The Power of Joy
The Zohar teaches that the way a person conducts himself in This World determines how he is dealt with Above. In the words of the Zohar, “If a person down here shows a luminous face, in the same way a luminous Face shines upon him from Above.” (זהר ח"ב קפ"ד ע"ב)
One Motzaei Yom Kippur, the Baal Shem Tov went out with his chassidim to recite Kiddush Levana, but the moon was covered by clouds. Returning to his room, the Baal Shem Tov immersed himself in davening and tearfully pleaded that the moon be revealed – but the clouds did not part. The chassidim, waiting outside for their Rebbe, broke out in joyful dancing, thanking HaShem for the Yom Kippur they had properly spent. The Baal Shem Tov, drawn by their simcha, joined them. The clouds suddenly moved aside, the moon came out, and with great ecstasy, the chassidim recited Kiddush Levana.
Regarding this episode, the Baal Shem Tov would say, “What I could not bring about with my tefilos and yichudim, the chassidim were able to accomplish with the power of simcha.” (סיפורי חסידים זוין תורה ע' 115)
Sweetening with Simcha
Crossing over a bridge in Danzig, Reb Simcha Bunim of Pshis’cha saw a man floundering in the waters below. Seeing no way of saving the Yid, he called out to him, “Send regards to the Livyasan!” At that moment, HaShem came to the man’s aid: he managed to catch on to a plank and save himself.
Reb Simcha Bunim later explained that due to the man’s broken spirit, he could not be helped. “But when I made that humorous comment he was slightly gladdened, he was able to save himself with the power of his simcha.” (שיח שרפי קודש עניני שמחה אות ט)
Reb Elimelech of Lyzhansk would often undertake harsh siggufim as a kapara, such as rolling in the snow without warm clothes. On one such night, Reb Elimelech did not notice a nail sticking out of a board that was covered in snow. As he rolled over it, it pierced his hand. When he arrived home, his relatives excitedly gave their advice on how to stop the bleeding. Reb Elimelech’s daughter, overhearing snippets of the lively conversation, thought they were discussing a hole in the wall, and called out, “What’s the big deal? Take some straw and stuff it up!” Hearing this, everyone laughed, and suddenly Reb Elimelech stopped bleeding. With this distraction taken care of, he returned to his avoda.
He later explained that an unfavorable decree had been issued Above, but through the simcha his daughter had caused, simcha was aroused Above, and this nullified the decree. (סיפורים למעשה ח"א)
The Mitteler Rebbe’s kapelia included two groups of chassidim, musicians and horse riders, who would enliven joyous occasions. The Rebbe’s son Reb Nachum was one of the horse riders. One ordinary day, the Rebbe called for a performance and stood by his window to watch. Suddenly, Reb Nachum was flung from his horse and was badly hurt, but surprisingly, the Rebbe motioned that the performance should continue. Meanwhile, a doctor was called, and after examining Reb Nachum, concluded, “He has only broken his leg.”
Some chassidim later asked the Mitteler Rebbe why he had ordered that the performance continue, despite the accident.
“Why don’t you ask the reason for calling for a performance on a regular day?” responded the Rebbe, and he explained: “I became aware of a harsh decree being issued in Shamayim on my son, and since simcha sweetens stern decrees, I called for the kapelia. The simcha helped, for his fall turned out much less harmful than what had been planned for him. Then, to ensure a complete recovery, I instructed that the festivities continue. With HaShem’s help, he will recover completely.” (רשימות דברים ח"א ע' צד)
In the Merit of Joy
Walking around the marketplace, the amora Rav Broka asked Eliyahu HaNavi if anyone who was there was deserving of Olam HaBa. Eliyahu HaNavi answered in the negative. Soon two brothers appeared on the scene. Eliyahu HaNavi said, “These men will merit Olam HaBa,” and went on his way.
Curious, Rav Broka approached the strangers and asked them, “What do you do?”
Their answer was simple: “We’re just a couple of lively guys. We cheer up folks who are sad. And if we see two people arguing angrily, we joke around with them until they give up quarreling.” (תענית כ"ב ע"א)
At a farbrengen the Rebbe once quoted a derush-vort of Reb Shimon of Yerislav, a talmid of the Chozeh of Lublin: “אז, when Moshiach comes, יאמרו בגוים, the goyim will express their surprise: הגדיל ה' לעשות עם אלה, with what have you merited such great miracles?’ We will tell them: היינו שמחים, It was in the zechus of our simcha!”
The Rebbe concluded that Yidden should rejoice out of trust that HaShem will bring Moshiach soon. This will then urge HaShem to do so. (תורת מנחם חט"ו ע' 51, מס' תורת שמעון, לקו"ש ח"כ ע' 384)
Consider
What is the special power of simcha: that it motivates the person to work better or that it draws down a bracha from above?
