Purim - Middle Day of 5771

That's right, there are 13 months to this Hebrew year consisting of 385 days, which means 55 exact weeks. Being that Adar II is the middle of the months, and bearing in mind that past Rosh Hashana began on Yom Chamishi, as it will also fall out on Yom Chamishi in this coming year, we take the middle week, and it is Yom Rishon which is the middle day. In short, it was Purim - 14 Adar - falling out on Yom Rishon, that earned the award of Middle Day of Year 5771.

Now, Purim during this year falling out on Yom Rishon began the week of Parshas Shemini. In the context of the Parsha, it was Yom Shemini from when the Cohanim began training to serve in the Mishkan, and this Yom Shemini was Rosh Chodesh Nissan - the birthdate of Rabbeinu (Note: Check out Likutei Moharan I:70 - Divrei HaMaschil "Vayehi BaYom HaShemini"). And Purim in turn is the Yom Shemini from 7 Adar - birthdate and Yahrzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu, which means that the future date of Purim was the day of Moshe Rabbeinu's Bris! And as the Vilna Gaon points out, Purim corresponds to the Sephira of Netzach. The word Netzach is the Gematria of Rabbeinu's name, and is the 4th and middle Sephira that corresponds to Moshe Rabbeinu, the 4th and middle of the Shiv'a HaRoim (Seven Shepherds), the Ushpizin that we invite to our Succos.

Speaking of Purim being the middle day of this year and the Ushpizin of Succos, the designated one of the Ushpizin on the 4th and middle day of Succos is Moshe Rabbeinu, and it is this day of Succos which is also the Yahrzeit of Rabbeinu Nachman. And in terms of Yom Shemini, the 4th day of Succos - 18 Tishrei - is the Yom Shemini from 11 Tishrei - Motzoei Yom Kippurim (Yom Kipurim is a Remez to Purim, "Day like Purim") - which based on Kabbala is called the day of Hashem's name. This of course leads us to note that Hashem spelled backwards spells Moshe, and of course, as we see in the Tikunei Zohar that the Shir Chadash is Hashem's name as Y YK YKV YKVK, the Shir Chadash that we sing is...Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman!

Happy Purim!