Not Also. Only.
Now there’s an important corollary to this subject which has to be stated at the outset and that’s as follows: It’s not that the Jewish way is that we also get excited about Hashem. No, that’s not it. We get excited only about Hashem. That’s it. Nothing else.
All other things? Quietly, under the table. Nothing to talk about. You have to downplay everything else because if you make noise about other things, you’re devaluing the excitement about Hashem. And conversely, the more you’re quiet about everything else, the more your noise about avodas Hashem means something. I’ll take a little time to explain that.
The Mistaken Hesped
The Gemara (Berachos 16b) tells us that among the talmid chachamim there was a once a certain movement to make an event out of the passing of a kosher eved Canaani; not just to ignore the passing of a decent person but to give him a hesped just like any other Jew.
And so one time when an eved Canaani passed away some of the Sages came together and one of them got up and said: הוֹי – “Woe is to us, אִ י שׁ ט ו ֹ ב וְ נֶ אֱ מָ ן וְ נֶהֱ נֶה מִ יגִ יעוֹ – that we lost a good person, a loyal man who worked hard for his parnassah.” He said more than that; he gave a moving eulogy with all the accolades and praises befitting an important person.
Now, we admire that speaker. After all he was able to recognize even in a humble slave desirable qualities and he therefore accorded him the recognition that he deserved. It’s a humility of character to see the good points of someone who others might consider of a lesser pedigree. We admire that.
And therefore we’re surprised to read the conclusion of the Gemara. When the other Sages heard what had taken place they rebuked the speaker: “No, don’t say that,” they told him. “Because אִם כֵן מָה הִנַּחְתָ לַכְשֵׁרִים – if you’ll say about him all those accolades then what remains for kosher Jews?” If you’re going to give such extreme encomium to this man, what will you leave over for the righteous people?”
The Big Rule For Life
Now pay attention. What’s this question, ‘What will you leave over?’ If I’ll honor a slave – even if I’ll exaggerate a little – does it mean I can’t honor righteous people? Why can’t I be excited about both of them equally?
And the answer is, you can’t. Because if you take these adjectives, this eulogy, and you apply it to someone of a lower madreigah, a lower degree, then those who are better are robbed of that much recognition.
Now, that’s an important principle not only in this detail; it’s a klal gadol in everything in the world. There’s no such thing in this world as being excited about everything. If you make noise about one thing – or too much noise – you’re misappropriating excitement; and therefore we cannot be lavish, we cannot be extravagant in our praise of just anything.
It’s considered an error – not only a big error in judgment but it’s an insult to the things that are worth being excited about. אִם כֵן מָה הִנַּחְתָ לַכְשֵׁרִים – What do you leave for the things that are important? If we are excited about things that don’t deserve honor, then we are robbing the important things of the world of the recognition which is owing to them.
The Not So Super Bowl
And when people therefore watch a football game and they get excited; they’re all heated up about how the teams are fighting over the football. And now one of the players is running and he pushes another one into the ground and he makes a touchdown and they start shouting, ‘Woohoo!’; that ‘woohoo’ is a sin.
I’m not talking about the sin of bittul Torah and other things, things that come along with the football game that are forbidden. I’m not talking about that now. Just the fact that you’re excited, that you’re making noise about something that’s lo klum, something that’s not important – ‘Ooh ahh! What a goal! What a player! It’s good they gave away that other player to get him!’ – means that you’re making less important the things that deserve your excitement.
When To Leap
Simchas Torah, that’s the day for excitement! When they’re putting the sifrei Torah into the aron kodesh, you’re leaping and shouting in honor of the Torah. Yes! As much as you have, you should put into it!
But if the week before you were leaping and shouting about a black man who can put a ball into a basket or a white man who can hit a baseball over a fence so you’re robbing the Torah of what it deserves. And even if you weren’t shouting but you were excited? Excited?! When you express enthusiasm for anything else except Hashem, it’s a sin. A sin!
Now that’s a chiddush to many people because a person thinks that when it comes to regesh, to emotions and noise and excitement, so it belongs to him: “It’s my own business,” he says. “I’m shomer Torah u’mitzvos; I keep Shabbos and I daven in the synagogue every day with a minyan. I send my children to the yeshivahs and Beis Yaakovs. And I learn Torah too. So what are you bothering me about excitement? I do everything!”
