Adar

ADAR (Heb. אֲדָר), the post-Exilic name (of Assyrian origin) of the 12^th month in the Jewish year. Occurring in Assyrian inscriptions and also in Hebrew and Aramaic biblical records (Esth. 3:7 with seven parallels; Ezra 6:15), it is held to be identical with the first element in the compound proper name *Adrammelech of a patricidal son of *Sennacherib (ii Kings 19:37; Isa. 37:38) and of the Molech-like idol worshiped by the Sepharvite ancestors of the Samaritans (ii Kings 17:31). The zodiacal sign of this month is Pisces. In some years an extra month is added to the year (see *Calendar) which is called Adar Sheni ("Second Adar" or ve-Adar – so vocalized against a firm rule in Hebrew vocalization). In such years the original month is called Adar Rishon ("First Adar"). The addition of a second Adar raises problems with regard to the celebration of *bar mitzvah and the observance of *Yahrzeit and the recitation of *Kaddish. The law is as follows: A boy born in Adar of a regular year but whose 13^th year is a leap year celebrates his bar mitzvah in Adar ii (Sh. Ar., oḤ 55:10). For a person deceased in Adar of a regular year, the Yahrzeit in a leap year is observed in Adar i; there are, however, conflicting opinions in this and it is suggested that Kaddish be recited also in Adar ii (ibid. 568:7). In the present fixed Jewish calendar, the month consists of 29 days in regular years while in leap years Adar i consists of 30 days and Adar ii of 29 days. The first day of Adar (of Adar ii in a leap year) never falls on Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday. In the 20^th century Adar in its earliest occurrence extends from February 12 to March 11 or 12 and in its latest from March 2 to 30 while the 59 days of Adar i with Adar ii extend from February 2 to March 31 or April 1 at the earliest and from February 11 to April 9 or 10 at the latest.

Memorable days in Adar (Adar ii in leap years) comprise: (a) The Four Special Sabbaths (Shekalim may be read on the Sabbath before Adar i and ha-Ḥodesh on Nisan 1, but invariably Sabbaths Zakhor and Parah fall in Adar). (b) The seventh of Adar, the anniversary of the death of Moses as calculated from Deuteronomy 34:8 and Joshua 1:11; 3:2; and 4:19, observed as a fast (Meg. Ta'an. 13, ed. Neubauer). According to tradition Adar 7 was also the date of Moses' birth (see *Adar, the Seventh of). (c, d) Adar 9 and 24 once observed as fasts (ibid.) commemorating the fateful controversies between the Schools of Shammai and Hillel (Shab. 17a) and the leprosy which befell King Uzziah (ii Kings 15:5; ii Chron. 26:19–21). (e) Nicanor Day on Adar 13 at first observed as a feast commemorating the Hasmonean victory over the Syrian general Nicanor (i Macc. 7:49; ii Macc. 15:36; Meg. Ta'an. 12) and subsequently observed as the Fast of *Esther preliminary to Purim (Piskei ha-Rosh, Meg. 1:1). (f, g) *Purim and Shushan Purim on Adar 14–15. (h) The 16^th of Adar was not to be a day of mourning for on that day they commenced to build the walls of Jerusalem (Meg. Ta'an. 12); by order of Nehemiah or perhaps under the Maccabees. (i) The 17^th was a feast commemorating the miraculous escape of the Sages of Israel from their Herodian or Roman enemies. (j) The 20^th was a feast day because on that day Onias (*Ḥoni ha-Me'aggel) effected deliverance from a drought (ibid.). These invest the whole month with a joyful character, hence the talmudic ruling "When Adar comes in, gladness is increased" (Ta'an. 29a).

[Ephraim Jehudah Wiesenberg]