Tishrei 18, 5761 - 2nd Day Chol HaMoed Succos

The Vilna Gaon was once asked, “What is the hardest Mitzvah to fulfill?” You would think that he would answer Shabbos, with all it’s details, or keeping Kosher, but that wasn’t his response. The Vilna Gaon said that to be solely happy on Shmini Atzeres is the hardest Mitzvah in the Torah to fulfill. After all, how can one be having fun ALL DAY LONG? That’s not easy. There are only so many Simpsons episodes to quote!

The problem is that we have other Halachos that seem to contradict, or at least hamper this Mitzvah of Simchah:

The Rama, Rav Moshe Isserles, the Ashkenazi voice in the Shulchan Aruch, in his second comment in the entire Sefer, writes about the importance of a certain principle. “Shivisi Hashem Lenegdi Samid, Hu Klal Gadol BaTorah…” To have a perception that Hashem is always watching is a fundamental idea in Judaism. This concept, in and of itself, might not pose a problem for our Simchah, after all, it was Hashem who commanded it.
However, there is another Halacha, which makes our fun a bit tricky. The Mechaber, Rav Yosef Karo, author of the Shulchan Aruch, writes in Siman Shin Zayin, Halacha Tes Zayin, that it is forbidden to read certain books full of nonsense, trashy novels and the like, even on a weekday. The first Pasuk in Tehillim praises a person for not sitting among jokers; among scoffers. Rav Yosef Karo writes that one who reads these kinds of things, associates himself with the lowlifes of society: the jokers, the scoffers. And if a person does read these books, he or she transgresses the prohibition found in VaYikra Yud Tes, “Al Tifnu El HaElilim.” The Gemara Shabbos (Kuf Mem Tes Amud Alef) Darshuns this Pasuk to mean, “Al Tifnu ‘Kel’ MiDaatchem – do not remove Hashem from your mind.” It would seem to be an Issur DeOraisa to sit around making jokes. Not only does it associate one with the dregs of society, but it causes that person to forget about Hashem. And HaKadosh Baruch Hu has to be in our minds at all times!

That’s a heavy idea.

I don’t think that any of us envision the Gra sitting around his table on Shmini Atzeres cracking jokes; but after learning this Halacha, we certainly ought to have a new understanding about what me mean by “Latznu” in the Ashamnu prayer. Perhaps we are lacking in our definition of Simchah.

Finally, perhaps the most blatant contradiction to Simchah that everyone encounters is Yizkor. Davka on Shmini Atzeres, when the sole Mitzvah of the day is Simchah; we have Yizkor. The problem is obvious. At first glance, it doesn’t seem to make any sense.
But, the truth is, these Halachos serve to delineate and define what real Simchah is.

The Mishna in the 9th Perek of Berachos tells us that a person is obligated to make a Berachah on evil, just like he makes a Berachah on the good. The Gemara (Daf Samach Amud Beis) is bothered by this phrase:

“What does it mean, ‘a person is to make a Berachah on evil, just like he makes a Berachah on the good?’ It can’t mean that we make the same Berachah on bad tidings as we do on good tidings. On good news we say ‘HaTov VeHaMeitiv,’ while on bad tidings, we say ‘Dayan HaEmes!’” It’s simply not the same Berachah!

Rava answers, “It means that both Berachos have to be said [in the same manner;] from a posture of Simchah.”

Simchah!!! How can a person make a Dayan HaEmes BeSimchah?!

Rashi explains, that Simchah here means BeLeivav Shaleim, with a full heart, wholeheartedly.
We are used to thinking of Simchah as an extreme emotion; like when a person finds out that he just won the million-dollar jackpot – now HE is BeSimchah. Rashi, however, tells us that there is a Simchah of serenity as well. There is a Simchah that is an internal equilibrium, not necessarily dancing an external jig. The Simchah that this Gemara demands, is a posture, an expression, a result, of a certain perception of reality.

Unfortunately, for many, Simchah has become a way to escape reality. We make jokes and play games so that we can avoid the harsh reality that can often be our lives. Being happy, for too many people has become a safe way to get drunk. But that is not the Jewish concept called “Simchah.” Simchah is a certain serenity that results from an awareness that Hashem is running His world. And he is running it with a plan; a plan that we may not always appreciate or understand, but a plan that, at the end of the day, is best for all of us.

There are many explanations as to what exactly Moshe Rabbeinu’s Cheit was when he hit the rock. The Maharal, in his Gur Arieh has a fascinating explanation. The Pasuk says that Moshe lacked Emunah. “Yaan Asher Lo HeEmantem Bi.” His failure, was a failure in Emunah, on his tremendous level, as we will see. The Maharal goes on to say something unbelievable. Moshe’s saying to Clal Yisroel, “Shimu Na HaMorim – Listen up rebels!” and hitting the rock, twice, was a departure from Emunah.
Why?
Listen to what the Maharal says:

Because Moshe got angry.

Doing something with anger shows that a person lacks in Emunah, because a person with Emunah experiences only Simchah! With Emunah comes Bitachon, and with Bitachon comes Simchah. But, and these are the words of the Maharal, “Im HaKaas, Eyn Kan Emunah.” With anger, there is no Emunah.

What emerges from the Maharal is that Simchah is the result of Emunah. The Simchah, the serenity we experience in life is directly proportional to our quality of Emunah. Simchah is not an escape from life, it is the vital experience of being part of it.

What will our Simchas Yom Tov be? How will we rejoice in our Succah? What will be the joy at our Shmini Atzeres table? Cracking jokes and nonsensical conversation is not a Simchah of life; it is avoiding life. We joke around to change subjects, to get our minds off of life. I think that this is what Rebbi Dosa had in mind when he said in Pirkei Avos (3:14), “Late morning sleep, midday wine, children’s chatter, and sitting in the assemblies of Amei HaAretz remove a person from the world.” These are all tools that a person uses to escape reality and make a dreamland for himself. Sleep, alcohol, Leitzanus with friends and meaningless social events are what we all do to try and have fun; to try and achieve Simchah.

But we are looking in the wrong place. Aside from the fact that all these activities are temporal pleasures, they are not indicative of, nor do they yield, true Simchah.

Real Simchah is the result of knowing that Hashem is running His world, and running it properly. Real Simchah is the serenity that we experience in knowing that the world has a purpose; there is a plan. Real Simchah is the experience of living life; not fleeing from before it.

Such a Simchah is available, it’s reachable. The way to get it is to work on our perceptions; on our Emunah. The more we see the hand of G-d in the world, the more serenity we will feel; the more Simchah we will experience.

The Halachah of Al Tifnu El HaElilim does not contradict Simchah; it delineates it.
Shivisi Hashem Lenegdi Samid, does not limit our Simchah; it defines it.
Yizkor does not hamper our Simchah; it should enable us to keep going, knowing that there is a continuity in creation, that there is a purpose to life, and we must pick up where others left off, and be partners with Hakadosh Baruch Hu in His ultimate plan, with Moshiach Tzidkeinu, BB”A.