In heavy times, how do we--and how much do we--allow ourselves to be happy? What place does grief or suffering have in moments of great joy? As we ease out of the most explicitly mournful period of the Jewish year, we'll look to two Talmudic passages (and a some contemporary Jewish satire) to explore how our ancestors grappled with these enduring human questions.

Shani Rosenbaum serves on the faculty of the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College, where she teaches rabbinic and halakhic literature. She holds a BA in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University and received rabbinic ordination from Hebrew College. Shani is a core faculty member for the Mandel Foundation's Cultural Leadership Program, and has taught Talmud, Midrash in Halakha in a range of community contexts, including Mayyim Hayyim, Hebrew College's Open Circle, and Hadar's Halakha Intensive. She has served on the programming teams of several NGOs pursuing justice through a Jewish lens, including Encounter and OLAM. On Shabbat afternoons you can find her curled up on the couch with a good novel in Somerville, MA.