A Jewish soldier once came to the tisch of the Yesod HaAvodah, and the soldier’s face shone brightly. Surprised with the unusual radiance of his face, the Yesod HaAvodah turned to him, asking him what he had done to leave him with such an awe-striking glow?
He replied, “I am a soldier in the king’s army. On the first night of Sukkos, I was standing guard, but I desired immensely to sit in the sukkah. I risked my life, left my post, and dashed to a sukkah. I said the brachah, ate a kezayis of bread, and returned to my post.”
The Yesod HaAvodah replied, “You did a great mitzvah. You performed a mitzvah with mesirus nefesh. Nevertheless, that isn’t the reason why your face shines so brightly. There must be another reason.”
The soldier said, “When I returned to camp, I was so happy that I was able to perform that mitzvah, I began to dance with immense joy.”
The Yesod HaAvodah told him that it was the merit of that joy that brought the shine onto his face.
The Sefer Chareidim writes, “The Arizal revealed that everything he received, i.e., his ruach hakodesh and great revelations in the secrets of Torah, were all a result of the endless happiness with which he performed every mitzvah.”
