Bobby McFerrin said, “This is a pretty neat philosophy in just four words”. Then he wrote a song about it.
This phrase originally coined by an Indian Spiritual Guru has its source in the holiday of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, described in the Torah as the time of our joy.
It is a Mitzvah to be happy on this holiday, yet joy is an emotion, how can we be told what to feel?
Most Mitzvahs are those of action, so we can do them, regardless of what we feel. But a Mitzvah that is to feel a certain way does not seem to be a realistic expectation. How can I be told what to feel, what if I just don’t feel like it? How am I supposed to do that Mitzvah?
The Mitzvah of joy on Sukkot and Simchat Torah extends to the entire year as well and is not just a Mitzvah, but like everything in the Torah it is a formula for an awesome life.
Joy and happiness are not something that come from outside of us, rather they are generated and engineered by us. The only real way of being happy is when I decide I will be happy, never waiting for someone or something to bring me joy.
The Torah tell us, “This is the time of your joy” you must be happy and joyful, and in this way, we learn that if we don’t feel happy, we must generate the joy and we will then be happy.
Another secret here is that it is the “time of OUR joy”, for real joy can be found in the plural more so than in the singular. When we are together, we can engineer real happiness.
And of course, when we are happy, we have nothing to worry about for everything will be good.
So, the Jewish way of saying it properly is of course, in reverse.
Be happy, Don’t Worry!!
Shabbat Shalom and happy Sukkos!
Sincerely,
Rabbi Mendel & Elke Zaltzman
Shabbos Times
Friday, October 14
Candle Lighting: 5:59pm Evening service: 6:00pm
Saturday, October 15 Morning service: 10:00am
Kiddush Brunch: 12:00pm Evening service: 6:00pm
Shabbos ends: 6:58pm
Kiddush Sponsored by
Tamir, Dana and Daniel Gerber
in gratitude to G-d for a miraculous survival from a car accident.
May we always be safe and protected by G-d!
Join us in celebrating Simchas Torah!
Dancing with the Torahs on Fair Lawn Avenue followed by a Hot Dinner and Lchaims!
Special children's Torah dance with goodie bags and flags!
All night open bar for adults!
Join us for this magnificent celebration of Jewish Pride!
No cost for this event, join and bring your friends.
Weekly Torah Classes
An engaging class for women, using the Torah’s timeless wisdom to gain practical tips and guidance on relationships, raising children and daily stress. Light refreshments and wines served.
No charge, sponsorship opportunities available.
Two Jewish mothers met for coffee.
"Well, Mildred," asked one. "How are your son and daughter doing?"
"To tell you the truth," answered the second, "my Daniel has married a real good-for-nothing. She doesn't get out of bed until eleven. She's out all day spending his money on Heaven knows what and when he gets home exhausted, does she have a nice hot dinner for him? Psha!
"She makes him take her out to dinner at an expensive restaurant."
"And Layla?"
"Ah! Layla has married a saint. He brings her breakfast in bed, he gives her enough money to buy all she needs, and in the evening he takes her out to dinner at a beautiful restaurant."
WEEKLY eTORAH
We are now celebrating the holiday of Sukkot. The two primary mitzvot of this holiday are dwelling in the sukkah and the taking of the Four Kinds. Jewish unity is one of the primary themes of this holiday, and these two mitzvot are symbolic of two approaches to Jewish unity; the sukkah champions the cause of Jewish nationalism and focuses on our nation as a homogeneous unit, while the Four Kinds symbolize the importance of “Jewish multiculturalism.”
We sit in a sukkah in commemoration of the clouds of glory which miraculously encircled the Jewish people while they traveled in the desert. The clouds did not differentiate between one Jew and another—all were equal beneficiaries of their shade and protection. We, too, sit together in a sukkah as a symbol of our unity. We focus on that which unites us—our common values, mission, and souls—rather than that which divides us. We leave behind our differences and unite behind one flag.
The Four Kinds, however, tell a different story. According to the Midrash, the four different species represent different sorts of Jews, spanning the spectrum from the most observant and scholarly to the simplest of our people. Nevertheless we take the Four Kinds and hold them together, because we are one people despite the differences. But as opposed to the sukkah, this mitzvah doesn’t attempt to achieve unity by ignoring our differences; rather it points out the differences, embraces them and secures our unity in spite of them.
This is because unity achieved at the expense of disregarding our unique personalities and strengths is a flawed unity.It means that the unity is very limited, limited to our shared goals and souls. Our daily lives which are so colored by our unique personalities remain unaffected by the sukkah-style unity.
But without the type of unity advocated by the sukkah, the multicultural approach of the Four Kinds would not succeed. For without an underlying unifying factor, diverse people have nothing to rally around. The Four Kinds is an endeavor to build on the unity of the sukkah by injecting our individual personalities with our pervading unity; by devoting our assorted strengths, talents and natures to perpetuating the ideals that unite us; by recognizing that the different pieces of the puzzle may look dissimilar, but are all there to complete one picture.
