59 Days of Joy

by Rabbi Adam Roffman
One of the things that I love about being Jewish is that we are commanded to feel.
 
God tells us that we must love Him.  The Torah teaches us that we must be joyful on Festivals like Sukkot.  And our sages insist that, even at a wedding, we should hold some sadness in our hearts for the sufferings of our people.

For me, Judaism is often like a very powerful mood drug.  Even if I’m commanded to feel sorrow, I’m grateful, because I know the emotion it evokes is an appropriate and even a productive one.
 
We are now most of the way through the month of Adar I (this a leap year, so there are two months of Adar), a time associated with the ancient saying, “mi shenichnas adar marbim b’simcha” – those who embrace the month of Adar merit an overabundance of joy. For thirteen days, we anticipate the raucous celebration of Purim, and in the two weeks following we bask in the afterglow of one of the sweetest and most festive days of the Jewish year.
 
But as you can imagine, maintaining this joyful countenance for a month straight—and this year for two months—is quite a challenge. The natural high of entering into this season only lasts so long. So, I often find myself looking ahead, planning moments of joy to ensure that I wear a smile on my face for as much of Adar as possible.
 
This past Shabbat, we certainly succeeded in creating a moment of great happiness for our community. As we welcomed Dr. Benjamin Sommer, our Scholar-In-Residence, we also marked the first of what I hope will be many annual Shabbatot dedicated to the memory of Irene Kogutt, z’ll, a beloved figure in our community.
 
Irene was a devoted member of our Shabbat morning Torah Study class, the Topletz Minyan, and our Adult Education classes for many years. She also made an extra effort to study on her own, with her chevruta Susan Ehrlich, in anticipation of her adult Bat-Mitzvah, no doubt one of the most joyful days of her life.
 
That Irene so steadfastly pursued the mitzvah of Torah study was reason enough to honor her, thanks the generosity of her family and the many of our members who contributed to the Kogutt fund for Scholars-In-Residence in her memory. 
 
But what was also so fitting about this past Shabbat was that it fell right in the middle of the month of Adar. 
 
If the practice of Judaism is a mood drug, a surefire way to lift your spirits, so was the occasion of spending time with Irene.  Except for the times when she expressed serious concern about my parenting skills (which, fortunately, was not too often), Irene always, always, had a smile on her face.  She made the study of Torah joyful through her presence, her curiosity, and her infectious spirit.  Even today, more than a year after her passing, it is impossible not to think of her and smile – even grin. 
 
This month, I pray that we continue to find ways of marking our time with joy – by honoring and remembering those we love, by committing ourselves to the study of our tradition, and by giving ourselves over to the celebration and the revelry of the season of Purim.
 
Happy Adar!

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