Even before the Baal Shem Tov was revealed and spread the teachings of Chassidus to the masses, he already began teaching the Jewish people of the importance of being joyful.
The Previous Rebbe relates: Before the Baal Shem Tov revealed himself to the world, he went about from town to town in an attempt to awaken the hearts of his brethren and strengthen their emunah, faith, in Hashem.
The Baal Shem Tov’s Advice
Once, he arrived in a village where the local Jews worked the land for their livelihood. It was in the middle of the summer and the area suffered from a terrible drought. Rain hadn’t fallen in a long while and the crop was drying out. The livestock was getting sick with an epidemic and the townsfolk were in great distress.
The locals were pious Jews, and these events aroused them to teshuvah. When the tragedy persisted, they decided to bring a maagid (preacher) to preach words of rebuke and inspire them to do an even greater teshuvah.
All the townsfolk gathered in the shul and the maagid did not spare any words. He used harsh language to rebuke his listeners, while the entire community groaned and cried bitterly.
Hearing the painful cries of the men and women, the Baal Shem Tov, who was in the shul at the time, turned to the maagid and called out: “What do you have with the Yidden? Yidden are good!”
Turning to the Yidden, the Baal Shem Tov announced, “come, Yidden! Dance with me, and after mincha, rain will fall!”
The assembled first looked at him suspiciously. They thought perhaps he didn’t believe in Hashem or maybe he was out of his mind, G-d forbid. But then, the Baal Shem Tov began strengthening his argument with proofs from the Sages, and the people took heed to his words, believing in the power of Hashem’s salvation.
They joined him in a dance. As their dance progressed, the gates of heaven opened and a downpour of rain fell upon the ground.
On Top of the Game
Service of Hashem must always be done with joy, as the verse says, “serve Hashem with joy”.
Additionally, the Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya that the only way to properly fulfill your job in this world and overcome your yetzer hara, is by being upbeat and joyful, ridding yourself of all depression.
“A war cannot be won with tears,” a Jewish soldier said to the Tzemach Tzedek (the third Rebbe of Chabad). “A war is taken on while singing a march!”
The Tzemach Tzedek then exclaimed, “this is a true soldier!”
The above article and Moshiach Now! reprinted from Derher
Simcha to Bring Moshiach
In 5748 (1988), the Rebbe clearly singled out pure simcha as the last thing needed to finally bring Moshiach.
On Shabbat Ki Teitzei, the Rebbe came out with a special suggestion and request, to increase in simcha in order to bring Moshiach speedily. The Rebbe explained that after all of our work in exile, fulfilling Torah and mitzvot and even spreading Chassidus throughout the generations, it simply does not make sense that Moshiach has not yet arrived. The only thing that was not yet tried was to increase in pure joy. Not just a joy in fulfilling the mitzvot, or a joy in serving Hashem in general, but rather focusing on the simcha as a service in and of itself.
