Once there was a poor man who used to make his living by digging clay and selling it.
One day he was digging in the mud when suddenly he found a jewel. It must have been worth a fortune! The Clay-digger had no idea how much it was worth, so he went to a jeweler to have it valued.
The jeweler told him it was worth so much that there was no-one in their country with enough money to buy it! He would have to travel to London , the capital city. But being poor, the man did not have the money to make the journey. He went and sold everything he had and went from house to house asking for contributions, until he had sufficient money to journey to the port.
He wanted to board the ship but he did not have enough money for the fare. He went to the captain and showed him the precious stone. The captain immediately took him onto the ship with great flourish, saying, "You're a sure bet!" The captain gave him a special first class cabin with every luxury as if he was a person of very high rank.
The Clay-digger's cabin had a window overlooking the sea. He would sit there enjoying himself immensely rejoicing over the diamond, especially at mealtimes, because joy and good spirits are medically proven aids to easy digestion!
One day he sat down to eat and placed the diamond on the table in front of him so that he could enjoy it. After his meal, he took a nap. While he was asleep, the cabin-boy came in and took the tablecloth with all the crumbs, and without even noticing the diamond, shook everything into the sea!
When the Clay-digger awoke he realized what had happened. He almost went out of his mind with worry and anguish. What was he to do? The captain was a pirate who would murder him for the boat fare.
Still, the Clay-digger pretended to be happy - as if he was quite unaware that anything had happened.
Every day during the voyage the captain used to talk to him for several hours. He did the same today. The Clay-digger made such a show of being happy that the captain didn't notice anything unusual.
The captain said to him, "I know you are clever and honest. I want to buy a large quantity of grain to sell in London - I can make a big profit. My fear is that I will be accused of embezzling from the royal treasury. Let the purchase be made in your name and I will reward you handsomely." The Clay-digger felt it was a good idea and he agreed.
As soon as they arrived in London , the captain died and everything was left in the hands of the Clay-digger! The cargo was in fact worth many times more than the diamond!
The truth is that the diamond did not belong to the Clay-digger - and the proof is that he lost it. The grain did belong to him - and the proof is that he kept it. And he only gained what was his because he forced himself to keep happy.
וְכֵן בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה בִּפְרָט בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה שֶׁצְּרִיכִין שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הַתְּפִלָּה בְּשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה וּצְרִיכִין לְהַכְרִיחַ עַצְמוֹ לְשַׂמֵּחַ עַצְמוֹ בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁיָּכוֹל כְּדֵי לִזְכּוֹת לְשִׂמְחָה וּבִפְרָט בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה וְכַמּוּבָא עַל פָּסוּק: אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלקַי בְּעוֹדִי וְכוּ עַיֵּן שָׁם וְאִם לִפְעָמִים דַּעְתּוֹ מְבֻלְבָּל וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל בְּשׁוּם אפֶן לְשַׂמֵּחַ עַצְמוֹ אָז עֲצָתוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא שָׂמֵחַ וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבִּתְחִלָּה עֲדַיִן אֵין הַשִּׂמְחָה בֶּאֱמֶת בַּלֵּב אַף עַל פִּי כֵן עַל יְדֵי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא שָׂמֵחַ עַל יְדֵי זֶה יִזְכֶּה אַחַר כָּךְ בֶּאֱמֶת לְשִׂמְחָה וְעֵצָה זאת הִיא עֵצָה גְּדוֹלָה מְאד גַּם בְּכָל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה שֶׁבִּתְחִלָּה צְרִיכִין לַעֲשׂוֹת עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא לָהוּט אַחַר אוֹתוֹ הַדָּבָר שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה וְאַחַר כָּךְ זוֹכִין בֶּאֱמֶת לָזֶה וְהָבֵן מְאד
(א) בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה.
(ב) עַל־פִּי מָשָׁל, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים כְּשֶׁבְּנֵי־אָדָם שְׂמֵחִים וּמְרַקְּדִים, אֲזַי חוֹטְפִים אִישׁ אֶחָד מִבַּחוּץ, שֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְבוּת וּמָרָה שְׁחֹרָה, וּמַכְנִיסִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעַל־כָּרְחוֹ לְתוֹךְ מְחוֹל הַמְרַקְּדִים, וּמַכְרִיחִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעַל־כָּרְחוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שָׂמֵחַ עִמָּהֶם גַם־כֵּן;
(ג) כֵּן יֵשׁ בְּעִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה. כִּי כְּשֶׁאָדָם שָׂמֵחַ, אֲזַי הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְיִסּוּרִים נִסְתַּלְּקִים מִן הַצַּד.
(ד) אֲבָל מַעְלָה יְתֵרָה – לְהִתְאַמֵּץ לִרְדֹּף אַחַר הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה דַּוְקָא, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָהּ גַם־כֵּן בְּתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁהַמָּרָה שְׁחוֹרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ תִּתְהַפֵּךְ לְשִׂמְחָה. שֶׁיְּהַפֵּךְ הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וְכָל הַיִּסּוּרִין לְשִׂמְחָה, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַבָּא לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, שֶׁאָז מִגֹּדֶל הַשִּׂמְחָה וְהַחֶדְוָה מְהַפֵּךְ כָּל הַדְּאָגוֹת וְהָעַצְבוּת וְהַמָּרָה שְׁחוֹרוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ לְשִׂמְחָה. נִמְצָא שֶׁחוֹטֵף הַמָּרָה שְׁחֹרָה וּמַכְנִיס אוֹתָהּ בְּעַל־כָּרְחָהּ לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה, כַּמָּשָׁל הַנַּ"ל.
