PRACTICAL SIMCHA B’MITZVOS; Part 1
When we think about simcha b’mitvos it naturally seems very far from us. If so, why even try to reach this exalted level?
This is a masterful trick of the yetzer hara. He makes us believe that a certain level in avodas Hashem is unattainable. Consequently, we never achieve that level, the levels that could have grown out of that level and all the accompanying joy and kirvas haborei. The yetzer is very smart and knows where to put his efforts.
With simcha b’mitvos this is especially problematic because it is so meaningful, fruitful and impactful yet very much within reach.
One can’t begin to fathom the greatness of the Arizal. The Ari accredited his madreiga to his simcha b’mitzvos! The אורחות צדיקים writes that a mitzvah b’simcha accrues 1000 times more reward than without it. Think about it; it is the same old davening (perhaps even faster since you are enjoying it) but if you are b’simcha it is like (almost) 3 years of burdensome davening. Having simcha in a single Yom Kippur makes it worth many, many more Yemai Kippurim than otherwise experienced in a lifetime! One hour of enjoyable learning is like 250 four-hour sedarim.
There are other wonderful benefits to happiness in mitzvos. Since they are more enjoyable we are far more likely to stick to and be affected by them.
So we clearly see that simcha b’mitzvos is meaningful, fruitful and impactful.
Now let’s see how attainable it is. The אורחות צדיקים writes that the opposite of simcha b’mitzvos is doing the mitzvos as a massa (a burden). The inference being that once the mitzvah is not a burden, rather the doer is minimally happy he already achieves the initial level of simcha b’mitzvos. You don’t have to be elated or ecstatic, just feeling not burdened.
So we see simcha b’mitzvos is not as far away as we thought.
To make this practical one can craft a short statement to say before or while doing a mitzvah like “this is wonderful”, “I am so happy to be doing this”, “this is good for me”. These statements remind one to think joyfully and help concretize the feelings of joy.
One who thinks that mitzvos really are burdensome can focus on the following words of the מגיד משנה - מצוות are what we were created for and one is naturally happy when doing what he was created for. Think how the phrase “he/she was born to….” gets thrown around about sports stars and performers. Realize that infinitely more than Lebron James was born to throw a ball into a metal rim was a Jew created to serve G-d.
Once one accustoms himself to the basic level of simcha b’mitzvos his simcha can develop more and more. This enables him to reach levels he never thought possible!
(please send comments and questions to rdsvaad@gmail.com)
If you would like to receive these Avodah thougths every 2 weeks sign up at
http://rdsvaadim.com/subscribe/
When we think about simcha b’mitvos it naturally seems very far from us. If so, why even try to reach this exalted level?
This is a masterful trick of the yetzer hara. He makes us believe that a certain level in avodas Hashem is unattainable. Consequently, we never achieve that level, the levels that could have grown out of that level and all the accompanying joy and kirvas haborei. The yetzer is very smart and knows where to put his efforts.
With simcha b’mitvos this is especially problematic because it is so meaningful, fruitful and impactful yet very much within reach.
One can’t begin to fathom the greatness of the Arizal. The Ari accredited his madreiga to his simcha b’mitzvos! The אורחות צדיקים writes that a mitzvah b’simcha accrues 1000 times more reward than without it. Think about it; it is the same old davening (perhaps even faster since you are enjoying it) but if you are b’simcha it is like (almost) 3 years of burdensome davening. Having simcha in a single Yom Kippur makes it worth many, many more Yemai Kippurim than otherwise experienced in a lifetime! One hour of enjoyable learning is like 250 four-hour sedarim.
There are other wonderful benefits to happiness in mitzvos. Since they are more enjoyable we are far more likely to stick to and be affected by them.
So we clearly see that simcha b’mitzvos is meaningful, fruitful and impactful.
Now let’s see how attainable it is. The אורחות צדיקים writes that the opposite of simcha b’mitzvos is doing the mitzvos as a massa (a burden). The inference being that once the mitzvah is not a burden, rather the doer is minimally happy he already achieves the initial level of simcha b’mitzvos. You don’t have to be elated or ecstatic, just feeling not burdened.
So we see simcha b’mitzvos is not as far away as we thought.
To make this practical one can craft a short statement to say before or while doing a mitzvah like “this is wonderful”, “I am so happy to be doing this”, “this is good for me”. These statements remind one to think joyfully and help concretize the feelings of joy.
One who thinks that mitzvos really are burdensome can focus on the following words of the מגיד משנה - מצוות are what we were created for and one is naturally happy when doing what he was created for. Think how the phrase “he/she was born to….” gets thrown around about sports stars and performers. Realize that infinitely more than Lebron James was born to throw a ball into a metal rim was a Jew created to serve G-d.
Once one accustoms himself to the basic level of simcha b’mitzvos his simcha can develop more and more. This enables him to reach levels he never thought possible!
(please send comments and questions to rdsvaad@gmail.com)
If you would like to receive these Avodah thougths every 2 weeks sign up at
http://rdsvaadim.com/subscribe/