Rosh Chodesh Adar Essay: When Adar arrives we increase our happiness
Rosh Chodesh Adar Essay: When Adar arrives we increase our happiness

The Edythe Benjamin חיה בת שלמה, beloved mother of Barbara Hanus, Rosh Hodesh Adar II Torah Essay

The mitzvah of happiness is a central mitzvah in the Torah, to the point that in the tochacha (rebuke) in Parashat Ki Tavo is says that the curses will befall us  “Because you did not serve the L-rd your G-d joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity…” (Devarim 28:47). According to what is written in the tochacha, the curse is not for not worshipping Hashem, but for not worshipping Him joyfully.

The Rambam says in Hilkhot Lulav:

"The happiness with which a person should rejoice in the fulfillment of the mitzvot and the love of God who commanded them is a great service. Whoever holds himself back from this rejoicing is worthy of retribution, as states: '...because you did not serve God, your Lord, with happiness and a glad heart.' Whoever holds himself proud, giving himself honor, and acts haughtily in such situations is a sinner and a fool. Concerning this, Solomon warned : 'Do not seek glory before the King.' [In contrast,] anyone who lowers himself and thinks lightly of his person in these situations is [truly] a great person, worthy of honor, who serves God out of love. Thus, David, King of Israel, declared : 'I will hold myself even more lightly esteemed than this and be humble in my eyes,' because there is no greatness or honor other than celebrating before God, as states: 'King David was dancing wildly and whistling before God with happiness and a glad heart.'"

According to the Rambam, happiness is a form of serving G-d, which requires effort -“a great service”. It is up to us and we are commanded to make the effort. How do we accomplish this? What effort must we make in order to reach happiness?

One of the ways to reach happiness is through dance. This is the example which the Rambam brings, citing the story of King David who “danced wildly and whistled before G-d”. This is a method in which we take something external and use it to reach happiness. Both song and dance are ways of lifting one’s heart to happiness.

The Rambam adds that happiness is also connected to a person’s character. One who prevents himself from achieving happiness is showing that he is proud.  We see that a person who is proud thinks that he is deserving, and therefore he does not show appreciation for what is given to him and therefore is not happy with his portion. So we see that another way to reach happiness, one which is internal, is to reach happiness through modesty, which brings a person to appreciation and happiness.

In the mitzvah of bringing the bikkurim (first fruits), it is said about the person bringing the fruits to the Temple: “You shall rejoice with all the goodness that the L-rd your G-d has given you” (Devarim 26:11). After the labor in the fields, when a person succeeds, with the help of Hashem, he has a mitzvah to be happy.  The work and the effort lead to happiness when a person has appreciation “You shall rejoice with all the goodness” - the joy will come from recognizing that this is a gift “that the L-rd your G-d has given you”.

Here the happiness is not just in the worship of G-d, but also in the benefit which man has received: life, the fact that I get up in the morning, my family, that we are able to live here in Israel, and the myriad other personal blessings which we have received.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslav teaches us how to practice happiness:

"...For it is known that a man must be very careful to be always happy, and to distance sadness very, very much… The same applies to the way you look at yourself. You must judge yourself favorably and find the good points that exist in you. This will strengthen you so you won't fall into despair. Rather, the good you find inside you will give you new life and bring joy to your soul, for you have performed a small mitzva or good deed, and then you should look further and find another good point in yourself." (Likutei Moharan Kama, Torah 282)

In education, and in general in relationships, it is important to focus on the good in a person, and use that to empower the student, instead of admonishing him for his weak points.

So it is too in the way that a person sees himself: when one strengthens the good within himself, he strengthens his own belief in himself and that will allow him to achieve happiness.

In the Mitzvah of bikkurim, it says additionally: “You shall rejoice with all the goodness that the L-rd your G-d has given you and your household – you and the Levites and the strangers who are in your midst.” (Devarim 26:11). A person is commanded not only to be happy himself, but also to concern himself with the happiness of others. There is an interesting story about this brought in Massechet Taanit:

"R. Beroka Hoza'ah used to frequent the market at Be Lapat where Eliyahu often appeared to him. Once he asked [the prophet], is there anyone in this market who has a share in the world to come? He replied, No. …Whilst [they were thus conversing] two [men] passed by and [Eliyahu] remarked, These two have a share in the world to come. R. Beroka then approached and asked them, What is your occupation? They replied, We are jesters, when we see men depressed we cheer them up (Rashi – with jokes); furthermore when we see two people quarrelling we strive hard to make peace between them."

Surprisingly the people whom Eliyahu points out to R. Beroka are not in the Beit Midrash, but rather in the market. What are these people who merited the world to come doing? They are happy people who cheer up others.

From here we learn how important the quality of happiness is – because of it one merits the world to come.  These people who merited the world to come are not only happy, but they make others happy as well.  When we find the happiness within us we can make others happy. Bringing happiness to others reinforces our happiness and enriches our lives.

R Nachman of Breslav adds to this idea and says that happiness can actually revive a person:

"And you must very, very careful to always be happy…With happiness you can give another person life! There are people who suffer terrible pain but cannot express what is in their heart. When you come to such a person with a smiling face, you can literally give that person life. To give a person life is not an empty gesture. It is something very great. As it says in the Talmud (Taanit 22a) 'We are two jesters…', who merited what they merited because they made others happy. "(Sichot HaRan 43)

A person who makes another person happy revitalizes him and therefore merits the world to come.

May Hashem grant that we merit enlightening the world with happiness, being happy and bringing happiness to others.