We’ve entered the month of Adar, and the rabbis tell us: “When a person enters the month of Adar, the Hebrew month of Adar, he should increase in happiness.” Now, that implies that you’re happy all year round; you just have to increase it during Adar. You just have to increase it. Now, the Yetzer Hara (the evil inclination) is very strong and tries to pull a person toward depression during this month, because the obligation to be happy is tremendous.
Now, what is the way for a person to be happy? How can a person become a happy person? I used to think that the way to being happy was by having all the good possessions, like a nice car, a great wife, great children, and a beautiful house. And then I heard a thought like this: The word Besimcha means to be happy. Now, those same letters, rearranged, spell the word Machshava, which means thought. What’s the connection between happiness and thought? The connection is that the main way to be happy is by feeding yourself with positive thoughts constantly. Whenever you have a chance, feed yourself with a positive thought. Let’s say you’re walking outside. You have to tell yourself, “The air is so refreshing, the trees are beautiful. Look at this world Hashem created for me, and I have great friends; I have everything.” So, when you tell yourself those thoughts, you will be a happy person in no time.
Now, on Sukkot, my uncle told me that Sukkot is called Zeman Simchateinu (a time to be happy). Now, why does Hashem make me sit outside when I could be sitting in my house with my heating and I’d be so much happier? I’d be so much happier. I’d be so much happier sitting in my house with all my beautiful furniture. So, he told me that Hashem wants to teach us that being happy is not dependent on having all physical luxuries. It’s dependent on your thought process. We have to smile and be happy even during the bitter and tough times. I know it’s hard, but if we had any idea what we were gaining, our moods at those moments would escalate from sad to extremely uncontrollably happy. Shavua Tov. Have a great week.