Torah Revolution

The Talmud relates that Haman cast lots in order to decide which month to implement his evil plot against the Jews. When the lot fell out on the month of Adar he was overjoyed, for Moses, the Redeemer of Israel, passed away on the seventh of Adar. But Haman did not realize that 7 Adar is also Moses’ birthday, and his birthday is a rectification for his passing.

There are various degrees of spiritual remedies: 1) the damage has been corrected; 2) it is as if the entire episode never happened; 3) the very darkness itself is transformed into light. From the Purim story it is clear that the power of Moses’ birthday utterly transformed the greatest darkness and sorrow into the greatest light and joy.

“Action is the essential thing.” Moses’ foremost quality was Torah. His birthday, then, is a reminder of the transformational power of Torah when it is studied with true passion. In Torah there are no shortcuts – Torah knowledge can only be acquired through toil. But when the seventh of Adar comes around, the day itself demands of us and empowers us to succeed in Torah study and to discover its infinite levels.