Simcha Through Torah & Mashyach

(by Rabbi Eh'bed Baw'naw from Kehilat Melech Mashyach)
Simcha (joy, gladness and happiness) are the fundamental cornerstone to fulfilling mitzvos (commandments) in jewish life.  All things must be done in simcha.  When we do all things and fulfill each mitzvos through the gladness and humility, we are better able to fulfill the two most important mitzvios as it is written: 

"Rabbi, which mitzvos is gedolah (great) in the Torah? And Rebbe, Melech Mashyach Yeshua gave this teshuva (answer) to the Baal Torah, vahavyah es Adonai elohecha b'chol l'vavcha v'chol nafshecha v'chol modecha (And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might). This is the gedolah and rishonah mitzvos.  And the second mitzvos is like it: v'havyah l'reiacha kamocha (And thou shalt love your neighbor as
yourself. On these two mitzvios hang the entire Torah and the Neviim."
(Matthew 22:36-40)

How does simacha hatorah accomplish this thing?  The answer is very simple.  In the morning we engage in hitbodedut.  What we are doing at this time is connecting to Hashem and battling the yetzer hara within us, it is essentially a daily cleansing to kill the evil inclination that resides within each of us and to set our minds on Hashem throughout the entire day and rid ourselves of anything unedifying that can hold us back in accomplishing mitzvios through chesed (loving kindness).  It acts as a reset button daily that we must push because we know the internal Satan and the external Satan resets every day as well.  

So therefore engaging in hitbodedut prepares us in knowing that Hashem is with us through the entire day and His shekinah or Ruach HaKodesh is with us and we are ensured within this fact so negative thought and worry as well as anger and jealousy leave one's insoniyud (inner man).  Each activity is then in the simacha of Hashem.  


“A truly happy person does not allow his happiness to be dependent on any external factor over which he may not have control.” (Chochmah Umussar)



"Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot." 
(Pirkei Avos 4:1)



Neshamah is the soul that is connecting with Hashem and it is then elevated because one is able to see Hashem in every aspect of Creation.  The mind then tells you when you see the flowing water of a stream; the reason that Hashem created that stream for the good of all of Creation and how it sustains all of creation from the human being all the way down to the blade of grass.  For each thing has a net'sots eh'lohee (divine spark from Hashem) that was created for the good of His people and all of Creation.  


For it is written in the book of Yermiyahu: 


The lev (heart, mind) akov (is deceitful) above all things, and anush (incurable [in wickedness]); who can know it? I, Hashem, search the lev, I test the kelayot (kidneys, i.e., most inward parts), requiting to every ish according to his drakhim, and according to the p’ri of his deeds.
(Jeremiah 17:9-10)


Therefore, great emphasis must be placed on realizing this thing, the inherent nature of man that can only be changed on a daily basis with G-d's help.  For when the mind is positive, we fulfill the greatest of mitzvios, when our mind sinks evil sewage into our heart, we have to correct the situation at the source with Hashem's help.  


"Stop allowing yourself to be conformed to the Olam Hazeh, but be transformed by your hitkhadshut (regeneration, renewal) of your mind, so that you may ascertain what is the ratzon Hashem (the will of G-d), what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of G-d. For I say to all who are among you through the chesed (loving kindness, grace) given to me, that you should avoid a false sense of superiority in your thinking; rather exercise shlitah atzmi (self-control), thinking with seichel, as G-d has measured to each a measure of emunah."
(Romans 12:2-3)


The mind is renewed and the heart as well renewed then we are elevated in emuma because we are aware everything good is from Hashem and everything that happens to us that is bad is also good because it serves us in ways of tikkun (soul correction) that helps us to achieve neshamah.  This is why Rav Sha'ul wrote what he wrote in terms of the fulfilling of mitzvios when he said: 



"But the p'ri of the Ruach HaKodesh is ahavah (love), simcha (joy), shalom (peace), zitzfleisch (patience), nedivut (generosity, kindness), chesed (loving-kindness),ne'emanut (faithfulness), Anavah (meekness, shiflut, lowliness), shlitah atzmi (self-control)...would you not agree?--against these things there is no isser (proscription in the Torah)"

(Galatians 5:22-23)



"B'Mashyach, whatever things are emes (truth), nichbad (noble), yashar (straight), tahor (clean), male No'am (full of pleasantness) and tiferet (beauty), whatever things are commendable, if there is any virtue, if any praise, think about these things. And that which you learned and you received and
you heard and you saw in me, practice these and Elohei HaShalom will be with you."
(Philippians 4:8-9)

Believe it or not, when you display simcha, through a smile or through your body language or through the words of your mouth you are fulfilling not only the two most important mitzvios but you are also clothing any others you perform in those two mitzvios.  

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