Mystical Month of ADAR


1 Adar (Feb. 21-22) – Second day of ROSH CHODESH

4 Adar (Feb. 24-25) — Shabbat Terumah, Torah Reading: Ex. 25:1-27:19, Haftorah: Kings 5:26 -6:13

7 Adar (Feb. 28) — Yahrzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu

11 Adar (March 3-4) – Shabbat Tetsaveh, Zachor. Torah Reading: Ex. 27:20-30:10, Maftir “Zechor”: Deut. 25:17-19; Haftorah: Samuel I 15:2-34 (for Zechor: King Shaul’s war vs. Amelek, Haman’s ancestor) This Shabbat is called Shabbat Zachor. It is the Shabbat before Purim and it is a mitzvah in the Torah to: ‘Remember what Amalek did to you’ (Deut. 25). We are obligated to tell our children in each generation what the people of Amalek did to us during our departure from Egypt. Haman was a descendant of Amalek.

13 Adar (March 6) – The Fast of Esther

14 Adar (March 6 -7) — Purim !!

15 Adar (March 7-8) — Shushan Purim. The Jews of Shushan celebrated the festival on this day since they fought their enemies on the 13th and 14th of Adar. As a result, all cities that are known to have been walled cities at that time (like Shushan) celebrate Purim on the 15th of Adar. In the rest of Babylon the Jews waged war on their enemies on the 13th of Adar only and the festival is celebrated on the 14th.

18 Adar (March 10-11) — Shabbat Ki Tissa, Torah Reading: Ex. 30:11-34:35, Maftir Parah: Numbers 19:1-22; Haftorah:

25 Adar (March 17-18) — Shabbat VaYekahel/Pekudei, Shabbat Para,.Shabbat Chazak.
Torah Reading: Exodus 35:1-40:38; Maftir: Ex. 12:1-20, Haftorah: Ezekiel 36:16-18 (for Parah-“the Red Heifer”).This is also Shabbat Mevarchim (Blessing of the new month.) A blessing for the new month is recited in synagogues upon this occasion after the reading of the Haftorah before returning the Torah scroll to the Ark (except on the Shabbat before the month of Tishrei, which is also the Shabbat before Rosh Hashana when, the Baal Shem Tov teaches, G-d Himself blesses the month.