ADAR: CLIMBING OUR WAY TO SIMCHA

It's almost Adar already, and everyone knows that, "as soon as Adar comes, we increase our joy".

Yet this doesn't always come easy. Indeed, Rabbeinu said in "Sichos HaRan" (#20) that "true simcha is one of the most difficult things to achieve in serving Hashem". As usual, we can see this in the name of this month itself; the word "אדר" in Hebrew has the same gematria as the word "הר" ("a mountain"). So the joyous nature of this month is by no means a free gift; it's a mountain we have to climb.

Hopefully, by the time Purim rolls around, we will be well on our way, and then this wonderful holiday itself will propel us straight to the top!

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