Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, said in the name of Rav: Just as when Av begins one decreases rejoicing, so too when the month of Adar begins, one increases rejoicing.
Rav Pappa said: Therefore, in the case of a Jew who has litigation with a gentile, let him avoid him in the month of Av, when the Jews’ fortune is bad, and he should make himself available in Adar, when his fortune is good.
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: רַבִּי נָטַע נְטִיעָה בְּפוּרִים, וְרָחַץ בִּקְרוֹנָהּ שֶׁל צִפּוֹרִי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז, וּבִקֵּשׁ לַעֲקוֹר תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב — וְלֹא הוֹדוּ לוֹ.... וּבְאַתְרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי לָא נְהוּג. וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: לְעוֹלָם נְהוּג — וְרַבִּי נְטִיעָה שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה נָטַע.
Rabbi Elazar said that Rabbi Ḥanina said: Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi did several unusual things: He planted a sapling on Purim, and was not concerned about performing labor and thereby possibly denigrating the day... Actually, it was the custom to abstain from labor on Purim in Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s place, and Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi engaged in a joyful act of planting, for pleasure rather than for financial benefit.
(ב) מר"ח עד תענית ממעטים במשא ומתן ובבנין של שמחה כגון בית חתנות לבנו או בנין של ציור וכיור ובנטיע' של שמחה כגון אבורנקי של מלכי' שנוטעים לצל להסתופף בצילו או מיני הדס ומיני אהלי' ואם היה כותלו נוטה ליפול אע"פ שהוא של שמחה מותר לבנות (ולצורך מצוה הכל שרי) (ר"ן ספ"ק דתענית) ואין נושאין נשים ואין עושין סעוד' אירוסין אבל ליארס בלא סעודה מותר ואפי' בתשעה באב עצמו מותר ליארס שלא יקדמנו אחר: הגה ונוהגין להחמיר שאין נושאים מי"ז בתמוז ואילך עד אחר תשעה באב: (מנהגים):
(ג) שבוע שחל בו ט' באב אסורים לספר ולכבס אפי' אינו רוצה ללובשו עתה אלא להניחו לאחר ט' באב ואפי' אין לו אלא חלוק אחד אסור
From Rosh Chodesh Av until the Ninth, we minimize business transactions and building of joy, (such as a wedding house for one's son, or artistic building and decorating). We also avoid joyous planting, example a royal banqueting canopy planted for shade... We do not get married and we not make engagement feasts, but engaging without a meal is allowed.
The week that Tisha B'av falls in, it is forbidden to get a haircut or do laundry.
Also, in every province that the king’s command and decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing, and everybody lay in sackcloth and ashes.— When Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came and informed her, the queen was greatly agitated. She sent clothing for Mordecai to wear, so that he might take off his sackcloth; but he refused.
If a psalm begins: Of David a psalm, this teaches that the Divine Presence rested upon him first and afterward he recited the song. However, if a psalm opens with: A psalm of David, this teaches that he first recited the song, and afterward the Divine Presence rested upon him.
The Gemara adds: Incidentally, this serves to teach you that the Divine Presence rests upon an individual neither from an atmosphere of sadness, nor from an atmosphere of laziness, nor from an atmosphere of laughter, nor from an atmosphere of frivolity, nor from an atmosphere of idle conversation, nor from an atmosphere of idle chatter, but rather from an atmosphere imbued with the joy of a mitzva. As it is stated with regard to Elisha, after he became angry at the king of Israel, his prophetic spirit left him until he requested: “But now bring me a minstrel; and it came to pass when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him” (II Kings 3:15).
Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: And, so too, before stating a matter of halakha.
Rav Naḥman said: And, so too, to ensure one will have a good dream.
(ד) כָּל הַנְּבִיאִים אֵין מִתְנַבְּאִין בְּכָל עֵת שֶׁיִּרְצוּ אֶלָּא מְכַוְּנִים דַּעְתָּם וְיוֹשְׁבִים שְׂמֵחִים וְטוֹבֵי לֵב וּמִתְבּוֹדְדִים. שֶׁאֵין הַנְּבוּאָה שׁוֹרָה לֹא מִתּוֹךְ עַצְבוּת וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ עַצְלוּת אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שִׂמְחָה. לְפִיכָךְ בְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים לִפְנֵיהֶם נֵבֶל וְתֹף וְחָלִיל וְכִנּוֹר וְהֵם מְבַקְּשִׁים הַנְּבוּאָה. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א י ה) "וְהֵמָּה מִתְנַבְּאִים" כְּלוֹמַר מְהַלְּכִין בְּדֶרֶךְ הַנְּבוּאָה עַד שֶׁיִּנָּבְאוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאַתָּה אוֹמֵר פְּלוֹנִי מִתְגַּדֵּל:
All the prophets do not prophesy every time they may desire, but they must prepare their minds, rest in a state of exultation and hearty contentment, and in undisturbed solitude;
For prophecy does not rest upon any prophet either when he is in a state of sadness or in a state of laziness, but when he is in a state of joy.
