Parashat Ki Tavo
"Happiness"
Parashat Ki-Tavo describes the ninety-eight Kelalot (curses) that God threatens to bring upon Benei Yisrael should they disobey the Torah. At one point in this section, the Torah informs us of the particular cause of these calamities: "Tachat Asher Lo Avadeta Et Hashem Elokecha Be'simcha" – "on account of the fact that you did not serve Hashem your God with joy" (Devarim 28:47). Surprisingly, the Torah here does not refer to a generation that simply disregarded the Mitzvot; it speaks of a generation of Jews that are indeed loyal to God's laws, but begrudgingly, without joy and enthusiasm. The Torah demands not only that we obey the Mitzvot, but that we rejoice and take pleasure in the performance of Mitzvot; in other words, the Torah demands that we be happy.
This requirement is expressed in other contexts, as well. King David famously wrote (Tehillim 100:2), "Ivdu et Hashem Be'simcha" – "Serve God with joy." He didn't instruct simply, "Serve God," but rather than we must do so "with joy." The Gemara in Megila presents the famous rule, "Mi'shenichnas Adar Marbim Be'simcha" – "When [the month of] Adar comes, we increase our joy." Conversely, in Masechet Ta'anit we read, "Mi'shenichnas Av Mema'atim Be'simcha" – "When [the month of] Av comes, we decrease our joy." These two passages work off the basic assumption that a Jew must constantly live in a state of happiness. Halacha requires increasing or decreasing the level of joy at different periods of the year, but some level of Simcha (joy) must be maintained at all times. Rabbi Shimon Schwab compared the requirement of Simcha to a pilot light on a gas range. The flame must always remain lit, and one lowers or raises the fire as needed. Similarly, a Jew must live each day of the year with a certain degree of happiness, which he increases or decreases depending on the particular season.
Every person on earth spends his life pursuing happiness, but, unfortunately, few of them actually achieve happiness. If the Torah demands that we live and serve God with joy, then it clearly assumes that we are capable of achieving a state of happiness. But how is this achieved? What is the Torah's "secret" to attaining true joy and contentment?
In Sefer Melachim I (8:66), the prophet tells that after the fourteen days of celebration for the inauguration of the Bet Ha'mikdash, Benei Yisrael returned home happy. What was the cause of their happiness? As Rabbi Avraham Pam noted, it could not have been just the delicacies and fine wine they enjoyed during the celebration. Many among Benei Yisrael lived a distance of several days' travel from Jerusalem, and yet the prophet tells that they felt joyous upon returning home – long after the pleasure provided by the food and wine had subsided. They were happy because of the spiritual elevation they had just experienced during the inauguration of the Temple. As the Yalkut Shimoni remarks on this verse, they rejoiced "because they enjoyed the glory of the Shechina."
True joy results from spirituality, not from material gain. King Shelomo, the wisest and wealthiest of all men, commented in the Book of Kohelet (1:14), "I have seen all the creations that were made under the sun – and behold, it is all vanity and worthlessness." Kohelet enjoyed all the luxuries and pleasures of life, and concluded that this does not bring a person happiness. The Rabbis remarked, "A person who has one hundred – he wants two hundred." Material wealth can never bring contentment, because the more one has, the more he desires. Ultimately, as the Rabbis comment in a different context, "A person does not die with half of what he desires in his possession." There will always be a wide gap between the wealth one has achieved and the wealth he still desires, and this gap leads one to depression and frustration.
Important as it is to earn a respectable living, wealth alone will not make a person happy; only religion and spirituality can bring true happiness and contentment.
Rabbi Samson Refael Hirsch claimed that the word "Samei'ach" ("happy") is etymologically related to the verb "Tz.M.Ch.," which means "grow." What brings a person joy is growth, spiritual advancement. When a person is stagnant, when he is not growing or progressing, he feels frustrated and depressed. Children are happy and excited by nature, because they are constantly growing at an accelerated rate. They are always learning new information and coming upon new experiences. Herein lies the key to happiness: spiritual growth.
To the outsider, the Torah life might seem burdensome and restrictive. To those who experience it, however, it is the greatest source of joy and accomplishment in the world. A person who spends his time and energy solely on material gain and physical indulgence will never feel happy. A swimmer submerges his entire body in water and works to move forward, but he must occasionally come up for air. Similarly, although a person must "submerge" himself in a career and work hard to earn a living, he cannot survive spiritually unless he "comes up for air," unless he designates sufficient time for Torah and Mitzvot. Otherwise, he can never achieve genuine happiness, which can come only through spiritual growth and elevation.
