If you were to tell your doctor that laughter is the best medicine, your doctor would probably laugh at you, which is no small irony. Yet, when we laugh, we infuse our bodies with feelings of joy, relaxation, and relief. Believing in our own health and our own well-being can at times serve as a kind of medicine. This may be the real reason why the Hebrews lost their first attempt to conquer Canaan.Just as believing in ourselves brings us health, so too does believing in our societies. When citizens begin to doubt and undermine their societies, punishment becomes more cruel and more public. This can be seen in the stoning of the man for breaking Shabbat.Beethoven's attitude toward adversity his whole life was to demonize it, fight against it, try to conquer it. Yet, in his swan song, he seems to advocate joy as the greatest medicine of all.IG: Stevehead0001steventobyweinberg.comMusic: Beethoven - "Symphony No. 9 IV. 'Ode to Joy'"