Serve Hashem with Joy

וְהָיָה כִּי תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וִירְשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ: (כ"ו א')

"And it shall be when you come into the land that the Hashem gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it..."(26:1) The heilige Ohr HaChaim notes that the phrase וְהָיָה "And it shall be" always denotes joy (citing Bereishis Rabbah 42:3). We can expand on this idea by understanding אֶל הָאָרֶץ "the land" is a reference to this physical world. This means that a soul should be happy that it is coming down to this world from the upperly spiritual world. What is the significance of joy here in this world? The Heilige Rebbe Levi Yitzchok of Barditchev teaches that when a soul descends to earth, it weeps bitterly over leaving behind the divine sweetness of closeness to the Creator. To this, the Pasuk responds: וְהָיָה"And it shall be—one must be filled with joy. כִּי תָבוֹא "When you come—when the soul arrives אֶל הָאָרֶץ "into the land into this physical world, it must do so with joy. Only through joy can a person successfully navigate this world in peace. The rest can be explained in the final words of the Pasuk אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וִירְשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ Hashem gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it. This means through doing mitzvohs and following the Torah, you would get rewarded and for this וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ you will gain a nice and important place to sit the Yeshiva in heaven.

Joy as the Key to the World to Come

Rashi comments on a later verse (26:14): "עָשִׂיתִי "I have done"—meaning, שָׁמַחְתִּי וְשְׁמַחְתִּי בּוֹ "I rejoiced, and I brought joy to others" (Sifsei Chachamim). The power of bringing joy to others is immense. The Gemarra (Taanis 22a) relates that Rabbi Buroka Chuza'ah met Eliyahu Hanavi in the market of the city Bei Lefet. he asked Eliyahu if there are people in this market that will merit Olam Habah? Eliyahu Hanavi pointed out two men and revealed that they were destined for the World to Come. When Rabbi Buroka asked about their deeds, they replied, "We bring שִׂמְחָה joy to those who are heartbroken." Furthermore, the word "with joy" בְּשִׂמְחָה can be read as "Beis Simcha"—a double joy. One should rejoice first in coming to this world to earn spiritual merit, and second in the eternal delight awaiting in the World to Come.

The heilige Sefer Beis Aharon of Karlin, teaches that in this context, הָאָרֶץ "the land" refers directly to the World to Come. Since וְהָיָה signifies joy בְּשִׂמְחָה we can deduce a profound hint: "And it shall be—by being joyful and bringing joy to others, כִּי תָבוֹא "you shall bring joy onto others"—this practice will lead you אֶל הָאָרֶץ "into the land—meriting you a place in the World to Come, as we see in the gemarra above.

The Severity of Serving Hashem Without Joy

תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹקִיךְ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב: (כ"ח מ"ז)

"Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart..."(28:47) Why does the Torah place such a harsh punishment for simply lacking joy in serving Hashem? At the beginning of the Parsha, the Torah emphasizes the importance of avoiding ingratitude, which is why the declaration "V'Amarta" and the instruction to "rejoice in all the good" are required. Our Sages teach that ingratitude brought death into the world. When a person lacks joy, it reflects a subtle form of ingratitude for God's gifts—hence the severity of the consequence.

The heilige Rambam writes (Laws of Lulav 8:15): "The joy a person experiences in performing a mitzvah and loving Hashem Who commanded it is a supreme form of service. Anyone who holds back from this joy deserves retribution, as it is written: תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹקִיךְ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב: (כ"ח מ"ז) 'Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart...'" This highlights just how essential it is to rejoice whenever we perform a mitzvah and engage in the service of Hashem.

We can go a step further, as the Pasuk states: 'הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ מְצַוְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַחְקִים הָאֵלֶה וְאֶת הַמִשְׁפָּטִים: (דברים כו טז) This day, the Lord, your God, is commanding you to fulfill these statutes and ordinances, and you will observe and fulfill them with all your heart and with all your soul. (26: 16) Rashi explains: Every day, you shall regard the commandments as if they are brand new, as though you are just today being commanded regarding them!-]

When a person is full of joy, their heart is open to doing mitzvot. But when a person is sad or in a bad mood, they lack the enthusiasm to perform mitzvot with all their heart. Therefore, being happy is a necessary first step. This is the commandment of Hashem וְשָׁמַרְתָ וְעָשִׂיתָ אוֹתָם בְכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשֶׁךָ observe and fulfill them with all your heart and with all your soul. Only through joy and Simcha, can one truly connect with all their heart and soul! (Yehuda Z. Klitnick)