This week we read the Torah portion of va-yakheil and also begin the month of Adar 2 in which Purim will occur. Because of the similarity in names, the rabbis saw a connection between Purim and Yom ha-Kippurim, literally the day like Purim. 

      The Sefat Emet, the 19th century Hasidic master taught: During the High Holiday season, we are called to do teshuvah out of a sense of awe/yir’ah, hence the phrase Days of Awe (yamim noraim). The metaphors used throughout the liturgy of that period stress that we are being judged for what we have done or not done in the past year. The imagery of being written in the book of life is a stark statement of that notion. We also might think of yir’ah as being motivated by embarrassment at our behavior or even fear that some of the shameful things we have done could become publicly known.

      Strikingly, the Sefat Emet teaches that parallel to the High Holiday period of teshuvah is the period we are about to enter in the Jewish calendar—the month of Adar and the holiday of Purim. (Because this is a leap year, there are two months of Adar. We are about to enter Adar 2 in which Purim falls). He quotes the rabbinic expression mi-shenikhnas adar marbim be-simha/when Adar begins, joy increases. He explains that in contrast to High Holidays, in this period we engage in teshuvah/change not through awe but through joy and love/simha ve-ahava. 

    For the Sefat Emet, each of the holidays and months have a unique spiritual quality. He focuses on a verse from the end of the book of Esther, which describes how Mordecai told the Jews to celebrate Purim annually by making it a day of feasting, and joy/la’asot otam yimei mishteh ve-simhah Esther 9:22). He also encourages us to arouse a spirit of generosity/nedivut by donating to the needy and giving gifts of food to friends and neighbors on Purim. The contrast to Yom Kippur couldn’t be sharper—feasting instead of fasting and joy instead of somber self-judgment.

       I was intrigued by this notion of a parallel period of teshuvah but coming from a very different spiritual mode—ahava/love. While the process of teshuvah on the High Holidays takes place primarily in your head, the teshuvah process on Purim seems to be embodied. He stresses the word la’asot—doing. The Sefat Emet connects his teaching to the giving of the half shekel, which is taken from a special Torah portion we will read this Shabbat. He uses the language of Ex. 30:12: We are commanded to help others not just by giving them food or money, but by lifting up their heads. I suggest you watch the video  of Ruth Gottesman telling the students of Einstein Medical School that tuition is now free to see what lifting heads literally means.

     I am curious what you think teshuvah from joy and love would be like. How would it differ from the High Holidays? If you are so moved, drop me an email. It seems an important and challenging idea in this difficult time of bitter conflict. My email is mjstrassfeld@gmail.com