Community Magazine March 2016

22 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE The final letters of the words “ iroh velasorekah beni atono ” are heh , heh , yod , vav – the sequence of letters which represents the month of Adar. And it is thus here where the Torah alludes to this month. The question is obvious: what does this blessing to Yehuda have to do with Adar? The commentators explain that the phrase “ oseri lagefen iroh ” may be read to mean, “Wine for awakening is forbidden.” It is forbidden to rely on wine, on intoxication, for spiritual “awakening.” If a person must resort to wine or other stimulant agents to feel religious devotion, then he does not really feel religious devotion. His feeling is artificial. Our devotion to Gd must be real and authentic, not an emotion induced by alcohol. Ironically, then, Adar is specifically not about drinking. It is about authentic joy, the kind of joy that we do not need wine in order to experience. Yes, we drink on Purim as part of our celebration. But the special joy of Adar and of Purim has to be real and genuine. The Torah commands in the Book of Shemot (34:17), “ Eloheh masechah lo ta’aseh lach ” (literally, “Do not make for yourselves graven images as gods”). The word masechah means “mask,” and thus the Torah here warns against serving Gd with a “mask” – superficially, by temporarily becoming somebody other than our true selves, such as through intoxication. On Purim we drink to enhance our joy, not to induce our joy. Because when we induce joy through alcohol, this is not joy – it is a “mask,” an illusion of joy. Why do people become drunk? What leads people to knowingly bring themselves into a drunken stupor? The answer is clear: they want to escape. They have a problem, they find themselves in a very difficult or stressful situation, and so they run away from it by drinking. Rather than address the issue and try to improve the situation, they escape. The Mishna in Pirkeh Avot warns of three things that “ motzi’in et ha’adam min ha’olam – remove a person from this world.” They are jealousy, lust and honor. The plain meaning of the Mishna is that these things are harmful and destructive. On a deeper level, however, the Mishna is warning that these are ways through which people try to “leave the world,” to escape from the pressures and disappointments of life. They pursue money and prestige, and indulge in pleasures, in order to experience joy. But true joy is not achieved by escaping from life. We experience joy by working to grow and improve, one step at a time. Joy does not come easily, by drinking a few shots of whiskey. It comes through hard work, which leads us to real satisfaction. This is the kind of joy we are to experience throughout the year, and especially during Adar. Joy Through Gratitude The theme of Adar is also alluded to in the Nishmat prayer, which we recite each week, on Shabbat morning. In this prayer, we speak about our immeasurable debt of gratitude to Gd for all His has done to us. We emphasize all the blessings Gd bestows upon us that we take for granted Fixtures Faucets Hardware accessories 1663 coney island avenue Brooklyn NY 11230 Monday–wednesday 9am–5:30pm thursday 9am–7pm sunday 11am–5pm Valet Parking appointments welcome 718.787.1000 www.homeandstone.com Home & stone Dedicated in memory of the pure neshamot of the Sassoon children