Having taken a small bit of a break from blogging (first because of winter break, and then because of writing report cards and catching colds), it's time that I get back on top of things. You shall soon find a bunch of posts covering topics from the previous two months of classes.
Today is starts Adar I. The Rabbis tell us, "the one who enters the month of Adar, multiplies his/her joy." And why are we happy? Because we will soon celebrate God's rescue of the Jews of Persia, at Purim. This year, being a Jewish leap year as well as a secular one, we have two months of Adar, and Purim is celebrated during the second one.
Recently, at a staff meeting, my colleagues and I discussed what activities would bring the spirit of joy to our students. Joy is different than the happiness American society espouses. Rather than being the fulfillment of one's whims, the fun to be had with material pleasures, or simply goofing off, joy comes from a deeper place, a place of connection with God and amazement with Creation. I find it worthwhile to contemplate this difference between joy and American happiness.
There are different ways to reach joy. Joy can come from contentment--being satisfied by one's lot in life. In Pirkei Avot, we are told, "Who is rich? The one who is happy with his/her lot [in life]." This sense of having all that one needs sometimes occurs in a single moment; other times, it can last for quite awhile. Have you ever felt it?
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