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Bitachon Weekly

The Biggest Simcha in the Universe Is Being Yourself

  • Sukkos
  • 5787
  • English
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The Gemara in Sukkah asks, how do we know which plant is meant by the Passuk: כַּפֹּת תְּמָרִים וַעֲנַף עֵץ עָבֹת (Lulav and Hadas); maybe the Passuk is referring to other plants, like some which can hurt, or are prickly? The Gemara answers this cannot be, because: דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי נֹעַם משלי ג יז the ways of the Torah are pleasant, and therefore it must mean a Lulav and a Hadas, which are more Geshmak. (Of course, we know the meaning of the Passuk because of the oral tradition we have from Moshe Rabeinu, but the Gemara almost seems like the human being “decided” that the Mitzva of Arba Minim has to be Geshmak and not painful, because: דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי נֹעַם משלי ג יז the ways of the Torah are pleasant. This fits in to Zman Simchaseinu. You want Simcha? Create it yourself.

זֶה קֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ I have to make Avodas Hashem Geshmak. Your learning, your davening, your Mussar Sedarim; make them Geshmak! And the Rambam says that all the singers and musicians of the Simchas Bais HaSho'eva in the Bais Hamikdash had to individualize his particular form of instrument. You do only what you're good at, and nothing else! The Rambam keeps repeating this. And the Mitzva of Simchas Yom Tov is by doing what makes you happy; with different forms of Simcha for men, for ladies who are from Bavel, ladies from Eretz Yisroel, and kids.

Each person has a different way of fulfilling the Mitzva of Simchas Yom Tov. By men it's: בָּשָׂר וְיַיִן meat and wine. And for some women: בִּגְדֵי צִבְעוֹנִים colorful clothes. And other women, Davka white clothes. And for kids, it's: קְלָיוֹת וְאֶגוֹזִים candy. The biggest Simcha in the universe is being yourself! And it's up to each person to work on finding his true self, since there are multiple Yetzer Hara's that distract people, with all kinds of Kin'ah, Ta'ava, and Kavod, which make you focus on what you aren't.

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