher mcgill scroll. So what did you do in such a scenario? So the villagers, okay, twice a week the villagers would come into the bigger cities, okay, in order to do commerce, okay, that what we call the yakisa. That would be Mondays and Thursdays, okay? Monday is because Sunday you need a day to harvest all your crops after resting on Shabas. So Sunday they would gather everything, prepare everything for market. Then they would come into market on Monday. Okay? Then they go back at to their homes at the end of the day on Monday. They needed a break because they worked so hard on Sunday and Monday to get everything ready for market and they worked in the market the whole day. So they needed an extra day on Tuesday to just relax. Wednesday they prepared again to bring everything back to the marketplace and on Thursday they would be able to share their sell their wares and their commerce once again in the market. What other halak do we learn by the way from this concept of yeakis having these two days commerce days on Monday and Thursday these same villagers that didn't might might not have had a minion or might not have had a kosher mcgillis girl or cable balor the same hak applies to what to safer Torah okay if they didn't have a minion in their town okay to be able to gather on shabas morning to lame from the Torah and hear the Torah be read or they didn't might not have had a kosher say for Torah in their village or they might not have had a capable valk in their village. For any of those reasons, it was established that what they would begin to read the Torah on both Monday and Thursdays for the villagers that would come in on those yay kisa on those days of commerce. And by the way, this practice continues when we lame them the uh from from a safer Torah every Monday morning and every Thursday morning as well as Shabas morning. Okay. So, we're going to come back to this idea of the Amayakisa and and PE the migilla being read as early as the 11th, meaning if uh if the 11th happens to be a Monday or a Thursday, so the villagers could come and hear the migilla on that day. But we're going to come back to this this this this these scenarios in just a few moments. Now, I want to just take a quick a quick word of introduction. We're gonna learn from the theora. Okay. And take a look at text number three. The rabbi of said that taught about our about our gam that when begins we increase our joy. What is this about? This is meant to teach us the idea of educating ourselves, preparing ourselves. Why? We have to prepare ourselves a little bit at a time. Pim requires says the work utter, okay, to be in a a state of of joyous euphoria. And in order to get to that mental emotional state that we need to be on on that takes what? Preparation. And we're going to come back to this idea in a few moments as well. But the Rabbi tells us that why does our joy begin already when we begin the month of Ad Pum? Because to get to the state of spiritual sim and joy and euphoria that we need to be at on PUM, that takes work. That takes requires hakana. Okay. Do you need a source sheet? Is that what you were looking for? >> Sorry. >> No worries. That's why I want you to be able to follow. Okay. All right. So, now if you take turn your sheet over, turn your sheet over. We're now going to learn three short ideas about from the Rebi of Amav. This is text number three on your sheets or four on your sheets. Okay. and says the he's going to quote the first of the okay listen to this idea says the joy is totally spiritual and emotional sadness but sadness can be what? Biochemical. Okay. Simka is totally emotional, purely purely spiritual and emotional. Joy is something that's spiritual, emotional. Well, sadness when a Jew person experiences sadness often that comes from a space of what? Biochemical called depression even right. What what is our task on? PM is all about what? Putting mind over matter. We have to allow our emotions to what? To overcome whatever spir emotions and our spiritual um euphoria and and aestheticism to overcome what? Whatever sadness we might be experiencing bio biochemically. And this is not something that can be achieved simply in one at one time. That's why when the month of Adar begins, we need to already begin to increase our joy. We need to work up echoing what we just learned from the Reba, right? We have to work up, okay? Begin. It's a process to get to the state of euphoria we're meant to be on on PUM. We need to really work at it. So now the rebu continues it doesn't say doesn't say you shall rejoice okay in that you have to be happy rather it says what you have to increase your joy joy is increased during this month why because a Jew really has to be work to be all year long tells us right we have to serve Hashem with joy. Okay. And without the capacity to experience joy throughout the entire year. What we we be broken fall into utter depression and we give up hope and we lose any sense of existence. And therefore during this month of we simply have to increase our joy. All year long we have to work to be happy. All year long we have to work to serve Hashem with li. Okay. But in other others we have to work even harder. We have to bring even more joy into the world. And now he brings us a step further. We could even say further. Okay, that the the idea of being increasing your joy is