Questions tagged [simchah-joy-happiness]
Questions pertaining to Simcha - joy/happiness.
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Is fasting on Hanukkah prohibited
According to Halacha, is it prohibited to fast on Hanukkah like it is on Yom Tov, Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, and Chol Hamoed?
Or, unlike those times, is it permissible to voluntarily fast?
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Mishenichnas Adar: only for second month?
In a Jewish leap year like 5784, we have two Adars (Adar I & Adar II). While the famous Memra of Chazal tells us to increase simcha in Adar, this would presumably only apply in the month of which ...
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How is simchah (joy/enthusiasm) attained?
I want to perform mitzvah's with Simchah. I do what I'm supposed to do out of obligation whether I want to or not but the problem is sometimes I feel tired or I feel lazy (especially when someone ...
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Kabbalistic meaning of incense
I was curious if there is a Kabbalistic or Hasidic meaning to incense, not just the incense of the Tabernacle but incense in general. I believe Breslov Hasidism place a great emphasis on hitbodedut, ...
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Could one bring bikkurim on Tisha B'Av?
Bikkurim can be brought from Shavuot till Sukkot and perhaps longer (not after Chanukah). Part and parcel of the mitzvah of Bikkurim seems to be an aspect of simcha/rejoicing. I have not seen any ...
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Is there a makor for the simcha of a siyum/hachnasas Sefer Torah?
I heard once that it says that the simcha of a siyum Sefer Torah is greater than that of a chasunah. Does anyone know if/where this is from?
Also, are there any other פתגמים (gemara, medrash, etc) ...
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Ivdu es Hashem beSimcha in practice
Tehillim 100:2 tells us that we need to serve Hashem with joy.
I'm sure that this is something that many people have difficulty with - especially those of us who suffer from mental health issues.
Most ...
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Rosh hashanah chassidut simcha
Does anyone know where i could find a rav tzadok that elaborates on the simcha of rosh hashanah by the pesukim in nechemia
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How does Matzah contribute to simchas yom tov
I always understood the concept/reason to sometimes be lenient, known as מניעת שמחת יום טוב, a lack or decrease in the joy of Yom Tov, to be referring to cases where a significant portion of the meal ...
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Why was God's injunction through Zechariah, on rejoicing, not followed?
With the return home from Babylon, the Temple rebuilt, and idolatry vanquished, God said, through the prophet Zechariah, that from now on the four fast days commemorating the destruction of the First ...
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Is the Shechina present when a person is mourning or distraught?
It's said the Shechinah is present only where there's joy (Tractate Shabbat 30b). Yet we are also taught to cry to Hashem during times of suffering, depression, sorrow, mourning, etc. Is the Shechinah ...
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How can we wish for שמחה during חודש אב when the שולחן ערוך says we're supposed to lessen our שמחה during that month?
When we say ברכת החודש on the שבת before חודש אב, we ask ה׳ to give us a month full of ששון and שמחה. However, the משנה in תענית פרק ד משנה ה, the רמב׳׳ם in הלכות תעניות פרק ה הלכה ו, and the שולחן ...
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What is called a 'Building of Joy' nowadays?
Megillah 5b discusses things that Rebbe did. One of the things that Rebbe was seen doing was planting on Purim; the Gemara retorts that this is surely not allowed as planting is work, which is not ...
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Is it permissible to learn Hilchot Teshuva on Tisha Beav?
The Shulchan Aruch paskens (OC 554) that it is forbidden to learn most parts of Torah on Tisha Beav, except for a few small sections about aveilut.
The question is: the Shulchan Aruch doesn't ...
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An ovel attending a wedding on zoom
Is it possible for a Jew who is in mourning (an ovel) to attend a wedding on Zoom?
My intial thought process was why not? If one cannot be משתתף (join) with a virtual minyan (quorum of 10 men) as all ...
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The Dangers of Joy
We find in Chazal many times that joy and party can easily lead to sin. Most famously the Gemarah in Berachos 30b.
Why is this? Additionally, I recall learning that some sins are actually the ...
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Why does Adar signal additional joy?
