Simcha: Its Definition, Path to Achieving It

I wanted to touch on a little bit the inyan of simcha to understand what simcha consists of and why it’s so central to Torah, to Yahadus. Margla de pumei of my father, hareini kaparas mishkavo, people conventionally but incorrectly associate simcha with Chassidim, with Chassidus as well, as though it were a concept invented and created by Chassidim. In fact, he used to say, the centrality and importance of simcha within Torah is indisputable. מקרא מלא דבר הכתוב in the tochachah in Devarim, Parshas Ki Savo, Perek Chaf-Ches, Pasuk Mem-Zayin:

תחת אשר לא עבדת את ה' אלוהיך בשמחה ובטוב לבב מרוב כל.

That rachmana litzlan we are punished not for abstaining from avodas Hashem entirely, but even the fact that the avodas Hashem happens but is not besimcha, so that itself rachmana litzlan is occasion for punishment min hashamayim. And not mild or trivial punishment either, this is in the tochachah. The Rambam quoting this pasuk and elaborating on it in Perek Tes of Hilchos Teshuvah writes as follows:

הבטיחנו בתורה שאם נעשה אותה בשמחה ובטובת נפש ונהגה בחכמתה תמיד שיסיר ממנו כל הדברים המונעים אותנו מלעשותה כגון חולי ומלחמה ורעב וכיוצא בהן.

That Hakadosh Baruch Hu promises us that he will facilitate, if we observe Torah besimcha, so then he will facilitate our further observance of Torah by removing all obstacles such as sickness, war, hunger, etc., rachmana litzlan.

וישפיע לנו כל הטובות המחזיקות את ידינו לעשות התורה כגון שובע ושלום וריבוי כסף וזהב. וכן הודיענו בתורה שאם מדעת נעזוב התורה ונעסוק בהבלי הזמן,

so then the Ribbono shel Olam will place obstacles in our way.

הוא שכתוב בתורה תחת אשר לא עבדת כלומר אם עבדתם את ה' בשמחה ושמרתם דרכו משפיע לכם הברכות האלו ומרחיק הקללות מכם עד שתהיו פנויים להתחכם בתורה ולעסוק בה כדי שתזכו לחיי העולם הבא.

But here too the Rambam and again it’s just reflecting the pasuk,

אם עבדתם את ה' בשמחה, אם עבדתם את ה' בשמחה.

The same thing you have at the end of Hilchos Lulav, the last halachah in Hilchos Lulav, the Rambam writes:

השמחה שישמח אדם בעשיית המצווה ובאהבת האל שציווה בהן עבודה גדולה היא.

The fact that a person should take joy and pleasure in fulfilling mitzvos is an avodah gedolah. וכל המונע עצמו משמחה זו ra’uy lehipara mimenu,

שנאמר תחת אשר לא עבדת את ה' אלהיך בשמחה ובטוב לבב.

