אך שמח 5 – It says in Meseches Sukkah 48a that from the words, “אך שמח” in Devorim 16:15 it comes to include that the night of the last days of Yom Tov must also include Simcha, joy. Many wonder how the Gemara can learn this from the word, “אך” – for this word is generally used to exclude things and not include things – which is what the Gemara is doing here – it is saying that the word comes to include the last night of Sukkos in the obligation of joy. As it says in Yerushalmi Brochos 9:5 “אכין ורקין מיעוטין הן” – The Lashon of אך and רק are Leshonos of excluding, not including. It says in שמחת הרגל 2 – regarding the Yom Tov of Shemini Atzeres that it is unique in that all the other Yomim Tovim are commemorating the past, while the Yom Tov of Shemini Atzeres is about the future. In the future, all the days of the year are going to be a Yom Tov, and it will be prohibited to work except for matters of food.
The Yismach Moshe in Parshas Vayakhel explains based on a Yerushalmi in Pesachim 4:1 that on Erev Pesach it is prohibited for one to work, for it is a Yom Tov due to the Korbon Pesach. In truth every day that one brings a Korbon should be prohibited from work. The Gemara asks - if so, it should be prohibited for all to work every day, for there is the Korbon Tamid which is brought daily? The Gemara answers that in truth it should be so, but if no one will work, who will earn a living and support Klal Yisroel – thus it is permitted to work on days that the Korbon Tamid is brought. Based on this, in the future, when will be Zoche to the Geulah, all of our work will be done for us, as it says in Yeshaya 61:5 “ועמדו זרים ורעו צאנכם” – “Strangers will stand and will pasture your flock”. Being that all the work will be done, there is no exemption to work, for a Korbon Tamid is being brought. That would make every day into a Yom Tov. This is as the Shlah Hakodosh explains on the Midrash in Shemos that in the future Klal Yisroel will say Shira. The Shlah explains that Klal Yisroel will say Shira about what will occur Le’asid Lavo – “ביום השמיני עצרת” – that on the eighth day, “תהיה לכם” – in the future it will be a complete Yom Tov for you – it will always be Yom Tov. The reason is because all of your work will be done for you, and therefore it will be prohibited to work.
It says in the ייטב לב – Parshas Matos – on the Posuk in Tehillim 97:11 “אור זרוע לצדיק ולישרי לב שמחה” - “Light is sown for the righteous, and for the upright of heart, gladness.” The Gemara in Ta’anis 15a says, “לא הכל לאורה ולא הכל לשמחה” – “Not all are fit for light and not all are fit for gladness.” The explanation of these words are that there are different Middos in different people. There are those whose very nature is evil from when they are young, and it is a constant battle for him to control his Yetzer Hara. However this person stands up to the test and he overcomes his Yetzer Hara and does not listen to what he says to do, this person is on the caliber of a Tzaddik. Then there is a higher level, one where the person has completely squelched his Yetzer Hara, so much so, that there is no longer a battle for him – his nature has turned into a good one.
This is as Dovid Hamelech says in Tehillim 109:22 “ולבי חלל בקרבי” – “And my heart is pierced within me” – meaning that he no longer had any crookedness in his heart, but he has a לב ישר, a straight heart – a heart that wanted to stay on the straight and narrow path. One who has achieved a pure heart such as this is called a “אור זרוע לצדיק” – a straight heart. “אור”, the light that shines forth pushes away the darkness, so that the person can be called a Tzaddik, but it is a constant battle. “ולישרי לב שמחה” – However, the one who was able to make his heart straight, where there is no more battle, and the heart wants to remain on the straight path, only that person truly reaches the level of Simcha – pure joy. With this we can explain why there is such great joy on the Yom Tov of Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah, more than any other Yom Tov. This is because the Yom Tov of Shemini Atzeres is all about the future, the time we yearn for when Moshiach will come, and every day will be a Yom Tov.
The Gemara in Sukkah 52a says that when Moshiach will come, Hakodosh Boruch Hu will take the Yetzer Hara and Shecht it in front of the Tzaddikim and the Resha’im. Thus, all of Klal Yisroel will be elevated to a level where they will have no crookedness in their hearts, it will all be ישר – straight. All will be Zoche to ולישרי לב שמחה – all will be Zoche to have true unbridled joy. This is what we are so joyous about on this Yom Tov, for the future, when we will experience pure bliss. The Torah uses a Loshon of אך, something missing, for we are currently missing this pure joy. However, we still have a great joy on this great Yom Tov, for it is a Yom Tov about the future, when we will all be Zoche to true joy.