Rosh Chodesh Adar arrives like a whisper in the dark. The moon is hidden, the sky is quiet, and yet our tradition teaches something bold and almost rebellious: “When Adar begins, joy increases.” Not when everything is perfect. Not when the moon is full. Not when certainty returns.

Purim is often introduced with humor. “They tried to kill us. We survived. Let’s eat.” And while the joke lands, it also hides something profound. Beneath the costumes, the feasting, and the joy, Purim carries a set of questions that are far more unsettling than celebratory. Questions about redemption. About exile. About what it means to live a full Jewish life when nothing externally changes.

A Lech-Lecha reflection on Parashat Vayishlach: Jacob’s wilderness transformation, true teshuva, and how nature opens the soul. Join our community treks and learning.