The Spiritual Light of Purim: How Joy in Adar Brings Miracles All Year

Our Sages teach, “When Adar enters, we increase in joy,” and there is a special mitzvah to rejoice on Purim, as it is written in Megillat Esther, “to make them days of feasting and joy.”

On Purim there was a renewed acceptance of the Torah, as it says, “The Jews fulfilled and accepted upon themselves and upon their descendants.” Unlike the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, which was described as if the mountain was held over them, on Purim the acceptance of the Torah was out of love. Therefore Purim is a day of great holiness, representing accepting the Torah with love.

The mitzvah of joy on Purim comes both from the miracle of salvation and from this loving acceptance of the Torah. Another reason for the extraordinary joy of Purim, even more than other miracles in Jewish history, is the transformation described in the Megillah: “the month which was turned for them from sorrow to joy.” The author of Chemdat Yamim explains that despite the natural order and astrological signs that predicted downfall and destruction for the Jewish people, everything was reversed and blessings arrived in abundance. This reversal overturned the power of fate itself, which is why Mordechai and his court established Purim as days of feasting and joy, greater even than Chanukah and other miracles, because it was a miracle within a miracle.

Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apt, in his work Ohev Yisrael , writes that the essence of joy comes from transformation, from one state turning into its opposite. The great miracle of Purim is the “venahafoch hu,” when everything was reversed and joy spread throughout all the worlds.

Purim: A Revelation of Blessing, Holiness, and Miraculous Light

Through the mitzvot of Purim we receive a special spiritual illumination. The greater our joy in accepting Torah, mitzvot, and the sovereignty of Heaven, the greater the heavenly light that shines upon us.

The Sfat Emet explains that through the mitzvot of Purim the days themselves become days of feasting, revealing an abundance of holiness and the light of miracles. The generation of the Purim story transformed potential into reality, turning the day itself into one of joy for the sake of Heaven. A mitzvah accepted with joy continues to be performed with joy in every generation. Likewise today, the more we embrace these days with joy in the service of the Creator, the more their spiritual light shines.

How to Attain True Purim Joy

The book Chemdat Yamim offers guidance on how to achieve genuine joy on Purim. One should reflect on the kindness, miracles, and wonders that Hashem performed for us, thanking and praising Him for saving us from destruction. It is appropriate to eat and drink more than usual out of respect for the day, to bring happiness to one’s family, to avoid arguments, and to rejoice with a holy joy rather than reckless behavior.

He writes that after the evening prayer one should return home in peace, joyful and gladhearted, and conduct oneself at home as on a festival, with candles lit like on Shabbat and Yom Tov as a sign of increased joy. A person should recognize the great kindness Hashem showed even though we were not deserving, and rejoice in His salvation with sincere gratitude and awareness.

True Purim joy should be a mitzvah joy, carried out with clarity and proper intention, not through foolishness or excess. One should honor the day, increase harmony within the home, and maintain peace throughout.

The Month of Adar: Drawing Down Joy and Miracles

Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apt reveals that the word “besimchah” (with joy) has the same numerical value as “shanah” (year), both equaling 355. This hints that one who increases joy during Adar merits joy throughout the entire year. The joy awakened during this month draws down happiness for all the months that follow.

He further teaches that by remembering the great miracles Hashem performed for us, we awaken the same spiritual illumination that existed at the time of the original miracle. The days of Purim are remembered and renewed in every generation. Through sincere gratitude and heartfelt praise to the Creator, we awaken a higher source of blessing that brings goodness, joy, and miracles into our lives.

This is the deeper meaning of the teaching, “When Adar enters, we increase in joy.” Just as miracles were awakened for our ancestors in those days, so too they can be awakened for us in every generation.