Men's Club

GLADNESS OF THE HEART

Some thoughts and reflections on this upcoming holiday season. In Second Chronicles Chapter 7 of the Hebrew  Bible, King Solomon at the time of the dedication of the altar which lasted seven days after the completion of the first temple, held a feast for seven days. And on the twenty third day of the seventh month he sent the people away unto their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the Lord had shown unto David, and to  Solomon, and to Israel his people. At this time we have two Adars, Purim, and Passover, which gives us ample opportunities to be joyful and glad of heart. During the two Adars, we have more time to do Mitzvot and increase our Torah study. During Purim we read the Megillah twice, which emphasizes the unity of the Jewish people.  Furthermore, we have a custom during Purim called Mishloach Manot in which we give gifts of food to family, friends, and the poor, so all Jews can share in the joy and unity of our people retelling the Purim story. During   Passover we celebrate our freedom and liberation from bondage in Egypt, and the redemption of our people culminating in the renewing of the everlasting covenant with Hashem and the Israeli people. Again we have the opportunity at the two Seders by reading the Haggadah to retell the Passover story, reunited with family, friends and the community at large.

A step up in our daily lives would be to unlock the shackles of the burdens and concerns of our mundane daily   routines, so we could experience the unabated, undiluted, and unadulterated gladness of heart on a more frequent basis. Obstacles in our lives can be irritating and can consume an increasing part of our minds and heart. Dwelling in negative thoughts can end up being a self-fulfilling prophecy. So let us look at the tools available to us, to bring gladness of heart to the forefront. We have the Torah, our faith in Hashem, Shabbat services (a weekly occurrence) and a day of rest, and most importantly the support of our family, friends, and the at large community. So let us be assured that we employ all the tools necessary in our arsenal, to insure that when we return to our homes each day and night, we return with joy and gladness in our heart.