(JNS) A man goes to his rabbi and tells him, “I’ve been miserable for years. My business is failing, my children don’t call, my knees hurt. What should I do?”
The rabbi says, “The Torah commands us to be happy on Sukkot. It’s a mitzvah.”
The man says, “Rabbi, that’s wonderful news. When’s Sukkot?”
The rabbi replies, “In six months.”
The man says, “Perfect. I’ll suffer till then.”
Well, Sukkot is almost here, so his six months are up. And it raises a real question. The Torah tells us, v’samachta b’chagecha—“you shall rejoice on your festival” (Deuteronomy 16:14). That’s not a suggestion but a mitzvah. We are commanded to be happy.
That raises an obvious question. How exactly does one command an emotion? Happiness isn’t a light switch. It’s not something you can will into existence by decree. It rises and falls with our circumstances—a good day at work, a phone call from a child, a difficult diagnosis, a broken relationship. So how can...
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