READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN SUNDAY

Lesson on the topic of “Being in Joy”

LESSON MATERIAL

Being in Joy – Selected Excerpts from the Sources

1. Zohar for All, VaYechi [Jacob Lived], “Jacob”, Item 116

The Shechina [Divinity] is present only in a whole place, and not in a deficient place or a flawed place or a place of sadness, but in a proper place—a place of joy.

2. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 58, “Joy Is a “Reflection” of Good Deeds”

Joy is a “reflection” of good deeds. If the deeds are of Kedusha [holiness], hence joy appears. However, we must know that there is also a discernment of a Klipa [shell]. In order to know if it is Kedusha, the scrutiny is in the reason. In Kedusha, there is reason, and in the Sitra Achra [other side] there is no reason, since another god is sterile and does not bear fruit. Hence, when gladness comes to a person, he should delve in words of Torah in order to discover the mind of the Torah.

3. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 58, “Joy Is a “Reflection” of Good Deeds”

Gladness is discerned as upper illumination that appears by MAN, which is good deeds. The Creator sentences one where one is. In other words, if one takes upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven for eternity, there is an immediate upper illumination on this, which is considered eternity, too.

Even if one evidently sees that he will soon fall from his degree, He still sentences one where one is. It means that if a person has now made up his mind to take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven for eternity, it is considered wholeness.

4. RABASH, Article No. 17 (1991), “What Is, ‘For I Have Hardened His Heart,’ in the work?”

A person must be glad that at least he has a need for spirituality, whereas the rest of the people have no interest in spirituality whatsoever.

When a person appreciates this, although it is not important to him, he does appreciate it and tries to thank the Creator for this. This causes him to acquire importance for spirituality, and from this a person can be happy. By this, a person can be rewarded with Dvekut, since as Baal HaSulam said, “The blessed clings to the Blessed.” In other words, when a person is happy and thanks the Creator, he feels that the Creator has blessed him by giving him a little something of Kedusha, then “The blessed clings to the Blessed.” Through this wholeness, one can achieve real Dvekut.

5. RABASH, Article No. 42, “Serve the Creator with Joy”

A servant of the Creator, whose intention is to bestow, should be happy when he is serving the King. If he has no joy during this work, it is a sign that he lacks appreciation of the greatness of the King.

Therefore, if one sees that he has no joy he should make amendments, meaning think about the greatness of the King. If he still does not feel, he should pray to the Creator to open his eyes and heart to feel the greatness of the Creator.

Here the two discernments develop: 1) He should regret not having a sensation of the greatness of the King. 2) He should be happy that his regrets are about spirituality and not like the rest of the people, whose regrets are only in order to receive.

We should know who it is who gave us the awareness that our regrets should be over spirituality, and we should be happy that the Creator has sent us thoughts of spiritual deficiency, which in itself is regarded as the salvation of the Creator. For this reason, we should be happy.

6. RABASH, Article No. 12 (1991), “These Candles Are Sacred”

The most important is the prayer. That is, one must pray to the Creator to help him go above reason, meaning that the work should be with gladness, as though he has already been rewarded with the reason of Kedusha, and what joy he would feel then. Likewise, he should ask the Creator to give him this power, so he can go above the reason of the body.

In other words, although the body does not agree to this work in order to bestow, he asks the Creator to be able to work with gladness, as is suitable for one who serves a great King. He does not ask the Creator to show the greatness of the Creator, and then he will work gladly. Rather, he wants the Creator to give him joy in the work of above reason, that it will be as important to a person as if he already has reason.

7. Baal Hasulam. Shamati, Article No. 42. “What Is the Acronym Elul in the Work?”

Our sages said, “All who are gluttonous are angry.” It means that one who is immersed in self-reception is angry, since he is always lacking. He forever needs to satisfy his vessels of reception. However, those who want to walk in the path of bestowal should always be in gladness. This means that in any shape that comes upon him he should be in gladness since he has no intention to receive for himself. This is why he says that either way, if he is really working in order to bestow, he should certainly be glad that he has been granted bringing contentment to his Maker. And if he feels that his work is still not to bestow, he should also be glad because for himself, he says that he does not want anything for himself. He is happy that the will to receive cannot enjoy this work, and that should give him joy.

8. Baal HaSulam, Letter No. 5

I rejoice in those revealed corruptions and the ones that are being revealed.

I do, however, regret and complain about the corruptions that have still not appeared, but which are destined to appear, for a hidden corruption is hopeless, and its surfacing is a great salvation from heaven. The rule is that one does not give what he does not have. Hence, if it has appeared now, there is no doubt that it was here to begin with but was hidden. This is why I am happy when they come out of their holes because when you cast your eye on them, they become a pile of bones.

