Parshas Ki Savo: The Pursuit of Happiness

“This day G-d commands you to perform these statutes and the laws, and you shall observe and perform them with all your heart and all your soul.” –Deuteronomy 26:16

“THIS DAY: This teaches us that each and every day the Torah should be considered totally fresh and new in your eyes as if it was given on that day anew.” -Rashi ibid

“All these curses will come upon you and pursue you and overtake you, until you are destroyed… because you did not serve G-d with happiness and with goodness of heart.” –Deuteronomy 28:45-47

How is it possible that a person could fulfill all of the mitzvahs in the Torah, study Torah all day, and meet an end of curses and denigration? The Torah informs us that if that very person is lacking simcha, happiness, in the performance of the mitzvah, his end will not be pretty. His lack of gladness in the performance of the mitzvahs will bring about his downfall. Rabbi Boruch Dov Povarsky o.b.m. explains this phenomenon as resulting from mankind’s incessant pursuit of happiness. Everybody seeks happiness in their lives. If somebody does not receive their dose of happiness from Judaism, they clearly have other sources of happiness. That is an open display of non-Torah priorities. An unhappy observant Jew is not a G-d serving Jew. Who knows where he is getting his happiness fix from, but it sure isn’t from G-d.

The 13th century scholar Rabbeinu Bechaya, elaborates on the importance of happiness in Judaism. He maintains that for every mitzva performed, there is both an accounting of the mitzva, and of the state of mind during the performance of the mitzva. If the person was happy, that person will receive a special reward. However if the person was unhappy, the appropriate consequences are sure to come.

The Talmud (Taanis 22a) relates that Rabbi Baruqa of Huza often went to the marketplace at Lapet. One day, the prophet Elijah appeared to him there, and Rabbi Baruqa asked him, "Is there anyone among all these people who will have a share in the World to Come?" Elijah answered, "There is none."… Later, two men came to the marketplace, and Elijah said to Rabbi Baruqa, "Those two will have a share in the World to Come!" Rabbi Baruqa asked the newcomers, "What is your occupation?" They replied, "We are jesters. When we see someone who is sad, we cheer him up. When we see two people quarreling, we try to make peace between them."

Happiness is absolutely crucial in order to be counted as a celebrating Jew. The Divine Spirit only rests on people in a happy state of mind. Even Jacob lost his ability of connecting with the Divine Spirit of the prophetic nature during the vary unhappy twenty-two years that Jacob was separated from Joseph. Our entire purpose on this world is to receive the greatest possible pleasure attainable. The true pleasure is obviously basking with G-d, therefore we should all be high with the most unbelievable level of happiness. (See Ramchal in opening to Mesilas Yesharim)

Now that we’ve established that being a happy Jew is essential, meaning, happy about being celebrating Jews, let us determine the practical path to this happiness. Even the Founding Fathers of the United States of America were not foolish enough to include happiness as an inalienable human right. Rather the pursuit of happiness is the immutable right. As Jews we don’t believe that happiness is a right, it is a gift. G-d gave us the opportunity to play the harp on cloud nine together with G-d. We have Torah and mitzvahs. If we would only apply ourselves to live that life, and to keep it fresh, our happiness would be abounding!