Today I had the privilege of teaching another Rosh Hodesh class at the JCC Mid-Westchester. I thoroughly enjoy learning with the students there. Here's an excerpt of what we studied together in depth.
Perhaps you're familiar with the phrase "Be Happy, it's Adar!" which is really a variation on the original phrase "When [the month of] Adar arrives, we increase our joy." In both cases, it's basically a command to be happy. Yet, how can we be commanded to be happy? How can emotions be commanded just because we are in a new month? Interestingly, "Be Happy, It's Adar" is not the only example of being commanded to have an emotion. We are similarly commanded to be happy on Sukkot and we are commanded to love God in the 1st paragraph of the shema.
Commentators, both modern and more traditional, found explanations as to how to get to these emotions, while still not being directly commanded to have the emotions, since humans have free will. The summary boils down to 3 main ways to put ourselves in a position where the emotion is likely to occur. Those 3 main ways are:
1) Actions - doing things that are likely to lead to the emotion
2) Ponder - thinking about things that are likely to lead to the emotion
3) Practice - doing exercises to engage with that emotion and make it more easily available to you so when you need/want to access the emotion, you have it at your disposal
So perhaps you'll make a lovely feast with good food and drinks (action), consider how fortunate the Jews are have to have persevered after Haman and so many other persecutions (ponder), and find happy music to get you in the right mood for happiness (practice).
The wonderful thing is that these 3 methods hold true whether you're looking to "Be happy, it's Adar," "Be happy, it's life in general" or for any other emotion or feeling that could use regulating to improve your life - patience, connection, bravery, etc....Just use the tools of action, ponder, and practice.
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