Pearls from The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, on the Greatness of Joy

In honor of the month of Adar, in which we increase our joy, and the holy days of Purim that are approaching, we present to you a collection of words from our teacher, Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, regarding the great virtue of joy, taken from his lessons and letters. >>> What is the essence of the war in the world? >>> What can one merit through joy? >>> And other spiritual benefits brought about by joy.

• Rebbe Nathan of Breslov says that the main service of a person is the war against sadness, and for this, one needs self-sacrifice so as not to let sadness take over, ever.
• A person says: 'It is hard for me to be happy.' What, is it only hard for you to be happy? It is hard for everyone to be happy! Joy is only achieved with self-sacrifice; a person reaches joy only through self-sacrifice.
• It is the work of the Satan that you should not be in joy, that you should not dance and not rejoice. Because there are endless reasons to be in sadness, but one must know that there are all kinds of shells (kelipot) upon a person, and only joy is what will break the shells. It purifies from the impurity of death.
• Everyone goes through insults and humiliations. The intensity of the adventures that everyone goes through in body and soul, with such great and immense struggle, is such that it is the nature of man to be in sadness; that is the nature, not to be in joy.
• Sadness intensifies until one needs true self-sacrifice against it, like a person who goes for the sanctification of Hashem’s name.
• Rebbe Nachman of Breslov says in his book 'Sefer HaMiddot' (Joy, Part II, 1): "Whoever is always happy, through this he succeeds." This is the matter of Joseph the Tzaddik, whom the Midrash says was a 'gavra kapuza' (a lively man), and the Matnot Kehunah explains: 'A man who jumps, is jubilant, happy, and good-hearted. He leaps over the mountains.' He dances inside the prison. For thirteen years he does not stop dancing. Hashem is with him. He only sees Hashem.
• "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up." He only sees the 'I am Hashem,' he does not see Egypt, he does not see Pharaoh, he does not see anything; he only sees Hashem. Even though he is alone, and they already drove him from his home, sold him to the Arabs, and now he is in prison on a blood libel, and after all this, he jumps, is jubilant, and happy. Because he is with Hashem. And then Joseph the Tzaddik merits to be one of the seven shepherds. Precisely after everything they did to him, "And Joseph was a successful man."
• Through constant joy, one merits to be included in Hashem and does His will. (Tefilah Le'Ani, prayers recorded by our teacher, Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a)
• If a person knew the greatness of the root of his soul, he would fly in the air from the abundance of joy. (Tefilah Le'Ani)
• One who does not fall from the jubilation and joy in Hashem during all his descents merits immense ascents and attainments of Divinity like one of the great spiritual climbers. (Tefilah Le'Ani)
• "The main thing is joy, and all the awakenings are only [in order] to serve Hashem with greater intensity and greater strength, and Heaven forbid not to fall from anything, but only to rise and ascend more and more in immense joy, in immense holiness, to no end and no limit." (Ali Siach, a book containing letters of encouragement written by our teacher, Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a over the course of decades)
• "...And the main thing is to know that everything must be done with immense joy, to no end and no limit, and then you will see salvations, miracles, and wonders, to no end and no limit. As it is written, 'To Him who does great wonders alone, for His kindness is everlasting.'" (Ali Siach)
• "Now we only need to strengthen ourselves with all our might in our Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, and to rejoice with him, because the main thing is only the joy in the Rebbe, and besides this, everything is imagination; all worries are imaginations. From all problems, there will only be gladness and joy, and in every person, it is fulfilled that all his days of mourning are turned into gladness and joy. The obligation of a person is only to rejoice and rejoice and rejoice... without limit, as Rebbe Nathan of Breslov writes to his son, that 'you will regret every time that you were not in joy.'" (Ali Siach)
• "Because life passes and a person asks himself: Why was I not in joy before? Because everything passes, and everything is only imagination, and the main obligation is to know this in advance and only to dance and dance, as our Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, writes that whoever is happy always wins." (Ali Siach)
• "The main thing is to be like the Simple One (told by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in his book 'Tales of the Rebbe'), to be happy with his lot even if it is a shoe with three patches, and to rejoice in Hashem with enthusiasm, because Hashem will not abandon you, and you will ascend in the levels of Torah. You will see immense success in all the work of your hands, and you have nothing to worry about." (Ali Siach)
• "The main thing is to maintain constant joy; even the hisbodedut (seclusion) must be in such a way that it brings to immense joy, since the entire foundation of our Rebbe is joy, and there is an immense obligation to rejoice in every single mitzvah, and in every good point. And the more we merit to rejoice, the more we will merit to attain all good and to ascend higher and higher in Torah and fear of Heaven. Because complete trust is the feeling that Hashem is with us incessantly, and that we must not let any thought of sadness enter us, not to be 'poor in knowledge,' only happy with immense, infinite joy." (Ali Siach)
• "And the main thing is never to forget to strengthen yourself each time with extra joy, and to believe with complete faith that everything that happens to me is all for my benefit, and not to be too sad about anything, only to strengthen yourself in the joy of Hashem all day, and then we will see the salvations of Hashem wherever we turn." (Ali Siach)
• "We must be so careful of sadness, just as one is careful of the greatest enemy, and not let sadness approach me in any way." (Ali Siach)
• "And the main thing is to know that every time a person needs salvation, they test him from above. And the essence of the test is that they bring him some situation, and they want to see if he will indeed strengthen himself with true joy; and when he truly strengthens himself, then it is a sign that he truly wanted to do the will of Hashem. Because when a person strengthens himself in joy, it is a sign—so I heard from R' Betzalel Friedman—that he is indeed searching at every moment to do the will of Hashem, and therefore what does he care where he is, and what is done with him? After all, at every moment I must give pleasure to my Creator and Maker, and if so, at this moment I must give Him pleasure by strengthening myself with extra, infinite joy, and feeling truly the kindness of Hashem that He has done with me, and that He does with me at every moment." (Ali Siach)