Thursday, July 17, 2014

How to Be, "Happy".



Many times we hear great leaders preach the importance of serving G-d in Joy. King David throughout his book of Psalms is exhorting us to serve G-d in happiness. King David tells us, the answer and the blessing is in being happy, filled, with trust and optimism in a good G-d.  “All that G-d does is for the good.” One might think, easy for him to talk. After all he was, the King. However King David was a person who had far from an easy life.

After he was born, for over twenty five years he was considered an illegitimate child by his own siblings. His own father sent him out to shepherd in the field, hoping an animal would “take care” of him. After he was anointed King, he was not accepted, and his own father- in-law wanted him killed. He had children who died on him, and a son who wanted to kill him. Close associates betrayed him terribly.

And still, King David was speaking from his heart. The answer to all in life, is to be joyous.

Rebbe Aharon of Belz was known for his piety and mysticism. Rebbe Aharon was called the "Wonder Rabbi" by Jews and gentiles alike for the miracles they claimed he performed.

His reign as Rebbe saw the devastation of the Belz community, next to the Polish border in western Ukraine, along with that of many other Hasidic sects in Galicia and elsewhere in Poland during the Holocaust.

Rebbe Aharon was once visiting in Hamburg Germany   when  Rabbi  Jacob Rosenheim, founder of the world wide  Agudath Israel Organization intended to take advantage of this golden opportunity, by coming with a list of 15 questions and an entourage of important people, to greet the visiting great Rebbe.

Rabbi Rosenheim asked the Belzer Rebbe. “We are now in a period of time when we are sad and mourning the terrible persecutions against our people. How is it nevertheless possible to serve G-d in joy?”

King Solomon tells us, “In all your ways, you should know Him - G-d.” Whether we are eating, walking, sleeping, doing business, or praying, in ALL our ways we must always keep in mind the awareness of G-d who is always around us and watching each individual. So essentially we are always serving a purpose and it must be done in Joy. How does one accomplish what seems many times almost impossible and out of reach?!

The Rebbe of Belz answered. When a person realizes that the world and everyone’s life was put in motion by a loving and compassionate G-d for the sake of an important and benevolent goal, our view and outlook of the present moment can and will take on an entirely different perspective.

When a person accepts the words of out prophets, that all roads lead to the eventual “light at the end of the tunnel”, to the rebuilding of our third Temple, when peace and harmony will reign over the entire world, the mere focus and anticipation, the envisioning of those great times to come, make the mouth already salivate in the present.

It’s a matter of how we decide to think and what we focus on as the Holy Baal Shem Tov taught, “A person lives in his head.”

It’s not the physical possessions and/or circumstances that create the happiness in one’s life. Sure, sometimes they can make things easier or more difficult, to place oneself in a positive frame of mind.

Ultimately, the joy a person experiences, and the tremendous blessings and good that come as a result is up to the individual to decide where he/she wants to be.

The Holy and great mystical Rabbi Yitzchak Luria once said. “All the greatest heights of holiness I reached, is due to the happiness and joy in serving G-d.” 

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