Parshas Ki Seitzei - The Power of Joy to Erase the Memory of Amalek

"You shall erase the memory of Amalek..."

Through joy, we are saved from all sins! Through joy, we merit all healings! Through joy, we merit all salvations! The Hebrew word for joy (simchah) shares the exact same letters as the word for erase (she'machah) (as brought in Kochavei Or, Sasson V'Simchah). This teaches us that through joy, we erase Amalek! We erase our transgressions! Through joy, a person can emerge from all the sins in the world.

One must be extremely careful to always be in a state of joy. The moment there is even a drop of sadness due to a sin or worry about parnassah (livelihood), a person is liable to fall into an even greater sin! Because of the sadness and the worry, he will fall into even greater transgressions.

There are people whose greatest pleasure is sadness. Their entire lives are steeped in depression, and if you try even a little bit to make them happy, you simply annoy them! They have never tasted the true flavor of joy in their lives.

The War Against Sadness is the War Against Amalek

"The general rule is that one must overcome with all his strength to always be only happy. For it is human nature to be drawn toward melancholy and sadness due to the damages and events of time, and every person is filled with suffering. Therefore, one must force himself with great strength to always be joyful" (Likutey Moharan, Part II, Torah 24).

A person enters into sadness in order to forget all the suffering he is going through. Sadness pulls him into a kind of melancholy, numbs his thoughts, and paralyzes his senses. Sadness is an anesthetic! Sadness is a numbing drug that provides an illusion of "quiet" and "tranquility," but it is only a fantasy! On the contrary! Sadness only intensifies the suffering and magnifies it. Therefore, a person's main spiritual work is the war against sadness, and this requires *mesirus nefesh* (self-sacrifice)! One must never allow sadness to take control!

Reb Nosson says that to fight despair, one needs mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice). Joy does not just come on its own; joy is the hardest thing of all! The greatest obstacles are placed in the way of joy! The only thing the Satan fights against is joy! That is his entire battle! His whole war is to ensure that you are not happy! It is the work of the Satan to keep you from being joyful, to keep you from dancing, and to keep you from rejoicing.

Everyone goes through insults and humiliations; everyone endures physical and emotional turbulence. There are a million reasons to be sad! It is human nature to fall into sadness! But with joy, everything can be fixed. If a person dances and sings to Hashem, then all the divine abundance flows to him. There is absolutely no reason to be sad. Everyone possesses a tremendous intellect, and everyone can achieve everything in the world, but a person just needs to break out of all the sadness. With joy, we merit turning a descent into an ascent, sweetening all harsh judgments, and drawing down all salvations.

Amalek Cannot Tolerate the Joy of a Jew

Reb Nosson says that the main accusation and provocation of Haman the Amalekite was directed against joy. He could not tolerate the joy of the Jewish people—how they dance, rejoice, and sing on the holidays, on Shabbos, and so on. Shabbos arrives? Shabbos is a time for joy and dancing. For six days you received food, and thank God you are not sick—start dancing and rejoicing! Your wife is healthy? Start dancing and rejoicing! Do you have children? Start dancing and rejoicing! You are not yet blessed with children? In the merit of the joy and dancing, you will be blessed with children! You do not yet have a shidduch (marriage match)? In the merit of joy, you will find a shidduch!

When Shabbos arrives, one must sit with their children, rejoice with them, and sing with them with enthusiasm and passion. Do not say, "I am miserable, I am in despair, it is hard for me to be happy." What does it mean that it is hard for you to be happy? It is hard for everyone to be happy!! One needs mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) to attain joy! Through joy, a person subdues all the forces of spiritual impurity and is cleansed from all defilement. Through joy, it is possible to heal all the illnesses in the world.

When a person sees that he has stumbled, that his physical desires have overpowered him, that Amalek has overcome him and wants to throw him into sadness and melancholy—even so, he must not let his spirit fall. He must immediately seek out friends, dance with them, rejoice with them, recite Tehillim (Psalms), and search for all kinds of advice on how to be happy.

The Soul is Always Pure: Finding the Good Points

A person must know that sins do not belong to his soul. The soul is always righteous, always pure, and always holy. The only reason a person falls into sins is because he is not joyful enough. Therefore, one must never become discouraged by anything in the world, nor by any sin in the world. If there is a problem, if you stumbled in a transgression, do teshuvah (repentance)... Start to rejoice, to sing, to play music, to recite Tehillim. The main thing is not to fall into sadness!