There is an idea that once Adar comes in, we increase in joy.
Why is this so? Nisan signals the Exodus and our establishing as a people. Sivan has the giving of the Torah. Kislev has the story of ...
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Is the greeting "Happy Hanukka" kosher?
Someone told me that 'Happy Hanukka' is not a kosher greeting since it is following the laws of the non-Jews... (and there is no mitzvah to have a meal on Hanukka as on Purim (some say because many ...
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How should we serve God?
Psalm 100 says:
עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה
Serve God with joy.
Psalm 2 says:
עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּיִרְאָ֑ה וְ֝גִ֗ילוּ בִּרְעָדָֽה
Serve God with awe/fear; tremble with fright.
...
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Does Judaism advise us to do one thing at a time?
After reading this article in Aish by a Professor of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University, sadly and surprisingly bereft of Jewish sources, I asked myself:
Is there a general Jewish teaching that says:...
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Does the halacha require that even someone who does not like meat and wine must consume them on Yom Tov?
An often-quoted line, usually preceded by the words "The Sages said", is:
"En simchah ella be-bassar ve-yayin -- There is no rejoicing except with meat and wine."
I can't find it worded this way in ...
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What are we celebrating on Lag B'Omer?
To the best of my knowledge we celebrate on Lag B'Omer as this is the day the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying. This reason seems incomprehensible. The reason they stopped dying was because there ...
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Canceling Tachanun for the balance of a month
Based on the premise that we don't say Tachanun for the rest of a month when there are already a majority of days on which we don't say Tachanun (as stated in the Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 131,7 ...
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Bleak thoughts of Kohelet vs the Mitzvah of Simhah
This question is a follow up to "Why-do-we-read-kohelet-on-sukkos. The answers there failed to find any reliable source for a connection. I would like to emphasize one aspect of Kohelet - it's ...
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Should you not rejoice with your spouse also?
"וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְּחַגֶּךָ אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתֶךָ וְהַלֵּוִי וְהַגֵּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ׃ "
You shall rejoice in your festival, with your ...
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Greatest Happiness on Earth?
The Mishnah in Sukkah (5:1) says, “כָּל מִי שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה שִׂמְחַת בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה לֹא רָאָה שִׂמְחָה מִיָּמָיו – Anyone who never witnessed the water drawing of the Simchas Beis HaShoeva never saw ...
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Why do we say Tachanun during Adar?
According to this answer, we don't say tachanun on days that are yemei simcha -- days of happiness.
But the Talmud (Taanit 29a) says Mishenichnas Adar marbim b'simcha -- once Adar begins we increase ...
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Why do we beg on simchas torah when we are supposed to be happy?
I was bothered by the fact that on Simchas Torah, when we are supposed to be happy and rejoice with the Torah, we are busy with prayers like אנא ה' הושיעה נא etc.
What place do these prayers, which ...
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Exclusively Rejoicing on Sukkot
Sukkot is z'man simchatenu -- the season of our rejoicing. But the megilla associated with it is Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), which is a downer and somewhat depressing. Why? Sources say it is to provide ...
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According to the Tanya, is one never permitted to be sad at all?
In Iggeret Hakodesh chapter 11, the Baal Hatanya says :
In truth, however, “No evil descends from above,” and everything is good,
though it is not apprehended [as such] because of its immense and ...
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How does the Breslov philosophy of serving Hashem with love and joy coexist with the traditional Jewish idea of fearing Hashem?
Fearing Hashem has traditionally been spoken of as a central tenet in pious Judaism. One who fears Hashem is showing respect for Hashem and is more likely to live a pious life and not step out of ...
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Wearing a new watch in the nine days
What do the sources have to say about wearing a new watch in the nine days?
Is it considered like significant new clothes and therefore not
permitted
does this minhag not apply to a time-piece
or ...
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Chasam Sofer's Commentary on The Month of Av
There's a famous gemara that states: “Mishenichnas Av mema’atim b’simchah,” “When Av enters, we decrease our joy,” (Taanis 26b)
I heard that the Chasam Sofer has an explanation of what it means to "...
