8a: Eating as Simcha

It is interesting on the bottom of this amud that the way to have simcha is through eating. So much so that minha and bird sacrifices are considered "not to have joy" -- because they are not as gastronomically satisfying as meat from larger animals. The focus on food that continues today on Jewish holidays may not be just a funny stereotype, but also a reflection of how we have marked joy in the past. Jews just love food.