This week ushered in the Jewish month of Adar, which means Purim is less than two weeks away. The Rabbis in the Talmud mention משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה, “Once the month of Adar commences, we increase our Joy”.  Joy – nice theme for a whole month.  

 

We often talk about Happiness as appreciation for what we have and having a sense of gratitude for the good in our lives. Rabbi Weinberg zt”l used to differentiate Joy from Happiness and say that Joy is often associated with the anticipation of something good. Whereas Happiness is more of a state of mind and serenity over what is, its cousin, Joy is more of a burst of energy for what will be. Happiness is about the present or the past state of affairs; Joy is about the future or about a one-off extraordinary event.

 

Joy is important and applies to everyone no matter what their situation or vocation in life. Rabbi Weinberg explains this in his class on Joy, part of the 48 Ways to Wisdom series (go to Aish.com for the full course):

 

 

Yes, even a highly paid athlete needs to have joy in his job. I recall a few years ago when my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs were a dismal team, unlike the present exciting, successful club they are today (6th best in the league after the amazing win over Columbus Wednesday night). It was a sad and pathetic spectacle a mere three years ago, and at the time I emailed my brothers and kids: “It is so obvious that they (the Leafs) just have no passion or care for the game.” Kinda like the Blackhawks or Montreal Canadiens of this season.

 

It is hard to imagine a hockey player losing his passion to play. Consider for a moment that here you have someone who is young, healthy, talented, fit and who is part of the chosen few living his dreams and getting paid gobs of money for it. He is playing for a storied franchise like the Hawks or Canadiens – at the epicenter of the hockey world – and he has lost his enthusiasm? Back then, Olli Jokinen who was traded from the Panthers to the Leafs noted this malaise and said:

 

 

And this is the lesson of Adar and Purim and Joy. The Jewish people did not get despondent over their enemies’ threat when Haman, with the backing of the Persian government and Achashverosh, said he will destroy the Jewish people. They did not get down or depressed. They did not give up nor turn negative. They did whatever they had to do to save themselves from the evil that wanted to wipe them out. They looked inward to improve themselves through teshuva/repentance and fasting. They worked their star player, Esther to go to bat for them at the bottom of the ninth and finally, they went to war to defend themselves against their adversaries.

 

You have to find a way to play for that logo, play for the city, play for your teammates, and play for yourself. Is there any greater logo or team to play for than the Jewish people? It makes no difference how many losses we may be taking here and there, how many other teams want to beat and hurt us, how many petty politicians or artists wish to boycott our star players or country. The fact remains that we Jews are the most storied franchise in all of world history with the most Stanley Cups under our belt. Many star teams from great nations and cities have disappeared and are no longer, but we remain strong, solvent and winning. The Broad Street Bullies of Babylonia are not around, the Big Bad Roman Bruins are in ruins, and the list goes on. But we continue on with determination, success and victory.

 

It is a privilege to play for this team. It is an honour to play for this team. So when you wake up every morning, and you recite Modeh Ani and don your tzitzit, tefillin, kiss your mezuzah or any other Jewish logo/mitzvah during the course of your day, never lose the inherent joy of being part of the best team on the world stage. And if you happen to find yourself depressed for some reason or another, remember the words of that great sage Olli Jokinen, You have to find a way to play for that logo, play for the city, play for your teammates, and play for yourself. You’ve got to find a way to bring your best every single day.

 

Bring your best when you play for Am Yisrael, and bring it with Joy.

 

Jeremiah was a bull frog
Was a good friend of mine
I never understood a single word he said
But I helped him drink his wine…Singin’, Joy to the world
All the boys and girls, now
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

-Three Dog Night