When to Rejoice: Mitzvah Joy vs. Constant Happiness
הרב שי טחןכא תשרי, תשפו13/10/2025Joy comes to a person who has peace and security without any harm...
תגיות:שמחהמצווהאושר
The pasuk in the middle of the curses in Parashat Ki Tavo screams out a frightening message: “because you did not serve Hashem with happiness, and with goodness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things.” While the Rishonim and Acharonim offer various explanations, some understand it quite literally: the harsh punishments come even though a person may have kept the Torah fully, but without happiness. As the Rambam writes, the joy with which one should rejoice in fulfilling the mitzvot and in loving Hashem who commanded them is itself a great form of service. One who holds himself back from this rejoicing is worthy of punishment, as it is stated: “…because you did not serve Hashem with happiness and a glad heart.”
This is puzzling: how can a person be expected to force himself to feel happy? Since one fulfills mitzvot throughout the day, how could he possibly maintain a state of continual joy? Happiness is a state of mind; if someone is experiencing difficult times and does not naturally feel happy, how can the Torah demand joy from him? It seems unreasonable to think that the Torah expects us to be like angels, constantly walking around in happiness. While it is understandable that the Torah commands practical actions, such as performing mitzvot, the inner feelings of the heart seem largely beyond human control.
Orchot Tzadikim (Sha’ar HaSimcha) writes: “Joy comes to a person who has peace and security without any harm. And a man who achieves his desire without a sad event to mar it will be happy always, and his face will glow and his radiance will gleam, and his body will be healthy and old age will not quickly come upon him, as it is said: ‘A merry heart is good medicine’ (Mishlei 17:22). From joy will come laughter.”
We see from his words that joy and happiness come automatically when a person’s life circumstances are good. If so, how can we expect someone whose life is difficult to force himself into a state of joy?
I have not seen any of the mefarshim deal with our concern, although they do raise a similar question regarding other Mitsvot, such as by the prohibition against envying another person’s possessions. They ask how one can control his feelings, and while various answers have been suggested, none of them helps to understand the quest of how one could be happy all the time. This question becomes even more pressing in light of the Gra’s statement that the mitzvah to be happy on the Chag (והיית אך שמח) is the most difficult mitzvah. If that is the case, how can one be expected to live a life of constant happiness—to the point that failing to do so brings upon him all the punishments listed among the curses?
The answer seems to be that we have the wrong definition of happiness. We tend to think happiness must be either like the joy of Purim—lively, loud, and overflowing, or at least walking around the day feeling joyous as one who had won the lottery. But let us carefully analyze the pasuk. It says: “because you did not serve Hashem with happiness and with a good heart.” Why the repetition? If one is truly happy, does that not automatically mean he feels good at heart? Rather, the Torah here is defining happiness: happiness means good heart. In other words, true happiness is not about external excitement but about cultivating an inner sense of calm, contentment, and gratitude in serving Hashem.
The Orchot Tzadikim directly addresses our question of how to achieve genuine simcha despite facing hardships. He answers that simcha is attained through bitachon. In the chapter on joy, he lays out the principles of bitachon to show that true happiness comes only when a person feels with certainty that all his affairs are directed by Hashem. Therefore, even when one experiences painful or difficult events, he should still accept them with joy—because he believes that everything is from above and ultimately for his own good.
Joy Beyond the Mitzvah
Let us deal with another issue in relation to rejoicing: Is a person obligated to always be happy, or more precisely, is it correct or recommended to be happy at all times? The Gemara (Shabbat 30b) addresses this question, stating that one should be happy when performing mitzvot, but not otherwise. As the pasuk hints, happiness without purpose is mocked: “What is the happiness for?”
Rabbenu Bechaye writes (Kad HaKemach, Simcha) that rejoicing is only proper when performed in the context of a mitzvah. As proof, he notes that nowhere in the sefarim is simcha recommended except in relation to mitzvot. Similarly, the Netivot writes in his will (§8): “My children, you should always distance yourselves from happiness and laughter. Do not listen to those who say that one must always be happy, for that is the advice of the yetzer hara. The only time one must be happy is when performing mitzvot.” (The Netivot likely wrote those words in opposition to the view of a movement that was growing at the time.)
The Pele Yoetz (Simcha) writes that just as it is a mitzvah to be happy when performing a mitzvah, it is forbidden to be happy when it is not the joy of a mitzvah. As the Zohar says, it is forbidden to indulge in worldly happiness since the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed. Likewise, Chazal taught that one should not laugh excessively in this world.
On the other hand it’s important to mention that there are opinions that take the opposite stance, holding that one should indeed always be happy, and that doing so is itself considered a great mitzvah. This is the famous teaching of Rav Nachman of Breslov: “It is a great mitzvah to always be happy.” Those very words are sung at weddings and other joyous events, as though they represent the collective opinion of all authorities.
In one of his most well-known writings (Likkutei Moharan II:24), he expounds at length on how a person should strive to live with constant joy—even in matters not directly connected to mitzvot.
Rav Nachman adds: “It is a great mitzvah to always be in joy, and to strengthen oneself to push away sadness and melancholy with all one’s might. All the illnesses that come upon a person—all of them come only from lack of joy. … In summary, one must exert tremendous effort, with all his strength, to always remain joyous. For human nature is to draw itself toward depression and sadness because of the difficulties and occurrences of life. Since every person is full of suffering, one must compel himself with great force to always be in joy.”
He also writes: “One should gladden himself in every way possible, even through matters of silliness. Although a broken heart is also very good, nevertheless it should be limited to a set time each day, when a person breaks his heart and pours out his words before Hashem, as is our custom. But the rest of the day must be spent in joy, for from a broken heart one can easily fall into deep melancholy, far more than one is likely to stumble through joy.”