9. Baal HaSulam. Shamati, Article No. 1, “There Is None Else Besides Him”

The same applies when one feels some closeness to Kedusha, when he feels joy at having been favored by the Creator. Then, too, he must say that his joy is primarily because now there is joy above, in the Shechina, at being able to bring her private organ near her, and that she did not have to send her private organ out.

And one derives joy from being rewarded with pleasing the Shechina. This is in accord with the above calculation that when there is joy to the part, it is only a part of the joy of the whole. Through these calculations, he loses his individuality and avoids being trapped by the Sitra Achra, which is the will to receive for his own benefit.

10. RABASH, Article No. 507, “What Is Joy?’

One who sees he has no joy the way other people have, it is because he is at a higher degree. Therefore, he should know that the Creator is giving him a chance to begin to engage in Torah and work, and this will bring him the real joy called “the joy of Mitzva [commandment].”

11. RABASH, Article No. 805, “Concerning Joy”

Joy is a testimony. If a person becomes stronger in the matter of faith, to believe that the Creator is good and does good, that there is none above Him, although in the situation he is in right now he has nothing to rejoice with, meaning to be happy about, and yet he reinforces himself and says that the Creator watches over him in a manner of good and doing good, if his faith is sincere, it stands to reason that he should be happy and delighted. And the measure of joy testifies to the level of sincerity in his faith.

By this we can interpret what is said about Rabbi Elimelech, who would say that when he passes away and is told to go to hell, he will say, “If this is what the Creator wants, I will jump in.” That is, this is regarded as Providence of good and doing good. Thus, he is always happy.

12. Baal HaSulam, Letter No. 57

There is no happier state in man’s world than when he finds himself despaired with his own strength. That is, he has already labored and done all that he could possibly imagine he could do, but found no remedy. It is then that he is fit for a wholehearted prayer for His help because he knows for certain that his own work will not help him.

As long as he feels some strength of his own, his prayer will not be whole because the evil inclination rushes first and tells him, “First you must do what you can, and then you will be worthy of the Creator.”

It was said about this, “The Lord is high and the low will see.” For once a person has labored in all kinds of work, and has become disillusioned, he comes into real lowliness, knowing that he is the lowest of all the people, as there is nothing good in the structure of his body. At that time, his prayer is complete and he is granted by His generous hand.

13. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 26 “One’s Future Depends and Is Tied to Gratitude for the Past”

According to the importance one attributes to the holy work, to that extent he should give praise and thanks for it.

This is so because it is true that we cannot appreciate the importance of being able to sometimes observe the Mitzvot [commandments] of the Creator, even without any intention. In that state, one comes to feel elation and joy in the heart.

The praise and the gratitude one gives for it expand the feelings, and one is elated by every single point in the holy work, he knows Whose servant he is, and thus soars ever higher.

14. RABASH, Letter No. 22

The Torah is called Mattanah (gift). That is, the fact that a person is permitted to learn and pray, and observe Mitzvot even one minute a day, that, too, is a gift from the Creator, for there are several billions in the world to whom the Creator did not give the chance to be able to think of the Creator for even one minute a year. Therefore, while engaging in the Torah, one must be glad, for only through joy is one rewarded with drawing the light of Torah.

15. RABASH, Article No. 17 (1986), “The Agenda of the Assembly – 2”

It is written, “In the multitude of people is the King’s glory,” it follows that the greater the number of the collective, the more effective is the power of the collective. In other words, they produce a stronger atmosphere of greatness and importance of the Creator. At that time, each person’s body feels that he regards anything that he wishes to do for holiness—meaning to bestow upon the Creator—as a great fortune, that he has been privileged with being among people who have been rewarded with serving the King. At that time, every little thing he does fills him with joy and pleasure that now he has something with which to serve the King.

To the extent that the society regards the greatness of the Creator with their thoughts during the assembly, each according to his degree originates the importance of the Creator in him. Thus, he can walk all day in the world of gladness and joy.

16. RABASH, Article No. 386, “This Is the Day that the Lord Has Made”

“This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” “This is the day” means that “this” is called “day,” and not something else. What is it when the Lord “makes”? It is that each one will attain that “we will rejoice and be glad in it.” “In it” means in the Creator, in Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, which is called “equivalence of form,” which is that each and every one will understand that there is no greater joy than to bestow contentment upon one’s Maker. This is what we hope for. When the general public achieves this degree, it will be called “the end of correction.”