As we move through the month of Adar—the season of Mishenichnas Adar Marbin BeSimcha (When Adar enters, we increase in joy)—we first need to understand what “Constant Joy” actually means. We often make the mistake of thinking joy is a reward we get only after our problems are gone. However, the Torah teaches that constant joy is about consistency. It is a steady way of thinking that defines who you are, even in the quiet moments of your day.

To change our lives, we have to flip the way we usually think. Most people say, “First I’ll solve my problems and stop worrying, and then I’ll be happy.” The Torah teaches the exact opposite: the V’nahafoch Hu (Esther 9:1), or the “Great Flip.” Happiness is not the finish line; it is the engine.

Joy is the........

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