Moses then reviewed with the Jewish people the laws of the three “pilgrim” festivals – Passover, Shavu’ot, and Sukot – which they were required to celebrate in the Temple-city.
Celebrating Life
וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְּחַגֶּךָ וגו':
(דברים טז:יד)
[Moses told the Jewish people,] “You must rejoice in your festival.”
Deuteronomy 16:14
Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Chasidism, interpreted this phrase as follows.
“You should internalize the inner message of the festivals. This will infuse joy into your observance of the festivals; they will become your own, personal celebrations.”1
I quite agree with both Moses, who asked the congregation to rejoice in their festival and Rabbi Zalma's call for the Jews to internalize the inner message of the festivals.
Asa behaviour change communicator, I believe in and profess the need for voluntary adaptation of change of behaviour conducive to health. When people understand why they should behave in a certain way, they voluntarily change their behaviours positively and maintain the new behaviour. Similaly, if people understand what those feasts are, what they mean to them and why they must be commemorated, they are bound to rejoice and participate actively in celebrating the feasts voluntarily without being coarsed.