So quite clearly the Rambam just reinforces the peshuto shel mikra that we are called upon not only to fulfill Torah but to do so besimcha. So the centrality and importance of simcha is indisputable. So certainly it’s something we have to try There are many Pesukim, especially in Mishlei, which associate Simcha with lev. And you have it in Chumash, vera'acha vesamach belibo, that Aharon Hakohen is described as vera'acha vesamach belibo. But if you read through Sefer Mishlei, there are many Pesukim where Simcha is associated with lev. אם חכם לבך ישמח לבי גם אני, one example. But there are many other examples where Simcha is associated with lev. Genuine Simcha is balev. That's the only genuine Simcha. You know that from the Rav zichrono livracha also explains al pi Halacha that that's true, that Simcha is a kiyum balev. The Rav said the Gemara in Moed Katan on daf yud daled, this is ba'arichus in the second volume of the Yahrtzeit shiurim. The Gemara says that אבל אינו נוהג אבילות ברגל, that asei derabbim of vesamachta bechagecha vedochei asei yachid. So the Rav asks, the Gemara just takes for granted that there's a clash between avelus and Simcha, and the Gemara explains why it is that Simcha prevails because it's an asei derabbim whereas avelus is only an asei yachid. But why does the Gemara take for granted that there's a clash? Simcha means basar ushlamim, yayin, maybe she'ar minei Simcha as well, but none of those things are assur to an avel. Okay, an onen on the yom hamisa is assur bekodshim. But beyond that, beyond that, mitzvas Simcha lichora does not clash with nihugei avelus. So the Rav explained that what it means is that ein hachinami on the practical level of nihugim, so Simcha and avelus are compatible and can be reconciled. But the clash is rather that in each case the nihugim of Simcha and the nihugim of avelus are supposed to express and evoke a kiyum shebalev. And it's the kiyum shebalev of avelus and Simcha which are atpudei desasrei. The kiyum shebalev of an avel, which the yud daled devarim of an avel are supposed to express, that kiyum shebalev is antithetical to the kiyum shebalev of Simcha. The Rav said that's the only way you can understand the fact that there's a mitzvas Simcha on Yom Kippur as well when in fact there is no outward manifestation of Simcha. But Simcha is balev. So the same thing which you see simply from the Pesukim, from the peshuto shel mikra, so the Rav explained that that's true al pi din as well, that whenever you have a mitzvas Simcha, so the ultimate kiyum is always balev. He went on to explain, and this too you'll see in the Yahrtzeit shiur, that Simcha is always to be found when a person is lifnei Hashem. On Yom Tov, ושמחתם לפני ה' אלהיכם שבעת ימים, because of the special kedushas hayom that we're lifnei Hashem, that's what's mechayev in Simcha. Okay. But still we have to understand, and it's very important, what is, again, the Rav is again emphasizing as we inferred from the Pesukim that Simcha is balev. But what is the experience of Simcha? Okay, we know what it is to laugh when you hear a good joke. So if you want to describe that experience we can do so. But what is genuine Simcha and when does a person experience, what is the experience of genuine Simcha? I just want to mention two marei mekomos and one anecdote to try to give a sense for what it is. The Gemara in Brachos on samech amud beis commenting on the lashon hamishna. The lashon hamishna says that חייב אדם לברך על הרעה כשם שמברך על הטובה. There's some kind of equation between the way between blessing. bracha al hatovah on good tidings and bracha al hara rachmana litzlan on bad tidings. Says the Gemara what is the equation? אילימא כשם שמברך על הטובה הטוב והמטיב that you make the same bracha of Hatov Vehameitiv? It's not true. Vehatnan

על בשורות טובות אומר הטוב והמטיב ועל בשורות רעות אומר ברוך דיין האמת.

It's a different bracha. In one case it's Hatov Vehameitiv and in the other case it's Dayan Haemes. Ella says the Gemara, amar Rava, לא נצרכה אלא לקבולינהו בשמחה. That the way you're supposed to be mekabel, the way you're supposed to say the bracha, the mode in which a person is mekayem the chiyuv bracha is the same. The actual bracha differs, but a person has to be mekabel besimcha. The same way a person is mekabel b'soros tovos, good tidings, besimcha, so too, rachmana litzlan, he's supposed to be mekayem the chiyuv of the bracha Baruch Dayan Haemes the same way. So to be mekabel besimcha. Now if you take a look, there's a Rashi here which is very, very important. Rashi says לקבולינהו בשמחה לברך על מידת פורענות בלבב שלם. But what simcha means is to be b'leiv shaleim. That's what simcha means, says Rashi. If a person is b'leiv shaleim, he is what does leiv shaleim mean? It means that a person is calm, serene, or tranquil, that he maintains an equilibrium, it's not upset, that's what leiv shaleim means. We'll elaborate on this in a minute. The same explanation of what simcha means, what simcha consists of, you find in the Maggid Mishneh on that Rambam we mentioned in Hilchos Lulav of

שמחה שישמח האדם בעשיית המצוות ובאהבת הקל שציווה בהן עבודה גדולה היא.

So the Maggid Mishneh writes as follows:

עיקר הדבר הוא שאין ראוי לו לאדם לעשות המצוות מצד שהן חובה עליו והוא מוכרח ואנוס בעשייתן.

A person should not do mitzvos out of duress, out of coercion, אלא חייב לעשותם והוא שמח בעשייתם. He should rejoice in doing mitzvos. Now what does that mean? In other words,

יעשה הטוב מצד שהוא טוב ויבחר באמת מצד שהוא אמת.

