Happiness Is Everything
One of the greatest mechanchim of our generation once
found himself sitting on an airplane next to a Jewish member
of a well-known idol-worshiping cult in America. They were
engaged in conversation for many hours, and before the end of
the flight they exchanged phone numbers. A few days later,
much to the rov's surprise, he received a phone call from
this young man, expressing interest in becoming an Orthodox
Jew.
How did a dedicated cult member find himself with a sudden
yearning to return to his faith?
The intellectual dialogue with the rov had been stimulating,
he admitted, but that had not left even the slightest
impression on his heart. What really inspired him to come
back to his roots was seeing how happy the rov was: "If this
is what Torah produces, I want to be part of it!"
Not only does one gain personally by trying to maintain a
happy disposition, but he will sanctify Hashem's Name in the
eyes of others as well. As a Torah giant once remarked,
"Torah is the best way to be happy in this world, as well as
in the next."
On yom tov we have a special mitzvah to be in a state
of simchah. Men are directed to eat meat and wine
which bring simchah. Women are encouraged to purchase
new festive clothing. All these are just vehicles to trigger
happiness, but they are not happiness in its ultimate
form.
Our Sages say that the greatest level of joy is simchah
vetuv leivov, complete bliss of the heart. Torah produces
simchah, but does not result in tuv leivov.
Bikkurim (first fruits) are called tov, but not
tuv leivov. Shiroh (Hallel) is the highest
level of joy, for it is called simchah vetuv leivov
(Erchin 11a).
Why is Hallel so powerful? Dovid Hamelech writes "Serve
Hashem with simchah, come in front of Him with joyous
song" (Tehillim 100,2). This implies that the highest
form of happiness comes from combining Torah (which results
in simchah) with the music which is an integral part
of the mitzvah of bikkurim. Hallel synthesizes Torah
(Tehillim) and song, resulting in simchah vetuv
leivov.
Every Jew is encouraged to strive to reach this state during
every yom tov, and saying Hallel lifts us up to a
state of happiness, and brings us to simchah vetuv
leivov. The Rambam (Hilchos Yom Tov 6,17) writes,
"Every day of yom tov a Jew is obligated to be
besimchah and tuv leiv." By utilizing the same
expressions that the gemora uses to describe the
Hallel of yom tov, the Rambam testifies that saying
Hallel is the ultimate expression of simchah on yom
tov (Eimek Brochoh, Hilchos Yom Tov, 2).
Pairing-Up
Becoming familiar with the halachos of Hallel can help us to
fully appreciate the joy that lies within it. The Mishnah
writes that in a community where the custom is to repeat
[certain] verses of Hallel, one should do so (Succah
48a). The halochoh follows the guidelines of this Mishnah
and many of the lines of this tefilloh are
repeated. What is the deeper meaning behind this practice?
The poskim explain that saying these verses twice
shows that the words are close to our hearts, and are a
source of genuine happiness and appreciation for all of the
kindness that Hashem performs for us daily. The doubling of
pesukim beautifies the recitation of Hallel and
emphasizes the praise of Hashem (Responsa Yosef Ometz
20, Levush 428:3).
On another level, the Rishonim note that unlike the rest of
Hallel, it was not Dovid Hamelech who wrote all of the
repeated verses. The gemora reveals that it was
Dovid's father and brothers who originally said many of these
pesukim in response to Dovid (Pesochim 119a).
In order to make this distinction clear, we repeat these
verses (Ritva, Succah 39).
Following this idea, during one of the most dramatic points
in Hallel, the shaliach tsibur repeats, "Ono Hashem
hoshi'oh no," followed by, "Ono Hashem hatzlichoh
no." These phrases are two halves of one verse; yet the
halochoh generally forbids splitting up a posuk.
However the two halves of this verse were also originally
said by different individuals. Since two people wrote them,
the normal restrictions do not apply (Tosafos, Succah
39a).
Time and Space
"From the east the sun rises and travels across the sky . .
." (Tehillim 113,3). Day in and day out from the
beginning of time, the sun has taken the same route, never
deviating from the course that Hashem set out for it.
