The Source of True Pleasure
The Sfas Emes adds another point regarding this crucial battle for the kedushah of a Yid: “In accordance with the degree of joy that a Yid feels at the covenant that Hashem forged with us, so too will be the extent of his ability to properly guard that covenant—and this joy is what Pinchas held on to as he carried out his great act of zealotry.”
We may fault ourselves regarding our failures in kedushah, we may regret the past and resolve to do better in the future—but we must feel joy due to the very fact that Hashem forged a bris with us, and this itself will give us the strength to prevail in this nisayon.
HaKadosh Baruch Hu chose us, and He informed us in advance: Your neshamah will crave pleasure, but I establish a covenant with you that you should draw pleasure from Me. It will be brutal and it will be difficult, but the reward that you will receive—in This World and in the Next World—will be exponentially greater than any difficulty.
Drawing Strength from the Covenant
We must feel tremendous joy that were chosen by Hashem and given this mitzvah—beginning when we were eight days old. We give thanks for this during Birchas HaMazon—בבשרינו שחתמת בריתך ועל. This means that we must think also about the positive aspects, the joy of the covenant with Hashem, and the great blessing that it brings into our lives.
A person must think about the Beis HaMikdash that each of us can merit to enter. On the Seder night, we enumerate the many blessings that Hashem gave us, beginning with the Exodus from Mitzrayim, and we mention also the gift of the Land of Eretz Yisrael. One may ask, why should we give thanks for this at a time when we’re in galus, and we’re so distant from Eretz Yisrael? The answer is that the essence of Eretz Yisrael is alive and well, and it is accessible to all of us—because Hashem gave it to us. While we wait for the ultimate return to the Land and for the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, we can still access the kedushah of Eretz Yisrael.
Our access to Eretz Yisrael, the Beis HaMikdash, and the Kodesh HaKodashim is contingent upon our success in guarding the covenant that Hashem has established with us, as the Sfas Emes is teaching us. And this must bring us great joy. A Yid must remember that he must celebrate with great joy even one triumph in kedushah—and that it is the Ribbono shel Olam Who gives him the ability to fight. In this, we’re completely different from the goyim all around us. The Ribbono shel Olam gives us the ability to daven to Him and to draw strength and fortitude to become pure and guarded, filled with light... a Yid of “Eretz Yisrael.”