A person should do good because that's the right thing to do, because it's good, and a person should pursue emes because it's emes, not just because עתיד ליתן את הדין if I don't do this, but rather because it's good, because it's emes. When does a person have the calm or serenity or tranquility which Rashi speaks of when he says b'leiv shaleim? It's when a person knows and feels that everything is the way it should be. That gives a feeling of genuine simcha. If a person feels and knows that everything is the way it should be, so then a person is besimcha. When a person is besimcha with himself, when a person is happy with himself, it means that he's b'leiv shaleim with himself. That he thinks that the way he's behaving, now he may be, this may be real or it may be imaginary, but he thinks that what he's doing and the way he's living is correct and that his conduct is what it should be. Then a person has a sense of simcha, a sense of happiness. And that's the same thing in Rashi when Rashi says b'leiv shaleim, that a person should, if a person's attitude and approach to the besorah ra'ah, rachmana litzlan, is well, that's what has to be, that's what should be, so then he can accept it b'leiv shaleim. If that's what has to be, then that's good. A person is always happy when things are the way they're supposed to be. When a person is unhappy with himself, so you know that what it is is I'm unhappy with myself if I know I could be learning better. If I'm taking advantage of all my opportunities to do mitzvos that I have so then I'm happy. And if I know that I'm negligent in that so then there's a restlessness inside of me which is the antithesis of simcha. And that's what both Rashi and the Magid Mishna are converging on. Rashi says how are you mekabel es hagezeira with simcha? Because a person has a sense it comes from the Ribono Shel Olam so this is what should be. And whenever a person has a sense that what should be is a person is besimcha. Simcha equals lev sholem. And that's what the Magid Mishna says also a person is sameach bemitzvos when he has a sense that he's not doing something because there's a gun to his head but he's doing something because this is intrinsically good and it's intrinsically emes. And if the Ribono Shel Olam commanded it it's not that I have a gun to my head but rather it's intrinsically good it's intrinsically emes. The story is told of Rav Aharon Kotler zatzal that when he was when he was dying so one of his immediate family members wanted to boost his spirit. So they told him the doctor said tomorrow's going to be better things will be better tomorrow. And he understood his condition very well he knew exactly what his condition was and the story is told that he responded as follows וואס איז דארף זיין and וואס דארף זיין איז גוט. He answered that whatever is has to be. There's no accident in life. The Ribono Shel Olam is mashgiach over us hashgacha pratis. So what is has to be וואס איז דארף זיין. And vos darf zayn what has to be since it comes from the Ribono Shel Olam since it's the Ribono Shel Olam's decision and determination is good. So there's no such thing as better. That was his response. But if you think about it for a moment kimdoyni it also reflects the same understanding of what it means to be besimcha. Again it's this Rashi of the lev sholem. The lev sholem means that when does a person have calm again it's a state of an all-encompassing state of calm and tranquility and serenity is when a person knows that things are the way they're supposed to be. And that's what simcha means. That's what simcha means. That's what the Magid Mishna explains the reason simcha is indispensable in our kiyum hamitzvos is if you understand that this is the definition of simcha. Simcha doesn't mean you know a person walks around telling jokes so that's simcha. No that's not pshat the simcha. It doesn't mean that a person distracts himself from all realities of life and focuses on something that's humorous. That's our idea of simcha. But if you understand the Magid Mishna says if you understand what simcha what authentic simcha is so then for a person to מקיים מצוות שלא בשמחה is Rachmana litzlan a sacrilege because again if the definition of simcha is that things are as they are supposed to be as they should be so then Rachmana litzlan the implication of my relating to mitzvos not besimcha of my relating to mitzvos as though Rachmana litzlan they were a burden to my observing mitzvos resentfully begrudgingly so the implication is that mitzvos are not intrinsically right or true or correct. And that's what the Torah says it's not enough that we observe mitzvos it's not enough עבדת את ה' אלקיך but it has to be besimcha as well. A person has to part of קבלת עול מלכות שמים doesn't just mean to recognize well the Ribono Shel Olam is stronger than me so beles breira I have to submit myself. But part of קבלת עול מלכות שמים is to recognize and accept that what the tells me is right, it's not just that I have to do it under duress, but is right, and that will automatically translate into a feeling of simcha in doing mitzvos, in doing mitzvos. But if we return for a moment, even before that, there is another very interesting and important passage in the Rambam which also sheds light on simcha and certainly overlaps with what we're talking about now at the end of Hilchos Megilla in פרק ב הלכה יז. So the Rambam has as follows:

מוטב לאדם להרבות במתנות אביונים מהרבות בסעודתו ובמשלוח מנות לרעיו.

Of the three mitzvos hayom, matanos l'evyonim, seudas Purim, and mishloach manos, a person should spend more money on matanos l'evyonim than he should on seudas Purim and mishloach manos. Ai, האי מצוה והאי מצוה? So how does the Rambam know how to rank them? So the Rambam says

שאין שם שמחה גדולה ומפוארת אלא לשמח לב עניים ויתומים ואלמנות וגרים.

