5785/2025
Chazal famously tell us that when entering the month of Adar, one should increase his joy: ‘Mi SheNichnas Adar Marbim BeSimcha.’ At a quick glance, this seems simple: During Adar one should do more he enjoys, and less he doesn’t enjoy. However when one takes a closer look, there seems to be much more to this statement.
The Midrash in Parashat VaYeshev makes a comparison between Mordechai and Yosef HaTzaddik, and the challenges they faced: When Yosef HaTzaddik was faced with the test of Eishet Potifar, the Pasuk says: “וַיְהִ֕י כְּדַבְּרָ֥הּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף י֣וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֥ע אֵלֶ֛יהָ” - “And much as she coaxed Joseph day after day, he did not give in to her.” Similarly, when Mordechai was faced with the challenge of not bowing down to Haman, the pasuk says: “וְכׇל־עַבְדֵ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־בְּשַׁ֣עַר הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ כֹּרְעִ֤ים וּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִים֙ לְהָמָ֔ן… וּמׇ֨רְדֳּכַ֔י לֹ֥א יִכְרַ֖ע וְלֹ֥א יִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶֽה… כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥יד לָהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא יְהוּדִֽי׃” - “All the king’s courtiers in the palace gate knelt and bowed low to Haman… but Mordecai would not kneel or bow low… for he had explained to them that he was a Jew.”
Rav Chaim Kanievsky points out that the Pasuk does not say: “Lo Charah”- did not bow, rather it says: “Lo Yichra”- would not bow. Rav Chaim explained that Mordechai did not just refuse to bow, but also stated that he would not bow down to Haman under any circumstances, as the Pasuk says: “Because he told them he was a Jew.” Chazal said that Haman had an idol woven into his clothing, so that anybody who was bowing down to him would also be bowing down to an idol. Therefore, Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman under any circumstances.
The Midrash in Shir HaShirim notes a discussion between Chananya, Mishael and Azaryah who came to Daniel to ask him what they should do about Nevuchadnetzar’s decree that one representative from each nation should bow to his idol. Daniel told them to hide, but they asked him further: “If we hide, do you want it to be said that all of the nations bowed down before the idol? Let’s go to the idol, refuse to bow down to it, and allow it to be said that all of the nations bowed down before the idol except for the Jews.”
Rav Chaim explains that they were concerned about the Chillul Hashem that could happen if people did not know that they hid and Chas VeShlaom assumed that no one had stood up against the Avodah Zara. Here too, Achashvairosh probably had guards and servants from all of the nations that were bowing down to Haman. Therefore, Mordechai openly refused to bow down to Haman in order to display to all that there were those standing up against the Avodah Zara, as the Pasuk says: “כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥יד לָהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא יְהוּדִֽי,” - “Because he told them he was a Jew” - in order to be Mekadesh Sheim Shamayim.
Rabbi Duvie Weiss suggests in his sefer, Ki Karov, that the true Simcha of Adar comes from the fulfillment of Mitzvot and incorporating the ideas of Adar into our actions. May we all be Zoche to be more like these people, who showed true courage and were willing to risk their lives to be Mekadesh Sheim Shamayim, and bring true simcha into the world.