"Mitzvah gedola l'hiyot b'simcha tamid" -- "It's
a great
mitzvah to be constantly happy". This is one of Rebbe Nachman's
most
well-known teachings -- practically every Jewish child can sing the
phrase. But
is it really possible to be constantly happy? After all,
we live
a world plagued by crime, disease, loneliness, poverty, war, aging, and
death. Are we being advised to ignore human suffering (our own and
others'), plaster a smile on our faces, and put all
sadness into
a state of "deep freeze"?
No. In fact, just the opposite: Dovid HaMelech
exclaimed
"Batzar hirchavta li..." -- "You provided the means for my release
in the
distress [itself]" (Tehillim 4:2) Students of the Baal Shem
Tov
HaKadosh explain how a broken heart is actually one of our most
valuable
assets, based on the words "Lev nishbar v'nidke
Elokim lo
tivzeh" -- "HaShem will not scorn a broken and humbled heart" (Tehillim
51:19).
We are commanded to remember, every day of our
lives, the
harrowing experience of having to scream out to HaShem like helpless
children
atYam Suf (the Sea of Reeds). And we are never to forget that
this was
the critical turning point in a series of events culminating in our
miraculous
rescue: "And when we cried to HaShem, He heard our voice...and
brought us
forth out of Egypt..."(Bamidbar 20:16).
Unfortunately, our enemies are sometimes more aware
of the power of a broken heart than we are. Our sages remind us
that as we
were being led on a death march into Babylonia after the destruction of
the
first Beit HaMikdash, the soldiers didn't allow us to rest. They
were
afraid we would congregate to pray, and they knew that in our
desperation, our
prayers would be particularly effective and would cause our captors to
forfeit
their victory. (Pesikta Rabbati 28 on Tehillim
137:1).
Being Happy 23 Hours a
Day
In Lekutey Moharan Tanina 24
("Mitzva
gedolah l'hiyot b'simcha tamid") the Rebbe presents us with an
important
key to attaining constant joy in a far from joyful world. He explains
that we
can reach a state of true simcha only if we set aside time every
day (for
"beginners" 5 - 10 minutes), to express our gratitude, needs,
feelings and
difficulties to HaShem.
We are told to use this time to "Pour out your
heart like
water..." (Eicha 2:19) and to "Lift up your voice like a
shofar"
(Yishayahu 58:1). This doesn't mean literally shouting.
"Lifting
up" the voice is elevating the use of the voice through sincere
prayer.
In fact, the "kol" (voice) of prayer need
not be loud
at all, because in the spiritual realms, even the quietest words spoken
from the
heart are literally thunderous (Lekutey Moharan 5:3). It's also
possible to "shout loudly in a whisper, in a silent scream"
that no one
can hear except the One who gives us the breath of life. (Sichot
HaRan
#16). In this way, we "free up" the other 23 hours of the day for
unburdoned, joyful, productive living.
It Always
Works
The most striking quality of crying out, even
wordlessly, to
HaShem is that it is within everyone's ability. Dovid HaMelech tells us:
"Ezra b'tzarot nimtza m'od" -- "[HaShem's] help in difficulty
is
extremely accessible" (Tehillim 46:2). Success in communicating to
HaShem
doesn't depend on age, education, family lineage, or bank account. It is
a
powerful tool that someone confined to a wheelchair can use just as
effectively
as an olympic champion. It can be done in any langauge, at any time, and
just
about anywhere. It doesn't cost money and, above all -- it always
works!
The Baal Shem Tov HaKadosh taught: "...you must
also have
faith that the very moment the words of prayer leave your lips, your
request is
immediately answered. And if you say, 'But there are times when one's
requests
are not granted,' the truth is that they are granted, but in a way that
is
[temporarily]concealed." (Keter Shem Tov
#80-81).
Kol Simcha, Kol
Za'aka
The dual aspect of our relationship to HaShem is
expressed by
the repetition of the word "kol" by Yitzchak Aveinu in this week's
parasha:
"Ha kol kol Yaakov". This repetition hints at the two distinct
(and
seemingly opposite) aspects of kol. One use of our voice is for speaking
words
of praise and gratitude, as in "Kol susson v'kol simcha, kol chatan
v'kol
kallah, kol omrim hodu et HaShem z'vakot ..." (Yirmiyahu 33:11).
But the other aspect of kol is that of za-aka
(crying
out non verbally). Rebbe Nachman explains that both uses of the human
voice are
necessary to achieve simcha -- joyful service of HaShem with all our
heart
(Lekutey Halachot, Orach Chaim, Hilchot Hodayah, Halacha 6,
Paragraph
24).
Ashreynu that through applying ourselves to
both
aspects of "kol", we can hope to witness the era when "all sighing
and
sadness will flee" --- may it be quickly in our
time.
A gutn Shabbos!
-- N'shey Yeshivat Breslov, Meah
Sha'arim,
Jerusalem
(c) 1999 by Ashreynu. All rights
reserved.