There's no greater simcha and no more glorious simcha than to be misame'ach the poor, orphans, widows, geirim. שהמשמח לב האמללים האלו, one who is misame'ach again, lev ha'umlalim ha'eilu, the simcha is balev, domeh l'shechina, שנאמר להחיות רוח שפלים ולהחיות לב נדכאים. So the Rambam said that why is this the greatest simcha? Because to be misame'ach others is a kiyum in v'halachta bidrachav. So the Rambam has another equation here. He has an equation between simcha and v'halachta bidrachav. When one lives his life of v'halachta bidrachav, so then that is the highest form of simcha. And since, what's unspoken in the Rambam is that since all the mitzvos hayom of Purim are intended to be a kiyum in mitzvas simcha, that's the unstated assumption here in the Rambam, that mishloach manos, matanos l'evyonim, and seudas Purim are all kiyumim in yemei mishta v'simcha, in simchas Purim, so since the greatest simcha is the v'halachta bidrachav to be לשמח לב האמללים האלו, so mimmela clearly matanos l'evyonim will have priority over seuda and mishloach manos. So the Rambam has an equation between simcha and v'halachta bidrachav. And again, clearly that fits into our scheme. There's more to it as well. When a person is midameh, is domeh l'shechina, so there is certainly no no greater attainment of his being as he should be and as he ought to be than when a person elevates himself to a state where he's domeh l'shechina. Hence the equation between simcha and הידמות להקדוש ברוך הוא. But if we return for a moment to the Gemara in Berachos which we mentioned earlier, so we'll see that the chiyuv simcha is not only one which has to accompany asiyas hamitzvos. After the Gemara quotes the halacha of Baruch Dayan Ha'emes being said b'simcha, so the Gemara tells the famous story of Rabbi Akiva.

וכן תנא משמיה דרבי עקיבא לעולם יהא אדם רגיל לומר כל דעביד רחמנא לטב עביד. כי הא דרבי עקיבא דהוה קאזיל באורחא מטא לההיא מתא.

He was traveling and he came into a town, a city. בעא אושפיזא לא יהבי ליה. He looked for an inn to stay at, no one would let him stay in their house. אמר כל דעביד רחמנא לטב. Whatever Rachmana does is letova. azal u'vas b'dabara. He went and he slept out in the open field. והוה בהדיה תרנגולא וחמרא ושרגא. He had a rooster, and he had a donkey, and he had a candle, he had light. Ata zika, a wind came, kavyei lishraga, it had extinguished the fire. Ata shunra, a fox came, achla letarnegola, it ate the rooster. Ata aryeh, a lion came, achla lechamra, it ate the donkey. אמר כל דעביד רחמנא לטב. Whatever HaKadosh Baruch Hu does is letovah. Beileilaya, ata gaisa, that same night a group of pirates came, or a division of soldiers, shavyei lemata, and they overran the entire city. Amar lehu, so he told his talmidim,

לאו אמרי לכו כל מה דעביד הקדוש ברוך הוא הכל לטובה.

Didn't I tell you whatever HaKadosh Baruch Hu does is letovah? Rashi explains, אילו היה נר דולק. If I would have had the candle burning, היה הגיס רואה אותי. This division would have seen me. ואילו היה החמור נוער או התרנגול קורא. If the donkey would have brayed or the rooster would have cried out, היה הגיס בא ושובה אותי, then I would have been detected and I would have been taken prisoner. So what is the Gemara trying to illustrate with this very famous story of Rabbi Akiva? No matter what happened to Rabbi Akiva, he remained totally calm and totally serene. That same simcha which should accompany asiyas hamitzvos because one has a sense that it's right, and whenever you have a sense that what is should be, a person is besimcha, that same sense of simcha should also characterize a person's reactions to whatever befalls him. Because if a person sincerely believes in hashgacha pratis, so whatever happens, number one, is coming from the Ribono shel Olam, and number two, whatever the Ribono shel Olam does is letovah. And if that's the case, so the same trigger or the same mechayev which you have for simcha in asiyas hamitzvos carries over to how a person accepts whatever his lot in life turns out to be, whatever HaKadosh Baruch Hu gives him. And that's what the Gemara is illustrating in the story with Rabbi Akiva, that no matter what happened, Rabbi Akiva, his equilibrium was not disturbed and he remained calm, serene, beleiv sholem as Rashi says. And why is that? Because simcha is an expression of bitachon. It's an expression of bitachon that mitzvos hen emes and mitzvos hen tov and therefore what is should be, a matter reason for simcha. And in terms of the hashgacha pratis which is visited upon a person, it's bitachon that what is, again, should be, and is from the Ribono shel Olam, and again is besimcha. That's what Rabbeinu Bachya says in Chovos HaLevavos, expresses the same idea. He says that one of the benefits of bitachon is that a person is always happy, he's always calm, he's always relaxed. Because when a person has bitachon and he knows that whatever is sent his way, whatever is visited upon him comes from the Ribono shel Olam, so then he has nothing to struggle against, nothing to be frustrated about. When is a person upset, when is his equilibrium disturbed? When a person thinks that things aren't as they should be: I should have gotten that job, or I should have succeeded in this venture. If a person recognizes that it was a yad Hashem which decided that he shouldn't, and which determined that he shouldn't, then a person knows that that was letovah. So then a person can accept everything besimcha. That's what Rabbeinu Bachya says in Chovos HaLevavos, again, that a corollary or a benefit of bitachon is that a person is beshalva. That's what it means, ביקש יעקב לישב בשלווה. Tzaddikim can be beshalva. That's the midah of tzaddikim. That's what the Baal Shem Tov says. But one level of meaning in the pasuk of שיויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד so the Baal Shem Tov says the simple pshat of hamikra is that shivisi means I have placed. I have placed Hashem l'negdi tamid. The Baal Shem Tov says that what it means is shivisi is lashon shoveh, equal. The Baal Shem Tov says shivisi, I'm always equal, I'm always blevav shalem, I always maintain my calm, I'm always tranquil. Why? Because Hashem l'negdi tamid. If Hashem l'negdi tamid and I know that whatever befalls me comes from the Ribono Shel Olam, so then shivisi. So be'emes what the Baal Shem Tov says שיויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד is really this Gemara in Brachos of

