| Late yesterday afternoon, as I enjoyed a Shabbat walk, I noticed the sky. Just a little bit lighter, I thought to myself, than it was at this hour a few weeks ago. Spring is coming and that lifts my heart. Even in southern Florida where the weather is warm year-round, the winter months feel a bit darker and a bit duller. As the sky brightens, there is the beginning of a sense of renewal. | 
A glorious tree blooming today in the Temple courtyard.
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Today is the 30th day of the month of Hebrew month of Sh'vat, which means that it has been thirty days since the last new moon. But the moon is on a cycle of 29 and a half days, so today and tomorrow are really the first days of the next new moon and the month of Adar. Jewish tradition tells us that "When Adar enters joy increases" (B. Talmud Ta'anit 29a).
That increase in joy usually is associated with the coming of the holiday of Purim, which is celebrated on the 14th of Adar, exactly two weeks from today. But the joy of Adar is also associated with the coming of spring. Even in the cold north, the first bulbs are starting to awaken under the soil as the earth gradually warms. Here in Florida, the flowers on some of our trees are exploding with joy.
Our tradition teaches us that we are obliged to fill our hearts with joy. Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav, who is said to have fought depression all his life, offered us this prayer:
That increase in joy usually is associated with the coming of the holiday of Purim, which is celebrated on the 14th of Adar, exactly two weeks from today. But the joy of Adar is also associated with the coming of spring. Even in the cold north, the first bulbs are starting to awaken under the soil as the earth gradually warms. Here in Florida, the flowers on some of our trees are exploding with joy.
Our tradition teaches us that we are obliged to fill our hearts with joy. Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav, who is said to have fought depression all his life, offered us this prayer:
God, I stand beaten and battered by the countless manifestations of my own inadequacies. Yet we must live with joy, overcome despair, seek, pursue and find every inkling of goodness, every positive point within ourselves, and so discover true joy. Aid me in this quest, O God. Help me find satisfaction and a deep, abiding pleasure in all that I have, in all that I do, in all that I am.
—Likutei MoHaRan 1:282 (adaption by Moshe Mykoff and S.C. Mizrahi)
For those who are feeling beaten and battered by the darkness of winter and by the storms of life and sky, this is a time to focus on brightening our souls. Seek, pursue and create excuses for your own happiness. Be outdoors, sing, play, take pleasure, and delight in all growing things. It is among the best ways of praising the One who created us to be joyful.
Other Posts on This Topic:
"When Adar enters, we increase joy"
Other Posts on This Topic:
"When Adar enters, we increase joy"
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