By Yisrael Yitzchak Rosenfeld
The holy ARI za”l teaches:
“Know this: Whenever a person fulfills a mitzvah, studies Torah, or davvens (prays), he should feel happier—filled with greater joy—than if he had found or earned a million gold coins.”
This is the deeper meaning of the verse in Devarim:
“Because you did not serve HaShem, your G’d, with joy and a glad heart, despite the abundance of everything.”
This “abundance” refers to all the wealth of this world.
The Torah teaches us that true service of HaShem (Avodat HaShem) should bring us greater joy than the greatest earthly fortune imaginable.
The Tikkun for the “baseless weeping” of Tisha Be’Av is to serve HaShem with joy and with all our hearts.
Not merely with a sense of happiness,
but with greater joy
than we would experience if we possessed everything this world could offer.
May we be privileged to experience such profound and overflowing joy.
Today is the yahrzeit of the holy ARI zt”l.