The gemora expounds on this, saying that just as the
sun rises in the morning so too Hallel, which includes this
very verse, is recited by day and not during the night
(Megilloh 20b). Although the first crack of dawn
(amud hashachar) is technically considered morning, in
the eyes of most people this period is still night.
Therefore, it is preferable to wait until the actual sunrise
(netz hachamoh) to recite Hallel (Graz
488,3).
There is one day during the year when the evening is
transformed into day in this sense: Seder night.
Although mitzvos are usually limited to the daytime, on
Pesach there are sixty-four to be done specifically at night.
(Vilna Gaon on the Haggodoh). This is why Hallel is
recited at the Seder. Some communities even have the
custom to read it during Ma'ariv in shul.
The sun consistently rises in the east and sets in the west.
So too Hallel should always be read in the order laid out in
the siddur, otherwise one does fulfill his obligation
(Shulchan Oruch 426,6). If one misses a word or
sentence he must go back and start over from the place where
he missed (Rema 422,6). [At times he may have to
recite the whole Hallel again as explained in the following
incident].
Switching Hallel
Shimon was up the whole of Shavuos night, and decided to try
to daven Shacharis at sunrise. By the time he got to
Hallel he barely had strength to keep his eyes open. Instead
of saying the full Hallel of yom tov, he accidentally
recited the shortened version that is said on Rosh
Chodesh and Chol Hamoed Pesach, skipping two
sections. When he got to the end of his tefilloh, he
saw that he was way ahead of everyone else, and soon realized
why.
Even though Shimon was embarrassed over his error, he managed
to muster up the courage to go to the rov. "If I said half
Hallel today do I need to repeat it? And if so, should I make
a new brochoh on the second recitation, or can I rely
on my original brochoh?"
The rov replied that if one misses words of Hallel, he is
usually obligated to go back and say them (Rema
422,6). Nevertheless, in this case since he missed out a
major section of Hallel, he should repeat the entire Hallel,
from the beginning (Responsa Shevet HaLevi, 7,62).
However since our Sages established that on Rosh Chodesh
and Chol Hamoed one should skip two
sections of Hallel, we see that this shortened version is
still an expression of simchas yom tov, and is also
considered to be Hallel. Accordingly, Shimon's original
brocha was not in vain. Even though he must repeat the
entire Hallel, he need not recite a second brocha
(ibid.).
Rapture
"The praise of Hashem extends from east to west,
reverberating throughout the entire world (Tehillim
ibid.). Even non-Jews recognize that G-d is the source of
all power. [If so why does] the verse mention east and west
(as opposed to north and south)? Since most people (in the
time that Tehillim were written) lived from east to
west, Dovid Hamelech chose that description" (Radak,
ibid.).
To the Jew with a burning desire to serve his Creator, there
is nothing more distressing than to see His Presence hidden
from the rest of mankind. In the world today, G-d's Face is
so concealed that a great percentage of modern society denies
the very existence of a Creator. How can we safeguard
ourselves from their influences?
On yom tov we are lifted to a point of exceptional
closeness to Hashem. At times our feelings wax stronger and
stronger and may reach a powerful crescendo. The moments that
we recite Hallel are some of the most fervent expressions of
this intense closeness with Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
The Divrei Chaim, the Sanzer Rav, once made a powerful remark
to his talmidim. After completing the yom tov
tefillos, the Rov said, "Until now we have fulfilled the
mitzvah of chatzi lochem (that half of yom tov
should be spent engaged in personal pleasure). Now we can
have the festive meal and fulfill chatzi leHashem (the
half of yom tov spent in spiritual endeavors)."
This great oved Hashem understood that the highest
form of joy isn't found solely in food or wine. The way that
a person brings his heart to the highest state of
simchah is by expressing the closeness that he feels
towards his Creator. For him, there was no question that
Shiroh was the way to experience simchah vetuv
leivov on yom tov.
In the merit of joyously reciting Hallel and the other yom
tov tefillos, may we be granted to see the return of the
Divine Presence to Yerushalayim, and to celebrate yom
tov in its truest form, offering sacrifices in the
rebuilt Beis Hamikdosh, may it occur speedily in our
days.