not a ruling. Okay, it's not a you have to increase your joy. What is the what is the what is the interpretation? What is the meaning that when the month this time of year comes around in the heavens there's a an increase of joy. Okay. And from the heavens there's great joy that is projected into our existence from above. Okay. There's a bestowance of tremendous sim that comes into this world during the month of Adar from the he projected down from the heavens. And we're going to build on this idea in in just a moment. We're now going to learn just a short very short teaching from the deaf the grandson of this is text number five. Okay. How do we understand this idea of when begins? So he says the word adarf the word adar the the word for the name of the month of is comprised of the letters alf and dal and alf represents okay the great oneness okay and dar is the word of which means a dwelling place right it's a bringing together of two divine attributes, two divine aspects. There's what we call and it's what we call theina, which is the the the presence of God. The bar is God in transcendence. A God that's beyond our comprehension and beyond our our our our realm. And the idea of the schina is what? That God's presence exists here and dwells here in our in our reality. There's transcendent god and there's imminent god. Okay. So adar says the deaf is a unification of both of these ideas. It's a the ultimate unity the highest unity that we can experience the highest unity of consciousness that we could experience. And when that happens he continues as marvi that's that represents an increase of our joy. Why? So when because when this happens when this higher unity is sensed here within our lived experience then what happens then all the separations of polar opposites okay soften and cease to exist okay and our joy increases why because all of the are sweetened all the judgments are sweetened okay during this month of there's something metaphysical that happens says the deaf There's a unification of both these divine attributes says them which brings together a heightened spiritual consciousness for every single one of us that's looking for that experience and that is what is the meaning of our of our teaching because when there's that unification going on then there's a spirituality there's a metaphysical um bestowance of sweetness of softening of judgment and that becomes the source of our increased joy. Everyone with me so far? Okay. So now we're going to learn a very very powerful piece for the psy inhes which okay just for those of us that are not familiar with the psy I think everyone here is if you've ever learned with me you've heard me quote him numerous numerous times. This particular safer um of each kodesh are really a collection of notes of the various clandestine sharim um to leot lectures sermons dashot that the rabbi piaetsna gave during the three last kamat last three years of his life when he was incarcerated in the wars ghetto where he was one of the last remaining rabbitic personalities ministering to the Jews in the ducts of hell in the wars ghetto. And one of the most v most powerful pieces that that survived that this that this collection that was published postumously of his of the notes from his various talks during those three years is uh a a very short drussa or at least what remains what we have from that drussa is this very short two paragraphs about prim. Can you imagine a more difficult speaking engagement for a rabbi than prim in the wars ghetto? What do you say to Jews on this day that's all about spiritual joy and euphoria that we just spoke about? Okay. To Jews living in the depths of hell in the war. So we're going to learn this very short powerful piece together. This is text number six on the bottom here. And he says he begins by pointing to a text that we mentioned a little bit last week. Those of us learned together with us last week. It begins. We learn in the holy work that the name okay really in the Torah is called what? Yum kipurim. Okay. And that pur is somehow connected to yum kipper. Therefore, why? Because yum kipper is a day. It's a yum kipurim. It's a day that's like purim. And that's true. Says the rabbi. He says if that's true then let's talk about for a minute. Okay. If a person fasts and does it's not he doesn't necessarily do it because he he he wants to. I don't think anybody wakes up on morning says I'm so excited to fast this day. Okay. Okay. Why do we do it? Whether he wants to or not he does it. Why? He does it. He fulfills it. He fulfills this fast. And why? Because it's the will of God. Hashem has decreed that it should be so. Okay. So listen what the Rebi says. Okay. If PM is like Yamiper and the parallels and if we fast on Yamiper whether we really want to or not, we do so because Hashem is willed and decreed that we're supposed to fast on this day. So too, Hashem has decreed and willed what that we're supposed to be happy on this day of PM. Not only if a person is in a sit circumstance, a situation where it's where it's easy for him to be happy is he required to to to rejoice. Even if he's depressed and brokenhearted, okay, his spir his spirit is his emotions and spirit have completely been crushed. Okay, it's a mystical uh an inexplic inexplicable principle. Okay, that he has to find some allow some spark of of joy to enter