Shabbat Mevorchin Adar

24 Shevat 5772

This Shabbat is Parshat Mishpatim-Sheqalim and Shabbat Mevorchin Adar. Rosh Chodesh Adar is coming on yom chamishi and yom shishi b'shavua haba - Thurs & Fri next week.

Sheqalim is the first of the special parshiot that are read before Pesach - two before Purim and two after.

In his weekly parsha shiur, Rabbi Sitorsky commented about today's date that it is mentioned in the book of the Prophet Zekhariyah, chapter 1, and it says there...

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month-that is, the month of Shevat-in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying:

I saw tonight, and behold! A man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtles that were in the pool, and after him were red, black, and white horses.

(Rashi: "on a red horse: This is an allusion that He would exact retribution upon the Chaldeans, Media, and Persia with the sword and with blood,....")

...the angel of the Lord replied and said, "O Lord of Hosts! How long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and upon the cities of Judah, upon whom You are wroth for seventy years already?" And the Lord answered the angel who was speaking to me, good words-yea, consoling words.

And the angel who was speaking to me said to me, "Proclaim, saying: 'So said the Lord of Hosts, I am jealous for Jerusalem, and for Zion-great jealousy. And I am very angry with the nations that are at ease, for I was wroth a little, and they helped to do harm.

Therefore, so said the Lord: 'I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built there,' says the Lord of Hosts. 'And a plumb line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.'

Further, proclaim, saying: so said the Lord of Hosts, 'My cities shall yet spread out with prosperity, and the Lord shall yet console Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem.' "

Rabbi Sitorsky says that the date is given because there is yet a future fulfllment on this date when a decree went out against the nations for their destruction and for the rememberance of Yerushalayim.

He also commented that "the Sfas Emes wrote: There will be another Purim before Mashiach comes."

But, on this he said nothing further. Hamavin yavin.

Shabbat shalom!