While I am a last minute person, even I have noticed the Passover products filling the aisle in Shoprite. Yes, Pesach is approaching. And yet, Adar is not over yet, and neither is the simcha of Adar until Rosh Chodesh on Thursday. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, z”tl, in his article “The Therapeutic Joy Of Purim” asks- why a whole month? The story of the salvation of Purim really focused on the 13th to the 15th of Adar. He then asks, and why is the emotion joy? It should be relief.
It lasts the whole month because it is not “expressive joy” that one would feel on the day something good happens (the 13th/14th/15th). Rather, Rabbi Sacks calls the joy of Adar a unique type of joy- “therapeutic joy.” To combat the trauma and the terror they needed therapeutic, all-encompassing joy. The way to “defeat fear is by therapeutic joy. You conquer terror by collective celebration…Precisely because the threat was so serious you refuse to be serious… Humor is the Jewish way of defeating hate. What you can laugh at you cannot be held captive by.”
As our 8th grade is about to present their Holocaust presentations this week, Rabbi Sacks continued explanation hits home. Rabbi Sacks gives an example of a Holocaust survivor who approached him after he wrote a book Celebrating Life. The man commented on a quote that Rabbi Sacks had used based on the comedy Life is Beautiful about the Holocaust that “a sense of humor keeps you sane.” The survivor shared that he had made a pact with a friend that each day they would look for something amusing and they would share with each other and laugh. They knew that if they could not keep their spirits up they would die, and a sense of humor would save them.
While that Holocaust survivor intuited the power of humor, there is much research substantiating their strategy. We all know the benefits of humor and laughter. Research indicates that laughter can help those who suffer with chronic pain. A Swiss research team found that people who laughed at comedy films had increased pain tolerance. Humor activates the release of endorphins- minimizing emotional pain, and relieves muscular tension- affecting physical pain.
Humor helps people deal better with stress overall and improves one’s mood. Research with humor therapy’s impact on the elderly indicates a decrease in pain, perception of loneliness and increase in happiness and life satisfaction. Laughter enhances intake of oxygen and stimulates organs such as the heart and lungs and muscles overall. It fires up and then cools down your stress response, and then increases and then decreases heart rate and blood pressure, which leads to a relaxed feeling. Humor can improve your immune system, and your self-esteem.
In our 7th Grade Advisory unit “When Life Gives You Lemons” among the many techniques we discuss with the students to utilize when facing stressful or upsetting situations, we speak about in the moment, sometimes we just need to use the technique of distraction until the feelings or events pass. An acronym A.C.C.E.P.T.S. expressed the different techniques, among them humor! :
A.= Activities- engage in activities that require thought and concentration (hobby, schoolwork etc.)
C.= Contributing- focus on someone or something else other than yourself- volunteer, do a good deed.
C.= Comparisons- Look at your situation in comparison to something worse. Remember times when you felt worse and you were okay.
E.= Emotions- Do something that will create a competing emotion LIKE HUMOR - if sad, watch a funny movie.
P. = Pushing away- Push away your negative thoughts. Imagine they are like a piece of paper and crumple them up and throw them out!
T.= Thoughts- When your emotions take over, try to focus your thoughts. Count to 10, read a book etc.
S.= Sensations- Find safe physical sensations to distract you from negative emotions. Squeeze a stress toy, eat something sour.
While we targeted many ideas, we did focus on the impact of humor and how it truly can help. Joy can be therapeutic.
So, as I notice the Pesach products in Shoprite, I am thinking that perhaps the best way to overcome the pre-Pesach stress is through extending the simcha of Adar a few more weeks until I kasher my kitchen! Is that okay?
Advisory Update:
Sixth Grade: Sixth graders began a new unit on Social Exclusion and other forms of bullying. This week they focused on the power of the bystander.
Seventh Grade: Students had a visit from Mrs. Shifra Srolovitz, a Child Life Specialist who trained them to decorate stuffed animals with encouraging messages for ill children. Some classes focused on the dangers of gambling- timed to come right before March Madness. And, they focused on noting the stressors in their lives and how they deal with them.
Eighth Grade: Students began their unit on Substance Abuse prevention focusing first on the dangers of alcohol and the impact on the Jewish community.
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