These differences of opinion explain the contrasting approaches we see between other groups and Breslev. According to the first view we mentioned, one should rejoice only while performing mitzvot. Consequently, their davening tends to be more serious, with less singing and rarely any dancing. By contrast, Breslev—following Rav Nachman’s teaching that one must always be happy—embraces joy at all times, often dancing and singing even in the streets without any special occasion.
This is puzzling: how can a person be expected to force himself to feel happy? Since one fulfills mitzvot throughout the day, how could he possibly maintain a state of continual joy? Happiness is a state of mind; if someone is experiencing difficult times and does not naturally feel happy, how can the Torah demand joy from him? It seems unreasonable to think that the Torah expects us to be like angels, constantly walking around in happiness. While it is understandable that the Torah commands practical actions, such as performing mitzvot, the inner feelings of the heart seem largely beyond human control.
Orchot Tzadikim (Sha’ar HaSimcha) writes: “Joy comes to a person who has peace and security without any harm. And a man who achieves his desire without a sad event to mar it will be happy always, and his face will glow and his radiance will gleam, and his body will be healthy and old age will not quickly come upon him, as it is said: ‘A merry heart is good medicine’ (Mishlei 17:22). From joy will come laughter.”
We see from his words that joy and happiness come automatically when a person’s life circumstances are good. If so, how can we expect someone whose life is difficult to force himself into a state of joy?
I have not seen any of the mefarshim deal with our concern, although they do raise a similar question regarding other Mitsvot, such as by the prohibition against envying another person’s possessions. They ask how one can control his feelings, and while various answers have been suggested, none of them helps to understand the quest of how one could be happy all the time. This question becomes even more pressing in light of the Gra’s statement that the mitzvah to be happy on the Chag (והיית אך שמח) is the most difficult mitzvah. If that is the case, how can one be expected to live a life of constant happiness—to the point that failing to do so brings upon him all the punishments listed among the curses?
The answer seems to be that we have the wrong definition of happiness. We tend to think happiness must be either like the joy of Purim—lively, loud, and overflowing, or at least walking around the day feeling joyous as one who had won the lottery. But let us carefully analyze the pasuk. It says: “because you did not serve Hashem with happiness and with a good heart.” Why the repetition? If one is truly happy, does that not automatically mean he feels good at heart? Rather, the Torah here is defining happiness: happiness means good heart. In other words, true happiness is not about external excitement but about cultivating an inner sense of calm, contentment, and gratitude in serving Hashem.
The Orchot Tzadikim directly addresses our question of how to achieve genuine simcha despite facing hardships. He answers that simcha is attained through bitachon. In the chapter on joy, he lays out the principles of bitachon to show that true happiness comes only when a person feels with certainty that all his affairs are directed by Hashem. Therefore, even when one experiences painful or difficult events, he should still accept them with joy—because he believes that everything is from above and ultimately for his own good.
Joy Beyond the Mitzvah
Let us deal with another issue in relation to rejoicing: Is a person obligated to always be happy, or more precisely, is it correct or recommended to be happy at all times? The Gemara (Shabbat 30b) addresses this question, stating that one should be happy when performing mitzvot, but not otherwise. As the pasuk hints, happiness without purpose is mocked: “What is the happiness for?”
Rabbenu Bechaye writes (Kad HaKemach, Simcha) that rejoicing is only proper when performed in the context of a mitzvah. As proof, he notes that nowhere in the sefarim is simcha recommended except in relation to mitzvot. Similarly, the Netivot writes in his will (§8): “My children, you should always distance yourselves from happiness and laughter. Do not listen to those who say that one must always be happy, for that is the advice of the yetzer hara. The only time one must be happy is when performing mitzvot.” (The Netivot likely wrote those words in opposition to the view of a movement that was growing at the time.)
The Pele Yoetz (Simcha) writes that just as it is a mitzvah to be happy when performing a mitzvah, it is forbidden to be happy when it is not the joy of a mitzvah. As the Zohar says, it is forbidden to indulge in worldly happiness since the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed. Likewise, Chazal taught that one should not laugh excessively in this world.
On the other hand it’s important to mention that there are opinions that take the opposite stance, holding that one should indeed always be happy, and that doing so is itself considered a great mitzvah. This is the famous teaching of Rav Nachman of Breslov: “It is a great mitzvah to always be happy.” Those very words are sung at weddings and other joyous events, as though they represent the collective opinion of all authorities.
In one of his most well-known writings (Likkutei Moharan II:24), he expounds at length on how a person should strive to live with constant joy—even in matters not directly connected to mitzvot.
Rav Nachman adds: “It is a great mitzvah to always be in joy, and to strengthen oneself to push away sadness and melancholy with all one’s might. All the illnesses that come upon a person—all of them come only from lack of joy. … In summary, one must exert tremendous effort, with all his strength, to always remain joyous. For human nature is to draw itself toward depression and sadness because of the difficulties and occurrences of life. Since every person is full of suffering, one must compel himself with great force to always be in joy.”
He also writes: “One should gladden himself in every way possible, even through matters of silliness. Although a broken heart is also very good, nevertheless it should be limited to a set time each day, when a person breaks his heart and pours out his words before Hashem, as is our custom. But the rest of the day must be spent in joy, for from a broken heart one can easily fall into deep melancholy, far more than one is likely to stumble through joy.”
These differences of opinion explain the contrasting approaches we see between other groups and Breslev. According to the first view we mentioned, one should rejoice only while performing mitzvot. Consequently, their davening tends to be more serious, with less singing and rarely any dancing. By contrast, Breslev—following Rav Nachman’s teaching that one must always be happy—embraces joy at all times, often dancing and singing even in the streets without any special occasion.
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