Therefore, the disciples of the prophets had before them the harp, the timbrel, the flute and the violin when they were seeking the spirit of prophecy.
(יח) וְכֵן אֵין עוֹמְדִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לֹא מִתּוֹךְ שְׂחוֹק וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ קַלּוּת רֹאשׁ וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ שִׂיחָה וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ מְרִיבָה וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ כַּעַס אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה. וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ דִּין וַהֲלָכָה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא לִבּוֹ טָרוּד בַּהֲלָכָה. אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ עִיּוּן כְּגוֹן הֲלָכוֹת פְּסוּקוֹת:
So too, persons should not stand up to pray after indulging in jest or laughter, and not frivolity, and not idle talk, and not fighting or anger, but only after the study of Torah.
- not, however, of legal discussions by which the mind is distracted, but only after the study of such themes as require no profound reflection, as for instance established rules.
On the topic of proper preparation for prayer, the Sages taught: One may neither stand to pray from an atmosphere of sorrow nor from an atmosphere of laziness, nor from an atmosphere of laughter, nor from an atmosphere of conversation, nor from an atmosphere of frivolity, nor from an atmosphere of purposeless matters. Rather, one should approach prayer from an atmosphere imbued with the joy of a mitzva.
(א) בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה.
(ב) עַל־פִּי מָשָׁל, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים כְּשֶׁבְּנֵי־אָדָם שְׂמֵחִים וּמְרַקְּדִים, אֲזַי חוֹטְפִים אִישׁ אֶחָד מִבַּחוּץ, שֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְבוּת וּמָרָה שְׁחֹרָה, וּמַכְנִיסִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעַל־כָּרְחוֹ לְתוֹךְ מְחוֹל הַמְרַקְּדִים, וּמַכְרִיחִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעַל־כָּרְחוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שָׂמֵחַ עִמָּהֶם גַם־כֵּן;
(ג) כֵּן יֵשׁ בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה. כִּי כְּשֶׁאָדָם שָׂמֵחַ, אֲזַי הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְיִסּוּרִים נִסְתַּלְּקִים מִן הַצַּד.
(ד) אֲבָל מַעְלָה יְתֵרָה – לְהִתְאַמֵּץ לִרְדֹּף אַחַר הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה דַּוְקָא, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָהּ גַם־כֵּן בְּתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהַמָּרָה שְׁחוֹרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ תִּתְהַפֵּךְ לְשִׂמְחָה. שֶׁיְּהַפֵּךְ הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְכָל הַיִּסּוּרִין לְשִׂמְחָה, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַבָּא לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, שֶׁאָז מִגֹּדֶל הַשִּׂמְחָה וְהַחֶדְוָה מְהַפֵּךְ כָּל הַדְּאָגוֹת וְהָעַצְבוּת וְהַמָּרָה שְׁחוֹרוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ לְשִׂמְחָה. נִמְצָא שֶׁחוֹטֵף הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וּמַכְנִיס אוֹתָהּ בְּעַל־כָּרְחָהּ לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, כַּמָּשָׁל הַנַּ"ל.
(1) On the topic of simchah.
(2) An analogy: Sometimes, when people are happy and dance, they grab someone standing outside [the circle] who is depressed and gloomy. Against his will they bring him into the circle of dancers; against his will, they force him to be happy along with them.
(3) It is the same with happiness. When a person is happy, gloom and suffering stand aside.
(4) Yet greater still is to gather courage to actually pursue gloom, and to introduce it into the joy, such that the gloom itself turns into joy. A person should transform gloom and all suffering into joy. It is like a person who comes to a celebration. The abundant joy and happiness then, transforms all his worries, depression and gloom into joy. We find that he has grabbed the gloom and introduced it, against its will, into the joy, as in the aforementioned analogy.