Rosh Chodesh Adar Aleph I

(1) The months of the year are lunar months, as it is stated (Numbers 28:14), "the monthly burnt-offering for each new moon"; and it is [also] stated (Exodus 12:2), "This month shall be for you the beginning of the months." Thus did the Sages say: The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moshe a likeness of the moon in a prophetic vision and said to him, "See [when] it is like this, and sanctify it (as the beginning of the month)." But the years that we calculate are solar years, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 16:1), "Guard the month of the Spring."

(2) The solar year exceeds the lunar year by eleven days, approximately. Hence, whenever this excess accumulates to about thirty days, somewhat more or less, one month is added and the year is made up of thirteen months and is called leap year. The year cannot consist of twelve months plus several days, because it is written: "Months of the year" (Exodus 12:2), implying that the year should be reckoned by months and not by days.

(1) A leap year is a year to which an extra month is added. Only Adar is the month that is ever added, so that a leap year has two months of Adar: a first Adar and a second Adar. Why is just this month added? Because of the spring season, so that Pesaḥ should be observed during the barley season, as it is written: "Observe the month of Aviv, and keep the Passover…" (Deuteronomy 16:1), implying that this month of Nisan should occur during the spring. Without the addition of this month of Adar, Passover would occur sometimes in the summer and sometimes in the rainy season [of winter].

(20) Mordecai recorded these events. And he sent dispatches to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, near and far, (21) charging them to observe the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar, every year— (22) the same days on which the Jews enjoyed relief from their foes and the same month which had been transformed for them from one of grief and mourning to one of festive joy. They were to observe them as days of feasting and merrymaking, and as an occasion for sending gifts to one another and presents to the poor.

(4) If the Megillah was read in first of Adar, and the year was [subsequently] intercalated, we read it in second of Adar. There is no difference between the first Adar and the second Adar except the reading of the Megillah and alms to the poor.

During a leap year, the 14th and 15th days of Adar Rishon, even though we don’t read the Megilla on them, nevertheless it is forbidden to give a eulogy or fast, and we don’t say Tachanun, and we don’t say Lamnatzeach. It is good to behave a little happier than usual and feast a little, on the 14th for the villages (outside of the walled cities), and on the 15th for the walled cities. And we don’t read the Megilla during Adar Rishon, like it says in מגילת אסתר ט כא, that is referring to the Adar that is next to Nissan, but during a leap year, we don’t celebrate Purim other than during the Adar that is next to Nissan. This is because we want to put redemption with redemption, that is Purim and Pesach, it is good.

(1) שמור את חודש האביב, make sure that the month of Nissan always occurs in the spring, by manipulating the calendar, if necessary and inserting an extra month of Adar. By doing this the solar orbit (year) and the lunar orbits, (12 moons equaling a year) can be brought into line with each other.

(12) When Mordecai was told what Esther had said, (13) Mordecai had this message delivered to Esther: “Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king’s palace. (14) On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.”