| Dear Friends,
Tomorrow is Erev Rosh Chodesh Adar II and it is a time for tefillah.
Prayer is not just one of our Jewish obligations. It is a fundamental privilege, an opportunity to bring G-d into our lives and to welcome His intervention to positively change the course of history.
Sincere prayer is therefore the appropriate response at any time of crisis. This is especially so as we prepare for Purim, a holiday that was created as a monument to the impact of our prayers.
In the words of the Rambam (סוף מנין המצוות בפתיחת המשנה תורה):
וצוו לקרות המגילה בעונתה, כדי להזכיר שבחיו של הקב"ה ותשועות שעשה לנו והיה קרוב לשוועתנו כדי לברכו ולהללו, וכדי להודיע לדורות הבאים שאמת מה שהבטיחנו בתורה, ׳ומי גוי גדול אשר לו אלקים קרובים אליו כד׳ אלקינו בכל קראנו אליו'.
"Our Sages instructed us to read the Megillah at its appointed time to recall G-d's greatness and the victory He granted us as He was attentive to our cries, so that we bless and praise Him and inform future generations of the truth of the Torah's promise, 'Is there a great nation with a G-d who is as near and attentive to them as Hashem our G-d is to our every cry to Him?!'"
That is the essence of the Purim story. In response to the looming crisis, the Jewish people gathered to fast and pray, leading to Esther's successful intervention on their behalf. This is why we fast each year on the eve of Purim. Unlike the other minor fasts, Taanis Esther does not commemorate an actual calamity but rather recalls how we averted a tragedy. We fasted and prayed to Hashem, and as a result we celebrated deliverance from the crisis.
The world is experiencing a period of profound uncertainty, as the crisis in Ukraine has clear implications for the world order. And in the most immediate sense, the entire population of Ukraine – including many of Acheinu Bnai Yisrael – is experiencing extreme trauma and danger. This is a time for prayer.
Erev Rosh Chodesh is traditionally marked as Yom Kippur Katan, a time for increased prayer and introspection. Tonight and tomorrow there will be many cross-communal gatherings for tefillah, and other such events in individual shuls. Each of us can participate in one of these gatherings or recite Tehillim on our own, specifically chapters 121, 130, and 142. We must pray sincerely for all those affected by this conflict, the wounded, the displaced, and their families, for peace in the world and for a return to safety and tranquility for our brothers and sisters everywhere.
Let us hope and pray that our prayers will be accepted and that we too will see the truth of the Torah's promise that G-d will hear our prayers for the safety of our brothers and sisters and for peace in the entire world.
Rabbi Moshe Hauer
Executive Vice President
Yesterday, we held a Zoom meeting with rabbonim from Ukraine to provide an update on what is happening in Ukraine's Jewish communities - Watch the full video here.
And please continue to support our Ukraine relief fund - Donate now.
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