Though we have a double-sized issue of Wonders coming for Sukkot, we are including this short piece in preparation for “the season of our joy.” In the Arizal’s teachings, the eve of Sukkot provides us with a special type of joy, the topic of this short article, an excerpt from Simchat Beit HaSho’eivah of 5773, part of which included an in-depth discussion of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov’s advice on attaining joy as taken from his Sefer HaMiddot.
Rebbe Nachman and Joy
Rebbe Nachman taught us and the entire Jewish people that, “It is a great mitzvah to always be joyous”[1] (מִצְוָה גְּדוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה תָּמִיד), like King David, from whom Maimonides also learns that joy is a necessary ingredient in serving God during Sukkot.[2] Rebbe Nachman also writes that whomever is from David’s progeny is prone to weep from sorrow, but like the Almighty Himself who carries the opposites of “boldness and delight in His place”[3] (עֹז וְחֶדְוָה בִּמְקֹמוֹ)—“in his innermost chambers [He cries], in the outer chambers [He exhibits joy].”[4] Following the Sages, Rebbe Nachman writes that the weeping sorrow is because of the grace (חֵן) that has been taken from the Jewish people and must be returned to them. This is a thread that runs through all his teachings, beginning with the first teaching in Likkutei Moharan.
How does one merit to be joyous? Rebbe Nachman offers many anecdotal pieces of advice in his book, Sefer HaMiddot. We can arrange these as they correspond to the sefirot. The advice he gives that belongs to the sefirah of loving-kindness (chessed) is to give tzedakah—charity[5] (עַל יְדֵי צְדָקָה בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם בָּא לִידֵי שִׂמְחָה). One who gives charity to the poor merits joy.
The Tanya writes[6] that tzedakah is the all-inclusive prescriptive commandment of the Torah, and the entire Torah is tzedakah. The commandment of giving tzedakah is described by the verse, “Your commandment is very wide indeed.”[7] It is the mitzvah that God Himself performs at every moment, bringing into being all of Creation including all creatures. Creation is the greatest act of loving-kindness. A Jew who sustains another person is similarly bringing them, in a sense, into being and there is no greater joy than that. The world is sustained by loving-kindness.[8]
We can now better understand the Arizal’s statement that the most auspicious day of the year to give tzedakah, to give a great deal of tzedakah, is the eve of Sukkot, the eve of “the season of our joy.” You want to feel the joy the moment the festival begins, you want to dance joyfully in Simchat Beit HaSho’eivah—the nightly celebrations during Sukkot? Give copious amount of tzedakah before the holiday begins.
[1]. The value of this phrase in Hebrew is 7 times 207, 7 times “light” (אוֹר), or 63 times 23, the value of “delight” (חֶדְוָה). The entire phrase consists of “delight” (חֶדְוָה), 23 letters. 63 is the filling of God’s essential Name, Havayah (יוד הי ואו הי) that corresponds with the sefirah of understanding and the mother principle; the inner experience of understanding is joy.
[2]. Hilchot Lulav 8:12.
[3]. 1 Chronicles 16:27.
[4]. Chagigah 5b.
[5]. Sefer HaMiddot, Simchah, 1:4.
[6]. Ch. 37.
[7]. Psalms 119:96.
[8]. Ibid. 89:3.
