מִצְוָה גְּדוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה תָּמִיד – כִּי יֵשׁ עֲשָׂרָה מִינֵי נְגִינָה, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחָה

“It is a great mitzvah to always be happy; there are 10 types of song, which are synonymous with joy.”

—Rebbe Nachman of Bratzlav, b. 1772

We all have days when we are in a less-than-sunny-mood, and yet, especially during this joyful month of Adar, I welcome Rebbe Nachman’s reminder to seek happiness wherever we can find it. Indeed, there is so much that can spark joy, and for me personally—as I know it is the same for many of you—music can be a source of delight and even deep healing. I have found that whenever life presents a challenging or painful moment, it is music that can lift my mood and guide me from brokenness to finding joy once again.

Rebbe Nachman expounds upon 10 different types of music that increase joy. Can you think of 10 different songs, albums, or prayers that have given you that feeling? What have been the most meaningful musical moments of your life? Were you alone? Or were you at a concert, a service, or a dance party, sharing them with others?

Something that I love about joy in our tradition—and certainly about sharing in music and prayer—is that it is almost always experienced communally as opposed to individually. The deepest joys are not available to us when we are isolated, but rather when we can share in them: We marched across the sea together and sang, we gathered together at Mount Sinai to receive Torah, and we convene for lifecycle events and holidays always with a minyan or quorum of at least 10. In truth—and we know this now better than ever after living through a pandemic—we are never more happy than when we are together, and I have to agree with Rebbe Nachman; we are never more content than when we can share in song.

Every morning when I drive up the hill to our temple and school, my daughter Ruby and I listen to music. I love sharing with her different songs and soundtracks, exploring moods and flavors, rhythms and scales. My hope is that music will always allow her to feel connected to her joy, to our tradition, and to others.

What will you listen to today to increase your joy??

—Cantor Emma Lutz