Because this is the war between the soul and Amalek! This is the war between you and the Evil Inclination, which wants to drag you down into sadness. It is not that you have become wicked, God forbid; rather, this is "the war." It is a battle between the Divine soul and Amalek. And you must continue the battle onward, armed with joy, songs, and good points.

"Therefore, by not allowing himself to fall, and by reviving himself through searching, seeking, and finding within himself some good points... through this, melodies are created, and then he is able to pray, sing, and give thanks to Hashem" (Likutey Moharan, Torah 282).

Amalek wants to make a person forget his good points. Amalek's war is against everyone, telling each person, "You are worthless, nothing is going right for you, you have no good in you." But the tzaddikim teach us the exact opposite! You are full of good points! You are full of goodness! Because if you stumbled, then now you should rejoice even more! Look at the Evil Inclination you were given and how many difficulties you face; look at the massive Evil Inclination you battle every single day! And even in this difficult situation, you still overcome and perform mitzvos!? You still fast on Yom Kippur!? You still keep Shabbos!? You still put on tefillin, which is the crown of the King, and wrap yourself in tzitzis, which is the garment of the King!? Therefore, it is fitting that you should rejoice more and more...

Breaking the Shell that Delays the Redemption

When a person has gone through spiritual descents, he can bring the entire world back in teshuvah (repentance). He can tell people, "I went through this too, this happened to me as well." He can say to others, "Do teshuvah—is it hard for you? Do you not know how? Look, I was there, in the exact same place you were. Look, I did teshuvah, so you can do it too."

All the spiritual descents a person has gone through are so that he can become a guide. He was inside the *klipos* (forces of impurity) and he came out, in order to show people how to get out of the *klipos*. All the descents a person has experienced, wherever he has been, he was merely an emissary. He is just like a deep-sea diver who is lowered into the depths of the ocean to pull people out and save them.

The Noam Elimelech says there is a klipah that prevents the Geulah (Redemption) from coming, preventing the Geulah from being revealed. We must know how to break this klipah, how to crack it open. Every person is trapped in a specific klipah—a klipah of desires, a klipah of sadness, a klipah of "blocked mind" (spiritual constriction). If we want to subdue the klipah, we must be joyful! Because it is impossible to subdue the klipah except through joy! And when a person strengthens himself and overcomes his nature to be joyful, then all the sadness, all the exiles, and all the troubles fall away and are nullified.

The Story of the Diamond: Holding Strong in Joy

The test of a Jew is to always be joyful; this is the main test! Because every single person must go through tests, descents, and ascents until the end of his life! The main strengthening in joy is during the descent, during the test. The essence of this strengthening is his belief that he will get out of the trouble! That he will emerge from the descent!

There is a shocking, awesome story in Kochavei Or about someone who was digging and found a diamond worth a million dollars. He thought it was a piece of glass, but someone came and told him, "This is a diamond!! It is worth a fortune!" However, he was told that he would not find anyone in the village or the entire country who could buy the diamond from him, so he decided to travel to London. He sold his house, all his rags, and all his broken furniture, but the money was only enough to reach the port.

When he arrived at the port, the captain of a ship found him and asked, "Why are you wandering around here?" He replied, "I have a precious stone! A diamond!" and showed him the diamond. The captain was amazed, standing in shock, and told him, "If you have such a thing, get on the ship immediately! You don't need money! Don't pay anything!" He arranged a luxurious room for him, a magnificent bed, and three meals a day.

One day on the ship, he sat down to eat and looked at the diamond, delighting in it. Suddenly, he dozed off and fell asleep for a single second. The waiter came in and cleared the table, taking the diamond along with all the dirt and garbage, and shook everything out into the sea! When the man woke up, he went into shock; he almost fainted, and his heart nearly stopped working. If the captain found out what happened, if he knew the diamond was gone, he would throw him off the ship! He would throw him into the sea right after the diamond!

Then the Jew decided that he must strengthen himself with joy with all his might! With superhuman strength! He strengthened himself with all his power to rejoice! To smile! Five minutes later, the captain walked in. The Jew gave him such a huge smile and started laughing and dancing. He made such joyful movements as if he were the happiest person in the world. The captain had never seen him so happy. In truth, the Jew knew he could only maintain this joy and happiness for a short time; soon his heart would start pounding again in panic.

