"Serve G-d with Joy!"
King David said: "Serve G-d with joy!" Psalms 100:2. The verse in our Torah portion Ki Tavo says: "Because you did not serve G-d, your G-d, with joy and gladness of heart, from an abundance of everything…you will serve your enemies"(Deuteronomy 26:1).
Being joyful is a crucial condition to accept G-d's blessings. Without joy, there are much fewer blessings.
The importance of happiness is connected to Redemption. A Chassidic adage says, "Joy breaks through all boundaries and constrictions"—including the constrictions of exile. Even and especially the personal constrictions. Every one of us has some personal difficulties, and the way to challenge them is by adding joy and faith.
In fact, the connection between joy and Moshiach is highlighted by the fact that the name Moshiach has the exact same four Hebrew letters as the word "yismach" (G-D will be happy upon his deeds).
King David prophesied what the nations will say in the redemption:
"...then they will say among the nations, G-d has done great things with the Jews' Indeed, G-d has done great things with us; because we were happy."
Why has G-d "done great things with us"? Why have we deserved redemption? Because "we were happy."
In Rosh Hashana, we need to hold two opposite emotions within our hearts, joy, and fear. As it says “Serve the Lord in fear and rejoice with trembling” (Psalms 2:11). This verse is related especially to Rosh Hashana.
What is the meaning of rejoicing with inner fear? even where there is joy, there should be fear of G-D.
Is there any greater privilege than serving the King of kings? As such, the 7 Noahide commandments must be done with joy.
Brought By Rabbi Moshe Bernestein
Rabbi Moshe Bernestein is a writer and a Community Rabbi in Netanya, Israel. He believes in making connections between the Jewish People and the Noahides worldwide in order to share and enhance the knowledge of the Torah's Universal Code for Humanity and fulfil Isaiah's Prophecy 11:9 " And the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the oceans".
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Beautiful the connection between Mesiach and Yismach. Thank you.