into his heart on this day of purum. Okay, now listen to what the Rebi takes us a little step further. So too from above projected down to us below. O the famous gumar and yuma that said the rebi and the gumar says that even if that the very essence of the day of yipper brings atonement and that even if we haven't fully done shuva the essence of the day itself brings atonement to the Jew okay he says so too okay okay soim Even if a Jew, okay, can't truly rejoice like we're really meant to be happy. We we find ourselves in circumstances that seem impossible for us to find any sense of joy as we're meant to be. And therefore all of his the the aod all the various mitzvah we're supposed to do on pum okay we can't really do them completely like think about this where is he saying these words okay >> in the ghetto think about what was shas in the war ghetto okay we go crazy say people go out and they buy the fanciest baskets in the world what was shas in the war ghetto a a a moldy crust of bread and a and and a rotten onion what was what was what was the that they sent. Okay. despite me come says the rabbi okay the sal joy and salvation that pur brings the Jewish people even now metaphysically that's descending into the world and therefore no matter what our circumstances are a Jew has to always believe we'll take questions at the end because I just want to get through a lot of >> mater at the end. Okay. Okay. Okay. No matter what our circumstances are, no matter what our circumstances are, say the Rebi, a Jew has to always believe Yeshua that Hashem can bring salvation in the blink of an eye. And if we're able to put our full trust in the rebon even in the most difficult circumstances then even those difficult circumstances what we can find both comfort and even a spark even a spark of joy. Okay. As the Rebi says to allow even a one spark of joy to enter into our hearts. Okay. So we're going to build all this a little bit further. We're now now going to learn from the shalomi. There's the left column and we're just we're not going to learn all this. We'll learn maybe two paragraphs from it. And the says this is the whole idea of that when the month of begins we increase our joy. What's the what's the value of that? What's true? That a Jew finds what? Happiness in his lot. Okay. And that is what that he finds himself comfortable and with with whatever Hashem has orchestrated for his life and he comes to recognize that whatever Hashem has brought my way, there's an ultimate goodness that comes from it. Okay? Whether it's difficult for me to grasp that or not, whether I'm going through a a difficult moment in my life, a Jew has to be able to take a step back and say what I don't understand why, but ultimately we know and fully believe that what everything orchestrates, there's ultimate good that's going to come from it. Okay? And that's our that's our perspective. This is the idea of what? Blessed is the is the one who puts their full faith in Hashem. But sorry that even when we feel that Hashem is there with us in our painful moments, okay, he he what happens? His heart comes to rely and put their full trust in and Hashem will indeed be there and see us through. And this is the work the purpose of these days of and the a Jew has to really allow to take root in his heart this full full trust in that even in the story of Perm itself, okay, where the the the decree was already sealed, okay? Sealed by the melik, by the way, the garra tells us that anytime the word hamelik in the mill appears and it doesn't follow the word afterwards, who's the mel it's talking about? Talking about Hashem. So if the gazerro was already sealed by the mel okay by the the insignia of the mel it doesn't say it says the mel who's the mel meaning there was a decree that was initially given against the Jewish people that was already sealed in shamim okay so all so where else do we see that expression of kativa and rashipper right so perm is the parallels we said earlier So perm whatever has already been sealed on yam kipper. Okay. There's a day where what there's one day a year where we can even overturn that what's already be seal been sealed by the decree of the meaning just as steadfast in his total trust in that he wouldn't bow down to Hmon. Okay. And they were able to what? Change the decree and everything that was decreed for the Jewish people to be destroyed. Okay. Was turned on its heels and instead their enemies were destroyed. Okay. That's the idea of this month of when the be when the month of Adar begins our joy increases. It's the joy that comes okay the through the through the um through the emotional security and knowing that what that whatever Hashem has planned for us there's ultimate good that's going to come from it. So that's the first idea. Now I'm going to just skip to the last paragraph here. And now let's explain this idea further. What does it really mean that when the month of begins we increase our joy? We don't see this idea for before PES. Okay. That before P we we stop eating from we stop eating. No. Okay. We don't have any of this idea of of having two full weeks, okay, to prepare before. So what's what's this idea? >> I say yes, I said the P word, the other P word perms. Okay, but everyone had palpitations, but >> what we're so but but there's no mandate to do that. There's no mandate to do