Community Magazine March 2016

18 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Secondly, Rav Haim Vital (1542-1620), the famed disciple of the Arizal (1534- 1572), cited his great mentor as testifying that he achieved his great spiritual heights specifically because of his simhah – the genuine joy which he experienced. True joy is indispensable to a spiritual life. This testimony of the Arizal must affect the way we understand the nature of “joy” which Judaism promotes. Can we imagine for a moment the Arizal reaching spiritual greatness by drinking himself into a drunken stupor? Let us picture in our minds the image of a drunkard and ask ourselves, is this the kind of simhah that propelled the Arizal to his towering stature of piety? Did he acquire profound knowledge of Kabbalah by getting drunk? I think it is obvious that this is not the kind of joy that the Arizal experienced, and thus is not the kind of joy which we are to experience on Purim. What, then, does it mean to “rejoice”? If somebody finds drinking and merrymaking enjoyable, why is this not the kind of simhah which halachah requires on Purim? The Joy of Growth Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (1808- 1888) asserted that the root s.m.h. – “joy” – is etymologically related to the verb tz.m.h. – “grow.” The reason, he explained, is that true joy is achieved through growth and achievement. We feel the most gratified and content when we feel accomplished, when we feel that our time is not being wasted, and is rather being used for meaningful and productive activity. We feel happy and enthusiastic when we “grow” something, when we produce and achieve. Contemporary culture teaches us just the opposite. It tells us that the ultimate joy is being able to stay in bed or lie on the beach. We are made to believe that joy can be found not in our daily work routine, but in exotic vacations, where we are free from responsibility and remain idle. And in our culture, people want to retire as soon as it is financially feasible so they can “enjoy” life instead of working. But this is not what our tradition teaches us. Inactivity and lack of productivity breed boredom, frustration and depression. Hard work and achievement bring feelings of satisfaction and joy. This is not to say that vacations should be discouraged. I take occasional vacations, as do many other rabbis. Vacations can prove vital for growth, enabling us to rest and recharge. As long as vacations are viewed in this light – as helping to facilitate further growth and accomplishment – they are very valuable. But inactivity and unproductivity do not, in and of themselves, bring a person joy. Imagine one man who hits the “snooze” alarm five times before getting out of bed in the morning, and, realizing he is running very late, he quickly throws on some clothes, grabs a quick bite, and begrudgingly heads off the work. Another wakes up early for his daily Daf Yomi class, prays Shaharit with the minyan , and then stays for the rabbi’s class after the service. He then walks out and heads out to work. Which of these two men is in better spirits? All other factors being equal, I’d say the latter feels far more gratified and upbeat, even Dedicated in memory of the pure neshamot of the Sassoon children June 29th - Aug 19th 2016 Separate classes for boy & girls!