חייב אדם לברך על הרעה כשם שמברך על הטובה וקיבלוה בשמחה.

Just want to add one final point for tonight, again coming back to the Rambam in Hilchos Lulav. Rambam says that hasimcha

שישמח אדם בעשיית המצווה ובאהבת הקל שציווה בהן עבודה גדולה היא. וכל המונע עצמו משמחה זו ראוי להיפרע ממנו שנאמר תחת אשר לא עבדת את ה' אלקיך בשמחה ובטוב לבב.

The lashon of וכל המונע עצמו משמחה זו is strange. Why not just say the opposite of hasimcha sheyismach adam is וכל מי שאינו שמח ראוי להיפרע ממנו? It's not a parallel formulation. Now if you're going to have the hein and the lav, so hasimcha sheyismach adam v'chol she'eino same'ach ra'ui l'hipara mimenu. Why does the Rambam change it to וכל המונע עצמו משמחה זו? So kemidomani the pshat is as follows. When the Rambam says

שישמח אדם בעשיית המצווה ובאהבת הקל שציווה בהן עבודה גדולה היא,

avodah gedolah tartei mashma. Number one, it means that it's central and fundamental, which is what we commented on at the beginning of our discussion tonight. But avodah gedolah also means that it's difficult, gadol in the sense of as being interchangeable with kasheh, meaning that it's a difficult avodah. It's something which a person has to strive for, person has to work for, person has to yearn for. And therefore the opposite, one who is guilty is not necessarily one who isn't same'ach because maybe he's in the process of trying to reach that madrega. The person who is guilty is someone who's המונע עצמו משמחה זו, someone who is holding himself back that he's not trying to achieve that madrega of simcha in asias hamitzvos. But a person who is not same'ach because he's not yet at the stage of lishma, but he's trying in the bechina of L'olam ya'asok adam בתורה ומצוה שלא לשמה שמתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה so he's not guilty. He's not guilty. And that's what the Rambam is saying that to reach the stage where a person has so totally purified himself that he relates to mitzvos without any sense of coercion, that he relates to mitzvos because if the Ribono Shel Olam commanded it then it's good, if the Ribono Shel Olam commanded it then it's emes and avodah gedolah in the sense not only of fundamental and important but also difficult. And therefore the Rambam recognizes that it's not something which a person is going to, a madrega a person is going to achieve beheref ayin, but it's a madrega he has to constantly strive for. The Rambam indicts someone who's המונע עצמו משמחה זו, who's not even striving, who's not even working towards that, that ultimate level of observance of Torah and mitzvos. And it's very important as we bli neder try to discuss many many fundamental inyanim in avodas Hashem such as tonight we tried to discuss a little bit what simcha consists of. So the question which always comes to mind is, well, halacha l'maaseh and again we spoke last week, this is Chovos Halvavos, it's also. And that's what we're saying, a crucial part of that answer always is the Gemara of

לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ומצוות שלא לשמה שמתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה.

That there is a certain circularity within torah umitzvos, and that is, in order to observe torah umitzvos totally lishma, you first have to observe torah umitzvos. Because what purifies a person and what uplifts a person is torah umitzvos. But it's not circular because of the מתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה. And that's what the Rambam says, that we're not guilty if we haven't attained the simcha yet, but we're only guilty if we're muneia atzmeinu, if we're not striving for it. Okay, next piece.