“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Bereishis 5787
28 Tishrei 5786/ October 8, 2026
Mevorchim Chodesh MarCheshvan
LINGERING SIMCHA
It’s an intriguing question: What’s the first mitzvah that a bar mitzvah boy performs?
Many say that it’s the mitzvah of reciting the nighttime Kerias Shema. As soon as the sun sets on the day of his bar mitzvah, the young man is biblically obligated to say Shema, just as every Jew must recite it every morning and every evening.
Rabbi Yochanan of Tolna once told a bar mitzvah boy that if he lives in Eretz Yisroel the first mitzvah he fulfills is Yishuv Eretz Yisroel. Just by being within the confines of the Holy Land he performs that mitzvah.
The Chasam Sofer (Toras Moshe, end of Vayechi) however, noted that the first mitzvah a bar mitzvah performs is the simcha he feels that he has joined the ranks of those obligated to perform mitzvos. Serving Hashem in a state of simcha is a biblically mandated mitzvah.
The Chasam Sofer adds that the Torah does not explicitly obligate a person to rejoice on Shavuos as the day the Torah was given. It merely says to rejoice on Shavuos because it’s the festival of the harvest. If the Torah would obligate a person to be happy because the Torah was given then his happiness wouldn’t be genuine, but would be more out of a sense of obligation. The Torah wants us to truly rejoice over the opportunity we have to be members of the Torah nation. Similarly, the Torah didn’t obligate a bar mitzvah boy to be happy, so that the joy he feels will be genuine. But it is the first mitzvah he can perform.
During the time of the Beis Hamikdash, every day of Succos 14 sheep were offered as part of the daily Mussaf offerings. Over the course of the seven days of Succos a total of 98 sheep were offered. Rashi quotes Chazal who explain that there are 98 curses mentioned in the verses of Rebuke (the tochacha) in Parshas Bechukosai and Parshas Ki Savo. The Torah warns in Parshas Ki Savo that the punishments of the tochacha befall us, “Because you did not serve Hashem, your G-d, with happiness and good heartedness from an abundance of everything.” Succos is z’man simchaseinu – the season of our joy. If we internalize the message of Succos and indeed attain inner joy, we are assured that we will be spared the curses of the tochacha. Symbolically the 98 sheep offered during z’man simchaseinu ward off the 98 curses that result from not serving Hashem b’simcha.
During Yom Tov we daven “V’hasieinu Hashem Elokeinu es Birchas moadecha – Load us up Hashem, our G-d, with the blessing of Your set time (holiday).” Every Yom Tov has its own unique blessing that we can draw from. The blessing of Succos is simcha.
I imagine “boxes full of simcha” being disseminated freely during Succos to anyone who wants to receive it. The more one is ready to accept the more he will receive.
The Sefas Emes notes that the words “moadim l’simcha” don’t only mean festivals of happiness, but more literally translate as holidays for happiness. The goal is that when Yom Tov ends, we are able to draw from the unique beracha of the holiday for weeks to come.
It’s important to understand that simcha is very different than sasson. They are not synonyms but refer to two very different emotions. Sasson refers to external joy which pulsates and then bursts forth. When one feels sasson he often sings and dances. Simcha however, is not accurately translated as happiness. Simcha is a state of tranquility, menuchas hanefesh, that results from bitachon and complete acceptance of whatever Hashem has sent his way.
We state in the Yom Tov davening that Hashem gave us “moadim l’simcha, chagim uz’manim l’sasson”. The elevated lofty state of mind and heart on Yom Tov breeds internal simcha and external joy. But Succos is called z’man simchaseinu, not z’man sassoseinu. Although we enjoy and bask in the feeling of sasson throughout the Yom Tov, daily living does not allow one to be in a constant state of sasson. There are challenges, stresses and issues that must be dealt with, and one can hardly do so while dancing and singing loudly. But we are bidden to attain and retain a constant level of simcha – internal peace of mind. Even when one feels sadness, and even if one cries, he can still be in a state of simcha. It is not an easy level of reach, but no one said being a Torah Jew was meant to be easy. It requires genuine effort to constantly grow in one’s bitachon.
That is one of the enduring messages of Succos. The message that we are in the Hands of Hashem, no matter where we are or what we do. Megillas Koheles (read on Succos) reminds us that all else is vanity and purposeless. That message is also vital to attaining true simcha.
Throughout the month of Tishrei many emotions and attitudes that are aroused within us – awe, majesty, trepidation, solemnity, sincerity, etc. But we emerge from it all with the simcha of Succos and the songs of Simchas Torah still reverberating.
Our hope is that even now, after we have taken leave of the Succah and the beautiful Yom Tov of Succos, we can hold onto its message of simcha.
It shouldn’t only be the first mitzvah we perform at our bar mitzvah but an attitude and emotion we feel constantly in serving Hashem as Torah Jews.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum
STRIVINGHIGHER.COM