(ה) וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (ישעיהו ל״ה:י׳): שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה – שֶׁהַיָּגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה בּוֹרְחִים וְנָסִים מִן הַשִּׂמְחָה, כִּי בְּעֵת הַשִּׂמְחָה דֶּרֶךְ הַיָּגוֹן וָאֲנָחָה לַעֲמֹד מִן הַצַּד כַּנַּ"ל, אֲבָל צָרִיךְ לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם דַּיְקָא, וּלְהַשִּׂיגָם וּלְהַגִּיעָם, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָם דַּוְקָא לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה כַּנַּ"ל.
(ו) וְזֶהוּ: שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְכוּ' – שֶׁהַשָּׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְיִתְפְּסוּ אֶת הַיָּגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה, שֶׁהֵם נָסִים וּבוֹרְחִים מִן הַשִּׂמְחָה, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָם בְּעַל־כָּרְחָם לְתוֹךְ הַשִּׂמְחָה כַּנַּ"ל.
(ז) כִּי יֵשׁ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה שֶׁהֵם הַסִּטְרָא־אָחֳרָא, שֶׁאֵינָם רוֹצִים לִהְיוֹת מֶרְכָּבָה אֶל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, וְעַל־כֵּן הֵם בּוֹרְחִים מִן הַשִּׂמְחָה. עַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ לְהַכְרִיחַ אוֹתָם לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתָם לְתוֹךְ הַקְּדֻשָּׁה, דְּהַיְנוּ הַשִּׂמְחָה, בְּעַל־כָּרְחָם, כַּנַּ"ל:
(1) On the topic of simchah.
(2) An analogy: Sometimes, when people are happy and dance, they grab someone standing outside [the circle] who is depressed and gloomy. Against his will they bring him into the circle of dancers; against his will, they force him to be happy along with them.
(3) It is the same with happiness. When a person is happy, gloom and suffering stand aside.
(4) Yet greater still is to gather courage to actually pursue gloom, and to introduce it into the joy, such that the gloom itself turns into joy. A person should transform gloom and all suffering into joy. It is like a person who comes to a celebration. The abundant joy and happiness then, transforms all his worries, depression and gloom into joy. We find that he has grabbed the gloom and introduced it, against its will, into the joy, as in the aforementioned analogy.
(5) This is the concept of “They will attain gladness and joy, as sadness and sighing flee” (Isaiah 35:10). The sadness and sighing flee and run from joy. For at a time of joy, it is the nature of sadness and sighing to stand aside. Yet one actually has to pursue them, and to catch-up with and reach them, in order to specifically introduce them into the joy.
(6) This is the meaning of “They will attain gladness and joy…” Gladness and joy will catch-up with and seize the sadness and sighing as they flee and run from joy, in order to introduce them, against their will, into the joy.
(7) For there are types of sadness and sighing that are [from] the Other Side. They do not want to be a vehicle for holiness, and so they flee from joy. Consequently, one needs to force them into the holiness, i.e., the joy, against their will.
אֲבָל הָעַצְבוּת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם מְצַמְצֵם אֶת הַדַּעַת עַד שֶׁהוּא קָטָן מֵהָכִיל אֶת הָאוֹר וְאָז אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל אֲפִלּוּ מְעַט נִיצוֹצֵי הָאוֹר שֶׁמְּאִירִין לוֹ וְיָכוֹל לַהֲרֹס אֶת הַגְּבוּל חַס וְשָׁלוֹם וְעַל-כֵּן עִקַּר הַהַשָּגָה עַל-יְדֵי הַשִּמְחָה בִּבְחִינַת (שַׁבָּת ל) אֵין הַשְּׁכִינָה שׁוֹרָה מִתּוֹךְ עַצְבוּת אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שִׂמְחָה:
כִּי שִׂמְחָה הוּא קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה מֵרַמַ"ח אֵבָרִים וּשְׁסָ"ה גִּידִים, וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁהוּא שָׂמֵחַ אוֹ מְרַקֵּד, צָרִיךְ לִרְאוֹת שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר בְּכָל הַשִּׂמְחָה, מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד עָקֵב, כִּי לִפְעָמִים הַשִּׂמְחָה רַק בָּרַגְלִין, וְלִפְעָמִים בַּלֵּב, אוֹ בְּהַמֹּחִין, בְּחִינַת (ישעיהו ל״ה:י׳): וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם עַל רֹאשָׁם; אַךְ עִקַּר הַשִּׂמְחָה – שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר בְּכָל הַשִּׂמְחָה, הַיְנוּ בְּכָל הַקּוֹמָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּהַשִּׂמְחָה. וְצָרִיךְ לָזֶה מִצְווֹת רַבּוֹת,