Moods and Jewish Music - Sadness

Sadness is a result of loss, and is an opposite of happiness. If happiness is resolution, sadness is the introduction of doubt. " How can I cope in the future after this loss," a person would say. In Jewish tradition, sadness is a crucial stage one must go through when suffering loss, but it is only a stage. It is forbidden to mourn excessively, or to become permanently sad. One who does so will have created a self-fulfilling prohecy about not being able to cope.

Rather, when a person is not so sure of themselves and accepts that self-doubt, they will be able to appreciate that they need to grow. If someone denies a natural sadness, they will also be unable to cope, lacking an understanding that things of changed and there is now a new reality to cope with. The Jewish mourning rituals of seven days of sadness and consolation, followed by gradually increased re-entry into society allow this balance to be struck well.

In this way, sadness is a key to greater growth and future happiness. It should be experienced only in its proper time, as King Solomon said, " There is a time to laugh and a time to cry," and only in its proper measure. May we all be spared from sadness-causing events and enjoy truly joyous resolutions to all of our challenges.