The month of Adar II 5782 has already begun; the exalted days of Purim are drawing near. And in honor of the month in which we increase simcha (joy), we present to you a selection of holy sayings from our teacher, the honor of the holiness of the Gaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, on the great virtue of simcha (joy).

What is the main battle in the world?

What can one merit through simcha (joy)?

Benefits brought about through simcha (joy)

Rabbi Natan of Breslov says that a person’s main avodah (service) is the battle with sadness, and for this one needs self-sacrifice—not to ever allow sadness to take control.

A person says: It’s hard for me to be happy. What—only for you is it hard to be happy? For everyone it’s hard to be happy! Simcha (joy) is only with self-sacrifice; a person reaches simcha (joy) only through self-sacrifice.

It is an act of the Satan that you should not be in simcha (joy), that you should not dance and that you should not rejoice. For there are endless reasons to be sad—but one must know that a person has all kinds of kelipot (husks), and only simcha (joy) is what will break the kelipot. This purifies from the impurity of the dead.

Everyone goes through insults and humiliations. The sheer intensity of the upheavals that pass over each person in body and soul, with such great and mighty overpowering, makes it a person’s nature to be sad—this is the nature: not to be in simcha (joy).

Sadness grows stronger, until one needs real self-sacrifice against it—like a person who goes to sanctify Hashem’s Name.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov says in his book Sefer HaMiddot (Simcha, Part II, 1): “One who is always happy—through this he succeeds.” This is the matter of Yosef HaTzaddik, about whom the Midrash says that he was a gever kapuz, and the Matnot Kehunah explains: “A man who leaps, exults, is happy, and of good heart—skipping over the mountains.” He dances inside the prison. For thirteen years he does not stop dancing. Hashem is with him. He sees only Hashem.

“I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up” (Genesis 46:4). He sees only the “I”—Hashem; he does not see Egypt, he does not see Pharaoh, he does not see anything—he sees only Hashem. Even though he is alone, and they already drove him from the house, sold him to Arabs, and now he is in prison on a blood libel—and after all this he leaps, exults, and rejoices, because he is with Hashem. And then Yosef HaTzaddik merits to be among the Seven Shepherds. Precisely after everything they did to him—“And Yosef was a successful man” (Genesis 39:2).

Through constant simcha (joy) one merits to be included in Hashem, and to do His will. (Tefillah Le’Ani. Prayers recorded by our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a)

If a person would know the greatness of the root of his neshamah (soul), he would soar in the air from overwhelming simcha (joy). (Tefillah Le’Ani)

One who does not fall from rejoicing and simcha (joy) in Hashem during all his descents merits tremendous ascents and Godly attainments, like one of the great bnei aliyah. (Tefillah Le’Ani)

“The main thing is simcha (joy), and all awakenings are only [in order] to serve Hashem with greater intensity and greater strength—God forbid not to fall from anything, but only to rise and be elevated more and more with tremendous simcha (joy), with tremendous kedushah (holiness), without end and without limit.” (Alei Siach. A book containing letters of encouragement written by our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a over many decades)

“…And the main thing is to know that everything must be done with tremendous simcha (joy), without end and without limit, and then you will see salvations and miracles and wonders, without end and without limit—as it is written: ‘To Him Who alone performs great wonders, for His kindness is everlasting’ (Psalms 136:4).” (Alei Siach)

“Now we only need to strengthen ourselves with all our might in Rebbe Nachman of Breslov and rejoice with him, for the main thing is only simcha (joy) in the Rebbe—and besides this, everything is illusions. All worries are illusions. From all the problems there will only be gladness and simcha (joy), and in every person it goes and is fulfilled that all his days of mourning are turned into gladness and simcha (joy). A person’s obligation is only to rejoice and rejoice and rejoice… without limit, as Rabbi Natan of Breslov writes to his son, that ‘you will regret every time you were not in simcha (joy).’

“For life passes, and a person asks himself: Why wasn’t I in simcha (joy) earlier? For everything passes, and everything is only illusions. And the main obligation is to know this in advance, and only to dance and dance—just as Rebbe Nachman of Breslov writes that one who is always happy wins.” (Alei Siach)

“The main thing is to be like the Simpleton (as told by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in his book Sippurei Ma’asiyot)—to rejoice in his portion even if it is a shoe with three corners, and to rejoice in Hashem with enthusiasm, for Hashem will not abandon you, and you will rise higher and higher in the levels of Torah. You will see tremendous success in all the work of your hands, and you have nothing to worry about.” (Alei Siach)

“The main thing is to guard constant simcha (joy). Even Hitbodedut must be in a way that brings tremendous simcha (joy), since the entire foundation of our Rebbe is simcha (joy). And there is a tremendous obligation to rejoice in each and every mitzvah, and in every good point. And the more we merit to rejoice, the more we will merit to receive all good and to rise higher and higher in Torah and awe. For complete bitachon (trust in Hashem)—the feeling that Hashem is with us without pause—means that we must not allow any thought of sadness to enter us; not to be poor in understanding, but rather happy with tremendous, infinite simcha (joy).” (Alei Siach)

“And the main thing is never to forget to strengthen oneself each time with extra simcha (joy), and to believe with complete emunah (faith) that everything that passes over me is for my benefit, and not to be overly distressed about anything—only to strengthen oneself in the simcha (joy) of Hashem all day, and then we will see Hashem’s salvations in whatever direction we turn.” (Alei Siach)

“One must be so careful of sadness, just as one is careful of the greatest enemy, and not allow sadness to come near me in any way.” (Alei Siach)

“And the main thing is to know that every time a person needs a salvation, they test him from Above. And the essence of the test is that they bring him some situation, and they want to see whether he will indeed strengthen himself with true simcha (joy). And when he truly strengthens himself, then it is a sign that he truly wanted to do the will of Hashem, blessed be He. Since when a person strengthens himself with simcha (joy), it is a sign—as I heard from R’ Betzalel Friedman—that he is truly seeking at every moment to do the will of Hashem, blessed be He. Therefore, what does it matter to him where he is, and what is being done with him? For at every moment I must give pleasure to my Creator and Maker. If so, at this moment I must give Him pleasure by strengthening myself with extra, infinite simcha (joy), and by actually feeling Hashem’s kindness that He has done with me, and that He does with me at every single moment.” (Alei Siach)