From last year with some add ons...

please excuse all the colors- for some reason the computer refuses to do this all in one color - must be something in the Adar air...

concepts taken from Rabbi Kalish- Purim 2017;

In Adar we are told to be marbim b'simcha (Increased happiness)... Since there is no measurement - it must mean unlimited simcha (happiness/joy)... because of the amazing miracles.  How do we have joy with no bounds??

And, why only in Adar? Nisan and Kislev had awesome nissim (miracles)too- why not marbim b'simcha in those months??

Furthermore, what is Taanis Esther all about (Esther actually fasted in Nissan)- all the other fasts are due to the  terrible outcomes....so it makes sense to fast when there was a terrible tragedy that took place, but we were saved with Esther!

Last year we learned a concept- that when we give over Torah in the name of who we learned it from, we bring a spark of geulah to the world (Rabbi Shwartz- Inner Redemption).

In the megilah we see this concept.  The geulah came from Esther saving Achashveirosh- in the name of Mordechai.  Why does this concept bring the geulah?

There's also a recommendation to send a shaloch manos through a shaliach- messenger- why?  to trace it back to the shaliach- discover the hidden...(Matanos l'evyonim also hidden)

In the megilah we don't see Hashem's name- it's HIDDEN!

The yesod (foundation) of the simcha of Adar is the nistar- the hiddeness of Hashem REVEALED..the idea is to discover Hashem- to see all the things we think as bad and find Hashem in them.

If someone can trace everything back to Hashem it is limitless joy- one long life of uninterrupted joy. (no gevul- kulo simcha)- It means one has discovered Hashem.   

Hashem seemed to be hiding in the story of Esther, but we found Him.  

Taanis Esther is based on the yesod of tefilah; we got everything we asked for because we turned to Hashem!  The difference between Yom Kippur and Purim is that we search for and find Hashem from a place of love on Purim (not fear-Rabbi Nivin). It all came from tefilah- returning to Hashem.  

This taanis is actually part of the celebration- it's a yom simcha- discovery of Hashem and this joy explodes into the day of Purim -the joy of Purim.


To have a simcha of ain lo gvul  (no boundaries) is to trace it all back to Hashem- this is the avodah of this month. 

Practical Step: Search the hidden- look for the love He has for us- what looks good or bad, know it is customized for our unique relationship with Him- find Hashem underneath it all and then thank our Borei (creator) = true unbound simcha.

**Jordana Baruchov discusses the concept of ahava that flows between us and Hashem in her Purim shiur yesterday.  If you would like to hear it, email our amazing administrator, Shira at geulafromwithin@gmail.com.  We can ask ourselves "How does what I'm doing bring love to Hashem..."