Finding Joy in Adar
By Chaim Barzel “…in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, pur—which means “the lot”—was cast before Haman concerning every day and every month, [until it fell on] the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar.” (Esther 3:7) This verse in the Book of Esther is the...
The Fast of Esther
Jews around the world fast from sunrise to sunset on the 13th of Adar. This fast day, called the Fast of Esther, is held just before the holiday of Purim. It is considered a minor fast and is more lenient in its observance, particularly when it comes to pregnant...
The Month of Adar: Turning Darkness into Light
The Bible does not name the Hebrew months, but declares that the month containing the holiday of Passover, the month we refer to as Nisan, is the first month. The month preceding Nisan is Adar, and therefore, according to the Biblical manner of counting months, it is...
Why We Read About the Silver Half-Shekel Before the Month of Adar
Shabbat Shekalim is the last Shabbat preceding the beginning of the Hebrew month of Adar*, or the 1st of Adar itself if the month begins on Shabbat. In synagogues, the Torah portion describing the bringing of the silver half-shekel is read (Exodus 30:11-16) in...
The Holy Half-Shekel
In the beginning of the Torah portion of Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35), God commands the Children of Israel to take a census by collecting a silver half-shekel from every male over the age of 20. What is the meaning of half shekel in the Bible? The half shekel is a...Related Content
The Portion of Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35)
The Portion of Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10)
Why We Read About the Silver Half-Shekel Before the Month of Adar
The Incense Altar: Linking the Physical and the Spiritual
Haftarah - Golda’s $50 Million Fundraiser in the Spirit of the Half-Shekel
![Michelangelo's iconic sculpture of Moses. [Photo: Jörg Bittner Unna / Wiki Commons]](https://theisraelbible.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Moses_by_Michelangelo.jpg)
