From Gallows to Glory: The Radical Reversal of Adar

In Jewish communities around the world this week, a subtle yet powerful shift occurs as the Hebrew month of Adar begins. Walking through Jerusalem’s narrow streets, you might notice a lightness in people’s steps, more frequent smiles, and a tangible sense of anticipation. This isn’t coincidental. The Jewish sages instructed: “When Adar begins, we increase our joy” – a teaching that has sustained the Jewish people through millennia of challenges.

But what makes Adar so uniquely associated with happiness?

The Jewish calendar contains several joyous festivals. During Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), for example, the Bible explicitly commands celebration:

Other holidays similarly emphasize gladness and thanksgiving.

Yet Adar stands apart. Unlike holiday-specific celebrations, Adar transforms an entire month into a season of increasing joy. This distinction isn’t arbitrary but rooted in the remarkable story of Purim, which occurs mid-Adar.

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, a prominent Orthodox authority, explains that Adar’s unique quality of joy lies in its power of transformation. Just as the month of Av (when both Holy Temples were destroyed) is naturally inclined toward calamity, Adar possesses an inherent capacity to convert negative to positive.

“Ordinary joy celebrates the good that exists in the world,” Rabbi Melamed teaches, “but such happiness remains incomplete because evil and suffering still persist. However, when even evil transforms into good, joy becomes abundant and complete.”

This principle manifests perfectly in the Purim narrative. What began as a genocidal plot against the Jewish people dramatically reversed into salvation and victory. Haman’s gallows became the instrument of his own demise, while Mordechai rose from sackcloth to royal garments.

Adar teaches us that authentic joy isn’t merely the absence of trouble but the profound recognition that even our darkest moments contain seeds of transformation. In this understanding, what appears as misfortune can ultimately reveal itself as blessing.

In our polarized world, Adar’s message transcends boundaries. Whether facing personal struggles or societal divisions, we’re reminded that no situation is beyond redemption. The same God who turned mourning into dancing for Queen Esther’s people continues to work in human history.

As Jews worldwide embrace simcha (joy) this Adar, they demonstrate a countercultural truth: joy isn’t dependent on perfect circumstances but on faith in ultimate transformation. By choosing to increase our joy even before circumstances change, we participate in the divine work of redemption.

The next time you face seemingly insurmountable challenges, remember Adar’s wisdom: the story isn’t over. What begins in threat may conclude in triumph. As we cultivate the spiritual discipline of joy, we create space for unexpected reversals – turning what was meant for harm into pathways of blessing.

The promise of reversal embedded in Adar feels particularly poignant this year. As Israel continues its difficult war with Hamas after 16 months of conflict, as antisemitism surges worldwide to alarming levels, and as over 50 hostages remain captive in Gaza’s tunnels, the Jewish people once again face existential threats reminiscent of ancient Persia. Yet Adar whispers a timeless truth: what appears as deepest darkness may precede the most profound light. Perhaps this Adar will be the season of that long-awaited reversal—when captives return home, when enemies are defeated, when hatred is transformed into understanding, and when the complete redemption that both Israel and the world await finally dawns. As our ancestors witnessed in Shushan, salvation can arrive with unexpected swiftness, “in one day” (Esther 9:1).

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