When the Temple stood in Jerusalem a Jew was obligated to bring three different sacrifices on the three pilgrimage holidays. The first was the Olah Re-eyah (עולה ראיה), a complete burnt offering. The next was a Peace Well-being offering to increase joy (שלמי שמחה) aka Simkha. The last sacrifice was the Haggigah (חגיגה) which was also a Peace Well-being korban. To fulfill the mitzvah of the Simkha and Haggigah, one must eat some of the cooked meat. Back then most diets were vegetarian because meat was too expensive to have as a single serving. Only in the second half of the 20th century in the United States, people started eating an individual serving of meat like a steak or hamburger on a regular basis.
Only in conjunction with a celebration did people eat meat. That is why “Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira says: When the Temple is standing, rejoicing is only through the eating of sacrificial meat, as it is stated: “And you shall sacrifice peace-offerings and you shall eat there and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 27:7).” (TB Pesakhim 109a, Sefaria.org translation) The today’s Gemara, TB Pesakhim 71, asks the question how can you rejoice on the holiday when you can not offer the Simkha? Rav Pappa provides an innovation (חידוש) that not only applies today when the Temple no longer stands, but apparently would work even when the Temple was in existence. “Rav Pappa said: In such a situation, one rejoices with clean clothes and old wine.” (Sefaria.org translation)
Since laundering clothes isn’t such a big deal in the modern era like it was in the past, I am guessing that this must be the origin of today’s custom of wearing a brand-new piece of clothing on every holiday. Indeed, wearing something brand-new for the first time makes the person happy. One even says the blessing shehekhiyanu over new clothes thanking God for allowing you to reach this happy occasion. If that doesn’t make you happy, there’s always a glass of fine wine to improve your spirits.
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