Every Jewish month brings with it a special feeling and anticipation for the arrival of its particular holiday. Whether it’s Nissan with its heavy duty Pesach preparations or Elul with its sense of teshuva and growth, there’s always that special feeling is in the air. These feelings and anticipations are part of what makes being Jewish so special.  The month of Adar has now begun and has brought with it anticipation for the happiness and joy characteristic of the upcoming holiday of Purim.  Our Rabbis underscore this idea in the Gemara by telling us, “M’shnichnas Adar marbim b’simcha”, “From the time that Adar enters we increase our joy.” The Gemara is clearly stating that with respect to Adar, anticipation is not enough; we must be proactive and actually strive to increase our level of happiness during this month.  How we do that is our topic for today.

    Let’s first go to the source of this statement about Adar in the Gemara, itself. The Mishnah states that from the time the month of Av enters we should decrease our joy and simcha. This is, of course, in reference to the calamities of the destruction of both Batei Mikdashim that took place in the month of Av. The Gemara then expands on this and states that just as when Av begins we should actively decrease our joy, so to, in Adar, we should actively increase it. Rashi explains that these are the days of the nissim or miracles of Purim and Pesach.  During these days, therefore, it is appropriate to bring that special joy into our lives. The Eitz Chaim explains that Rashi’s comment is perplexing in that Pesach took place in the month of Nissan, not Adar. He explains that Rashi means that one should start feeling more joy in Adar and continually increase these feelings until Nissan and the miracles of Pesach. This idea explains why the Gemara did not single out the month of Nissan for extra joy which has in it the greater miracles of Yitziat Mitzrayim.

    While the Gemara lists specific activities we are to refrain from during the month of Av in order to minimize our simcha, it only gives us one idea about how we should increase it during the month of Adar.  It explains that when a Jew has a legal issue with a non-Jew, he should try to set the court date in Adar and not in Av. This is to take advantage of the good mazel of the month of Adar and not to be affected by the negative mazel of the month of Av. So the question remains:  how are we to accomplish this goal of increasing simcha during the month of Adar and now we see during the month of Nissan as well?
   
    Perhaps the answer to this question is very simple.  Simcha is a feeling that has to come from within one’s own heart.  While we have a mitzvah to serve Hashem daily with simcha, one can and should do extra things to bring even more joy during Adar. However, these things are all individual. Each person has to know himself and do those things that will especially bring him to a higher level of joy during these months.
   
    Notwithstanding the above, it has been suggested that the greatest simcha a Jew can experience is a spiritual connection to Hashem.  Ideally, the best ways to accomplish this are through extra Torah learning or the performance of additional mitzvoth.  Nevertheless, whether it’s these particular activities that bring a person his extra measure of simcha or some other, more mundane activities, the goal is to experience the kind of joy that will bring us closer to Hashem.  Through our increased connection with Hashem and His mitzvot we have a greater appreciation for the great miracles that He has performed for us historically at this time of year.  It is that enhanced appreciation that will, perhaps, bring us closer to experiencing that greatest miracle of all, the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of our Beit Hamikdash, may it be soon and in our days.