When the captain saw him so happy, he assumed he was a great merchant. He said to him, "Let's make a deal! Everyone thinks I am a pirate. When I arrive in London, everyone interrogates me about where the merchandise came from. Therefore, you are a merciful Jew, come have mercy on me. The entire ship with all its goods, with all the gold and diamonds, will all be registered in your name. I trust you! You are a great, successful merchant! You have a diamond here that is worth a lot! Later, you will return it to me." And he registered everything in his name. As soon as they reached the port, even before they disembarked from the ship, the captain suffered a stroke, and all the property on the ship—all the millions, all the gold—everything passed into the possession of the Jew.

There is No Despair in the World at All: Smiling Even When It's Hard

Rebbe Nachman revealed a completely new concept: Know that there is no despair in the world at all! There is no such thing as despair! Even in the most difficult situation! Even in the greatest crisis! If a person holds strong for five minutes—rejoicing, dancing, singing—then everything turns around for the good! A person must always come home with a smile, always come home with joy. At home, they do not need to know that you are currently in trouble or in a crisis. If you cannot smile and be happy, sit outside on the stairs, practice smiling, make joyful movements, train yourself, and then enter the house with a happy, radiant face.

If a person holds strong and rejoices, he can merit all the miracles in the world. A person's entire spiritual work is to rejoice with all his might, with self-sacrifice, and to constantly say, "Everything is for the best." This is his test! If he says "this too is for the best" about everything, he will emerge from all the suffering in the world! He will experience miracles and wonders. A person must always rejoice, sing, and thank Hashem, even before a trouble arrives, Heaven forbid! Do not wait for a trouble to come and then be freed from it, because when you are freed from trouble, you are already obligated to give thanks! To sing! To bring a thanksgiving offering! Rather, we should always rejoice! We should always sing to Hashem! We should always recognize the greatness of Hashem!

"Let every soul praise Hashem"

Let every breath praise Hashem. You are breathing—start rejoicing! For every single breath, you must sing! Do not wait for troubles! Because if you rejoice in every situation, sing to Hashem, and thank Hashem, then troubles will not even come.

Rejoicing in the Jewish Spark

The main spiritual work is to not be in sadness for even a single second. Because there is absolutely no reason to be sad! We must believe that every Jew is capable of reaching every good thing, both materially and spiritually, and achieving every success in the world! There is a concept of rejoicing in the fact that He did not make me a gentile, that He made me a Jew! Thank Hashem, I merited to keep Shabbos, I merited to put on tefillin. Rejoice that you merited to pray! It is just like finding a diamond worth millions! A person must constantly draw joy upon himself! Endless joy!

If you don't know what to be happy about? You should rejoice that Hashem created us as Godly beings; this is the greatest joy.

"Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King"

We will rejoice with Hashem, that Hashem created us for His glory.

"Blessed is our God, who created us for His glory and separated us from those who stray"

The moment we rejoice, learn, and pray, the moment the whole world sees, that all the nations see that the weapon of the Jew is joy, Torah, and prayer, they will all be nullified. The moment Hashem sees us in true joy! That we are rejoicing with Him! Then He will cancel all the harsh decrees! All the troubles! So what is left for you? Start rejoicing in Hashem! Rejoice with Hashem! Only with Hashem! Only with Hashem can you rejoice! He lives and endures! Hashem is eternal! Hashem loves you! Hashem created you! Hashem believes in you! Hashem believes in your teshuvah (repentance)! He will never leave you! He will give you everything.

A Prayer to Merit Constant Joy

Master of the Universe, awesome and revered, Master of joy and gladness, the singular Master, about whom it is said:

"Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and gladness are in His place."

Please, grant me the merit to enter the constant circles of joy that never cease for even a moment, a joy that has no end or limit. Grant me the merit that joy will shine its light upon me throughout all the days of the year without a moment's interruption, true joy and gladness in You and in Your true tzaddikim.

"For it is good to give thanks to You, and fitting to sing praises to Your Name."

And may I merit to always be in a state of joy, as it is said:

"You have put joy in my heart."

And may the verse be fulfilled in me: "For this, the beloved ones praised and exalted God, and the friends offered songs, hymns, and praises to the King, the living and enduring God."

The Power of Jewish Unity Against Amalek

"Remember what Amalek did to you on the way... and he struck the hindmost of you, all the stragglers at your rear" (Deuteronomy 25:17-18).

