The Jewish month of Adar began last Friday, Feb. 20. Known as a month of celebration and happiness, Adar contains the joyous holiday of Purim that takes place mid-month. Purim, however, isn\u2019t the only thing that makes Adar special.<\/p>\n
The Talmud tells us that \u201cwhen the month of Adar arrives, we increase in joy\u201d to welcome a season of miracles. Accordingly, the Talmud tells us that this month is fortuitous for the Jewish people.<\/p>\n
The Hebrew name Adar<\/em> is related to the word adir<\/em>, which denotes strength and power. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, points out that the term adir is used to refer to the Jewish people. What could be more apropos for the month when the Jewish people\u2019s fortunes are strong?<\/p>\n Adar is the only month in the Jewish calendar that comes back for seconds. The Jewish leap year, or shanah me\u2019uberet<\/em> (literally pregnant year in Hebrew), occurs approximately once every three years. In order to assure that the lunar months of the Jewish year stay in sync with the solar calendar, an additional month of Adar is added. In a leap year, Purim is celebrated in the second Adar.<\/p>\n\n