Thursday, June 12, 2008
Ohr Somayach:Succos:The Curse of Happiness
by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair - www.seasonsofthemoon.com
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Of all the mitzvot which one would you think the most difficult? Probably giving up your life to sanctify G-ds name. In fact, the Vilna Gaon said that the most difficult of the mitzvot is the mitzva of simchat Yom Tov, the Torah obligation be happy on the festivals of Pesach, Shavuot and Succot. With most mitzvot we fulfill our obligation by doing an action. We put on tefilin, we eat matza on the first night of Pesach, we refrain from eating of Yom Kippur. The mitzva of simchat Yom Tov, however, requires us to be constantly happy during Yom Tov. There should not be a single moment when we are not filled with the joy of the festival. Now, I ask you, was there ever a time when you were constantly happy for one whole week? How about a day? An hour? Maybe. And in that hour, wasnt there a single second that you couldnt find the correct change in your pocket, or you felt a little tired for a second or two? Or maybe for a split second you felt a little blue? Constant happiness? Thats a very difficult thing to achieve.
However, the Torah wasnt given to the angels. It was given to flesh and blood. If the Torah mandates this constant happiness from us, it must be achievable.
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Of all the mitzvot which one would you think the most difficult? Probably giving up your life to sanctify G-ds name. In fact, the Vilna Gaon said that the most difficult of the mitzvot is the mitzva of simchat Yom Tov, the Torah obligation be happy on the festivals of Pesach, Shavuot and Succot. With most mitzvot we fulfill our obligation by doing an action. We put on tefilin, we eat matza on the first night of Pesach, we refrain from eating of Yom Kippur. The mitzva of simchat Yom Tov, however, requires us to be constantly happy during Yom Tov. There should not be a single moment when we are not filled with the joy of the festival. Now, I ask you, was there ever a time when you were constantly happy for one whole week? How about a day? An hour? Maybe. And in that hour, wasnt there a single second that you couldnt find the correct change in your pocket, or you felt a little tired for a second or two? Or maybe for a split second you felt a little blue? Constant happiness? Thats a very difficult thing to achieve.
However, the Torah wasnt given to the angels. It was given to flesh and blood. If the Torah mandates this constant happiness from us, it must be achievable.
...