The tzaddik Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa zt"l would say: The mitzvah "Remember what Amalek did to you," and the adjacent mitzvah "You shall wipe out the memory of Amalek," are stated in the singular form. There is a moral lesson in this for the Jewish people: in every generation, Amalek was only able to defeat the individual Jew who separated himself from the community, whom the Clouds of Glory expelled outside the camp (as Rashi explains, Amalek succeeded in harming those people—"all the stragglers"—whom the Cloud expelled due to their sins).

In contrast, the multitudes of Israel, who clung to one another in brotherhood and friendship, were protected by the Cloud, and they did not fall into the hands of Amalek. This path must serve as a guiding principle for us and our children after us: as long as the Jewish people dwell in unity, "Amalek" (a term for the enemies of Israel) will have no power over them.

Tales of Tzaddikim: The Wisdom of Rabbi Eizel Charif

"He shall write her a bill of divorce and place it in her hand"

One day, a young woman entered the study of Rabbi Eizel Charif, the Rav of Slonim, and cried out with tear-filled eyes: 'A great tragedy has recently befallen me—my husband, my provider, left the house one morning, and now I am left like a shipwreck, tossed upon the water.' Rabbi Eizel urgently summoned the husband and began to speak to his heart, urging him to return home and live in peace with his wife. However, the husband rejected all of the Rav's pleas and declared with great firmness: 'This woman is hateful to me, and I cannot bear to live under the same roof with her!'

'If that is the situation...' Rabbi Eizel called out, 'give your wife a get (divorce document) immediately, and free her from being an agunah (a chained woman)!'

The husband pondered for a brief moment, and then said: 'I am willing to give a get to my wife in exchange for one hundred rubles...' When the wife, who was waiting in the adjacent room, heard this, she burst into bitter tears and cried: 'Where will I get one hundred rubles? I am desperately poor, and I don't have a single penny in my pocket!'

Rabbi Eizel was deeply moved by the woman's words. Without saying a word, he took Tractate Kiddushin from the bookcase, opened it to the first page right in front of the astonished husband's eyes, and said to him: 'Read aloud what the Mishnah says here:

"A woman is acquired (married to her husband) in three ways, and acquires herself (is freed from the marriage) in two ways... through a get or through the death of the husband."'

'From now on, the choice is yours: by which of the two methods found in the Mishnah will your wife be freed from the chains of marriage in which she is currently bound...' The recalcitrant husband was terrified by the Rav's words and agreed to write a get (bill of divorce) for his wife unconditionally...

The Power of Trust in Hashem

There is a story of a certain villager who had been married to his wife for more than ten years and was not blessed with children. Some of his acquaintances said to him, "The time has come for you to divorce your barren wife and marry another woman, who will quickly bless you with the fruit of the womb." However, the earnest villager rejected this suggestion from his acquaintances, because he felt with his simple understanding that it is improper to cause anguish to a righteous Jewish woman.

Once, a certain chassid, who was one of the prominent students of the Maggid, Rabbi Yisroel of Kozhnitz, stayed as a guest in the villager's home. The villager poured out his bitter heart to him and asked for good advice to rescue him from his distress. The visiting chassid said to the villager, "If you listen to my advice, go early to the door of the great Maggid of Kozhnitz, who has already brought swift salvation and deliverance to many barren women."

The villager and his wife hurried to the Maggid and begged him to bless them with viable offspring. The elderly Maggid looked at the couple, and finally stated decisively, "If you want a son (ben), you must place on my table fifty-two gold coins—the numerical value of the word ben." "Fifty-two gold coins?!" the villager cried out in astonishment. "That is a huge sum, found only in the hands of the extremely wealthy. Perhaps the Rebbe will settle for ten gold coins?" But the Maggid stood by his demand, insisting that the man must promptly bring fifty-two full and valid gold coins.

Left with no choice, the villager returned home and began searching for coins. Finally, he gathered a bag full of money, amounting to twenty gold coins, and returned to the Maggid. "Please, Rebbe, see how much money is in this bag!" the villager cried out pleadingly. "Please settle for the amount of gold coins I have brought this time." "You must bring fifty-two gold coins," the Maggid repeated, "and not a bit less."

The villager threw his hands up in despair and called out to his wife, "Come, let's leave here. Hashem will help us even without the Maggid!" At that moment, Rabbi Yisroel's eyes lit up, and he called out to them with a confident voice, "Go home in peace, for your salvation is soon to come from On High." Not many days passed before the words of the tzaddik were completely fulfilled, for great is the power of trust in Hashem that flows from the depths of the heart...