that. Okay. Ravi by the way maybe next week we'll give the sh maybe after per we'll wait to give the shavier is a a a chuva where he says how to clean your house in less than 24 hours and he begins the chuva by saying the following sentence okay dirt is not let's just go on okay so and the explanation of this idea okay of that when the month of begins we increase Troy we don't relate to any other that the idea of that begins already from now listen to what he says he's going to quote the great master we learn from the holy master the rebi of may his merit be bestowed upon usa mak This idea we mentioned last week, right? That perm is even greater than because why? If yipper is called a yipur, it must mean that what says the rabbi vision. It must mean what? That the lesser one of yamipper is being compared to what? The greater Yamto of Purim. Yipurim chuva. Okay. And just as yum kipper has what the 10 days that the period the nine days leading up to yam kipper. Okay. Yam kipper is the 10th day. The nine days to prepare us for yam kiper. Kisha came. And if pum therefore is even greater than yam kiper then kosh even more so then before p we need 10 days of preparation also. Okay. So what are those 10 days? This is the idea that what that the begins already from the beginning of the month of why because the revelations of that that of salvation as the talked about in the last piece that come down into the world that's already starting to descend as early as the 11th of Adar. Now where does he get this idea from? Let's go back to the the Mishna that we learned the very first Mishna in Megill as we learned from the holy master the Rebi of Kajnit. Okay, the M of Kajnit okay and explaining our first Mishna the first that the migill could be read as early as the 11th or the 12th or the third. Right? How do we understand this? Listen to what the said. that are already beginning on the 11th of Adar. The revelations of salvation that come to the world on PM are already starting to descend from the heavenly realms and the migill is already being read so to speak in the heavens as early as the 11th of Okay. And therefore to prepare us to be able to receive those blessings that are coming down as early as the 11th of of there are 10 days of joy as we learned in the beginning the very first prim from from from the and we learned also from the reb that to get to the spiritual state of euphoria that we need to be on on it takes so that's exactly what this idea of is all out says the Rebi of Rejin that to get to that state of where we need to be on the on the on on the awesome Y of a Purum which is even greater than Yam Kipper that just as Yam Kipper has the n the nine days that preceded the 10 days of chuva so too the awesome even more so the a needs time and preparation. And from those days, starting with Rashesh, we begin to prepare ourselves for the awesome blessings that are going to come down into the world, this world on Purim, as early as what the 11th of Adar. And we're just going to learn one last piece now from the Rebi, the aerebi to bring this all together. This is text number eight. the afterbi. Okay. The rabbi Aram Yoshua Hessel of APT. Okay. The great-grandfather of a of a modern-day rabbi that many of you may may have heard the name Rabbi Abraham Joshua Hashel. So this is Rabbi Abraham Joshua Hashel's great-grandfather the Rabbi. So text number eight he says Mima. What is the what does that expressim? What what does that meant to teach us? The word shim is equal numerical value to the word sh. So what's that? when begins that the the joy that a Jew begins to feel in the month of okay has to be the springboard to what to bringing that bringing further joy into the entire world it's to the entire year sorry not just the entire world but the entire year our entire and he says the idea of says the is what that from the euphoria that we experience during these days of the joy and euphoria that we experience during these days of we're meant to be mar okay the word bima equals in gamatra the word shaah so from adar it's supposed to be that spiritual boost of energy and excitement and and passion and fervor for Torah and for Yiddish and our relationship with Hashem and that joy that spiritual fervor and joy is meant to what be is meant to carry over into the rest of the shaah the rest of the year as well. my bra for all of us as we've entered as we've entered this awesome awesome period of the month of Adar that we take to heart all these beautiful ideas that indeed even though the world seems to be all kinds of crazy things brewing with okay with with a country that's familiar Persia okay with all these crazy things that we see brewing on the horizon that we should be able to take heart these beautiful ideas that this is a time of Yeshua of salvation coming into the world and that and joy coming into the world and that we have to these are also days where we have to put our full trust in the Shaam and recognize that whatever challenges lay ahead in the days ahead there's ultimate good that's going to come from it and in so doing we will be able to find that nitos of of that spark of of happiness even in difficult times that we're meant to experience during these days of adar and please God carry forth throughout the entire year to serve Hashem with always both today and always. Have a great Shabas.