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Happiness in the Second Half of Adar
The Gemara tells us that in the same way one must decrease joy in Av, one must increase joy in Adar:
אמר רב יהודה בריה דרב שמואל בר שילת משמיה דרב כשם שמשנכנס אב ממעטין בשמחה כך משנכנס אדר מרבין ...
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Why are we increasing Simcha when it isn't Adar yet?
Rosh Chodesh is 2 days as today is the 30th of Shevat. Adar doesn't actually begin until tonight. Yet the sense of mishenichnas Adar marbim b'simcha seems to hold sway even today, and not just in the ...
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Male photographers/videographers on the women's side at a simcha
Ordinarily, Jewish women would be expected not to dance or sing with men looking on, or even present in the same area. However, at every Jewish wedding I have been to, there has been at least one male ...
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Source for Simchas Beis HaShoeivah nowadays
In the time when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, there was a ceremony called the Simchas Beis HaShoeivah. The central aspect of the event is, as the name implies, the drawing of water and pouring it as ...
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Money and Happiness
I heard from someone that money buys you happiness. Is that true?
What's the Torah's perspective on both money and happiness?
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If visiting the kosel before a joyous event, does one tear kriyah?
If visiting the kosel the morning of, say, one's wedding, should one tear kriyah? I am asking whether we should be in mourning for the temple even at a very joyous time. (My guess is yes, partly based ...
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Meat and wine on Chol HaMoed
There is an obligation for men to eat meat and drink wine on each day of Chol HaMoed, assuming one normally enjoys their consumption. I have three questions regarding this obligation:
May one fulfill ...
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No mention of Simcha for Pesach
Devarim (Deut.) ch. 16).. lists the 3 pilgrimage holidays, Pesach, Shavuot and Succot. Of the 3 holidays, Pesach has no explicit mention of "simcha" (joy). Why is that? Is simcha not required on ...
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Aveil participating in a Simcha
May an Aveil attend a wedding of a sibling or neighbor? May he eat there? How about a Sheva Brachos? Bar Mitzva? Bris? Is there a difference in the Sheloshim and the remainder of the year?
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Why is Rosh Chodesh festive?
There are both mitzvos and customs that seem to elevate the status of Rosh Chodesh and give it a holiday-like status. Why?
Shabbos and holidays have explicit reasons for being festive. But what is ...
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Drinking in judaism
I recently was curious about how drinking alcohol is viewed in judaism and I came across a question in this site asking "Is drinking a sin?". The answer was just what I was looking for. But after ...
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How can one serve G-d with Simcha when one is painfully aware of flaws, sins, and other bad habits?
How does one serve G-d with simcha when one is aware of flaws, sins, and other bad habits that should cause one to also have bitterness.
Not asking about depression and other negative emotions, ...
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Shouldn't we laugh as Rabbi Akiva?
I don't want to be disrespectful, but I remember the story of when Rabbi Akiva saw the temple destroyed with foxes walking where the Kodesh HaKodashim used to be. He laughed because even though ...
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The Puzzle of the mitzvah to be Samach Chosson Vikallah
There is a Mitzvah to make the Chosson (groom) and Kallah (bride) happy on the day of their wedding. This Mitzvah is of utmost importance as it is one of the few Mitzvos for which we stop learning ...
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When the terms "sasson" and "simcha" are mentioned together, is there meaning or reason to the order?
Compare two verses:
Yirmiyahu (Jer.) 33:11 - "sasson" is mentioned before "simcha"
Esther 8:16-17 - "simcha" is mentioned before "sasson"
There are other such verses, as well, that we can compare, ...
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what is the difference between "sasson" and "simcha"
The last of the Sheva Brachot (7 blessings) said under the wedding chuppah, as well as after benching throughout the rest of the week includes an acknowledgement to G-d for creating both "Sasson" and "...
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Why was building the foundation of the second temple so emotional?
In Ezra chapter 3:10-13 it describes the establishing of the foundation of the Second Temple and how once the foundation was laid there were mixed reactions. The older people who remembered the First ...