The answer is it’s not everything. Because the klal gadol is רָ גֶשׁ בֵית אֱ לֹקִים נְהַלֵךְ – Only in the areas of life that are connected to Hakadosh Baruch Hu do we go with excitement. And therefore even the excitement of a Yisroel has to be measured out. He makes himself excited about what’s important – it means the service of Hashem – and everything else is downplayed.
The Holy Holidays
Let’s say if the gentiles have a certain festival and they’re excited about it. Very good. Why shouldn’t they be? It’s for them after all.
But the Am Yisroel, we ignore it entirely. When Thanksgiving comes we shouldn’t see a remez of that festival in the Jewish home. We turn our backs on it. Don’t talk about it at all, forget about it; it doesn’t exist. It’s like a regular weekday. Nobody eats turkey. Everyone goes to work. All the yeshivas function exactly as if it was a regular weekday.
We have to be b’raash only about our holidays, our yomim tovim. Purim?! Yes! Make Purim a big day in your house. Some people show lip service to Purim; shalach manos and so on. No! Purim is the day for excitement! Make it a great day! Purim is the day to summon all the relatives and spread out good foods. Make a lot of noise on Purim! Dance your heart out on Purim! You’re excited that Haman is hanging; you’re excited that one day all of our enemies will hang. Excellent! That’s what excitement is for.
We have days! In the Torah calendar there’s a plentitude of happy occasions. Pesach is a glorious occasion. Go all out for Pesach! Lag Ba’omer is a glorious occasion. Shavuos is exciting! And there are plenty of days like that. So why do you have to have special food on Thanksgiving or Mother’s Day or whatever other American holidays?
The Frum Cousin
Don’t give all your emotions to things that are not paramount in the world. A man who becomes very much excited over anything in this world, even the greatest success or good times, that person is showing weakness in understanding his purpose in this world – because there’s only one thing in this world to be excited about: Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
And so if you invite your frum cousin from Boro Park to your home and you want to show him your stamp collection and he looks but he doesn’t say anything – he’s looking with a deadpan face – so you think, “He doesn’t appreciate it. He doesn’t have a taste in good things.” No. Be dan l’kaf zchus. He learned this lesson: He doesn’t get excited over things that don’t matter. Don’t think he’s lacking in intellectual development; on the contrary, he’s super-developed.
Bathroom Music
If you see someone like that, use him as your model. He’s not excited about ‘eating out’? Admire that. Some people, they make a ceremony about it. It’s something exciting; they go out to eat! We don’t say such things. Only fools go out to eat. Some of them wear special garments. They dress for dinner; full dress. And they go to special places where there’s music too.
The Rambam says eating is a function like the other function. And the other function, would you do it to music? Do you put a music box in the bathroom?
So what’s this business? It’s a bodily function! You should be ashamed you have to eat. You’re stoking the furnace; you’re shoving coal and wood down the furnace. What is there to make a fuss about?
Of course you have to eat. You have to eat properly and chew your food; take your time, yes, but what’s the ceremony about it? Taking time doesn’t mean it’s a big thing. The Gemara says בֵ ית הַ כֶסֶה בַמַּרְבֶּה שְׁ נוֹתָ יו מַ אֲ רִ יכִ ין לוֹ יָמָ יו וְכָל – in the bathroom you should also take your time. Don’t be in a hurry, the Gemara says. But no orchestra!
The Jewish Orchestra
The orchestra, the excitement, the noise, is meant for certain occasions, certain things, that deserve it. When it comes to serving Hakadosh Baruch Hu, then you have to put on the biggest show that you can; that’s what deserves an orchestra. There should be a big noise about it. Make it the biggest thing you can.
That’s why the pious Jew when he has to go to the synagogue for praying, he puts on his better coat. Something he does; he adjusts his tie at least. Because he understands that רָ גֶשׁ בֵית אֱ לֹקִים נְהַלֵךְ – It’s in the house of Elokim that we go with excitement. A stadium? Nothing. A museum? Nothing? A theater? Absolutely nothing.
People have it upside down. Watch someone when he walks into a movie. Ooooh! On tip-toe! With respect! He’s afraid he might make the smallest sound and disturb the people in their “holy” pursuits. Oh, the movie is about to begin! His breast is filled with excitement!
Chas v’shalom! That’s a corruption of character. When you walk into a movie – you shouldn’t – but let’s say you have to; you’re a plumber and they called you to fix the pipe. So you have to feel like you're walking into an old-time livery stable.
