Parshas Nasso: Rabbeinu Bachaya’s Secret to True Simcha That Most People Get Wrong

Credit Vs The Real Goal

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Is the goal that you should be the one who hands a big fat check to the Rasheshiva of the Mir or to BMG in order to fund the yeshiva so the yeshiva should have enough money so that the taira should flow through the walls of the holy structure? Or is the goal simply that the yeshiva should have money? That the Torah should continue and should have plenty of Lechem, plenty of Parnassa, so that God's Torah can continue to build and to spread. See, the difference is does it have to be you that gives the check? Does it have to be me that gives the check?

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Or are we simply interested in making sure that the yeshiva has enough? It's a very minor difference. In any goal. Does it need to be us? Does it need to be us? Or does it simply is it about the larger goal? For the clowl. That it should be taken care of.

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I have different thoughts about it. Part of me thinks, well, you gotta take accountability. So you should step forward and say, I'm the one who's gonna give the check so that you can work hard to give the check. And everyone should take their responsibility. But on the other hand, I should be happy if someone else wins the lottery. Because now at least they'll give the money to Yeshiva. It doesn't have to be me, but somehow still I'd rather it be me. Than my colleague. In any goal, it's like this. There's the question of the general major goal and then where I fit into it and being able to bring that to fruition.

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This week I want to challenge in a mature way what success is, what it isn't, and to clarify what it looks like.

Why Rabbeinu Bechaya Hits Different

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We're gonna start with Hashem's help with our essay from Rabbeinu Bahayah, from his famed commentary, Medrish Rabbeinuhaya, Rabbeinu Bechaya Al-Atoira, the great medieval sage who lived in the 1200s, a Talmud of the Rajbah, famous for his multi-dimensioned commentary on the Torah, also famous for his safer Kad Hakemach, an alphabetic synopsis of important Torah, Avoda, and Musir concepts. Very unique work. But the commentary, Medrish Rabbeinu Bekhay Al-Hattairah, has a unique place in the walls of a yeshiva and in the heart of anyone who takes his Khumish Torah study seriously. Because you'll open up a Khumish, you'll find Rashi. Rashi will give you the Pshat. He'll tell you how to make sense of the Torah. That is where things start. And in a certain sense, it's also where they end. But should you glance towards the left side of the page, you'll find the Ramban, who'll almost always cite Rashi's commentary and then continue to either agree or disagree. You'll glance a bit down underneath the Ramban, you'll probably find the Sefarno, the Italian Rishon, who also discusses the basic texts and meaning of the Psukim, but there's also a certain emphasis on psychology and understanding human nature. The Chizkuni has his own twang. I don't know if that's the right word to use. Different novel approaches. The Orachayim is persistent in his pursuit of truth and how every letter needs to be accounted for in every pussock. And he'll berate the pusuk with numerous questions until finally he can answer all of them. And sometimes he does it in this great crescendo of one answer to answer them all, and well, you don't get the title or hachaim haqadosh, the holy one, for nothing. But then there's the Rabbeinu Bakhaya's shot. And if you've had ever a burning question where you've reach searched it and looked to see if Rashi Ramban, Sefarno, Khizkuni, the Dasakanim, anyone should ask the question, a lot of times you will notice that when you make it to Rabbeinu Bakayah, you'll see that he actually cites all of the opinions. It's a very encyclopedic and all-encompassing type of text. He'll bring four different answers often, four different layers to the Pasak. He'll give you the Pshat, the plain meaning. He'll give you the agadic, the medrish exegesis. He'll give you the logical and philosophical, Sephorno-like truths that are embodied in the Torah, and he'll give you a fourth deeper level. Alderha MS, the Kabbalistic, Sefer Ha Bahir, Zohar-like path of light, emes type of approach. Sometimes you could really just jump right to Rabbeinu Bekayah. But what makes Rabbeinu Bekhaya's commentary unique to many scholars is his introduction to every parsha. He always opens up his commentary on the said parsha with a weekly lesson. He prefaces his commentary on the parsha in an effort to prepare the reader about the fundamental ideas that are about to be discussed. And he weaves it into one pussock, one motto that he'll always cite from Mishle in an effort to prepare you that what's about to go on in the Torah, all the questions, all of the answers, all of the topics, they're all going to summarize themselves and really drive home the lesson that's right sitting here in this posak. In this posak mishleh. He weaves it all together and then he kicks you off and sends you into the Torah, sends you into Parsha's Naso with this one Pasak Mishle and the introduction in mind. And then all of the questions and answers that you find in Rabbein al-Baqhaya and that week's Parsha, they all hit different and they slap like a third-grade Rebbe would. No. They slap. Slaps good, it feels good, because now the questions and answers, you're prepared and you have some depth and you understand the partios differently. This week I'd like to explore his essay. He begins with that one line motto from Shlomohamelech. And that's what makes up much of what we're about to discuss.

Simcha When Justice Is Done

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Simchalatzadik, Asos Mishbut, U machtala poal. It's a postric mishlay, Khafav Tesvav. Simchalatzadik. It is joyous for the righteous. But it will bring ruin. It depresses. Ruin will come to its evildoers. The point being that when justice is had, Rabbeinu Bakhaya explains, when justice is had, when the system of mishpat in the Kiam Haolam is had, that makes the righteous happy, and that makes the evildoers sad. Why? He explains, the way I understand it, is when one of the gangbangers or drug dealers in the town is arrested, justice is had, he's brought off of the streets and slammed into the cell. So we cannot effect more harm on the innocent civilians. The righteous, the good people are happy. He got what he was coming to him. Also, I can now let my kids play outside. But the evil ones, they're frightened. They're sad. They're upset, they're bewildered, they're not sure what to do, they have second thoughts, they take life a bit seriously for a minute. But the justice very much separates the world into two camps in the way that it lands onto people. But Rabbeinu Bekhayah peels apart, surgically peels apart the puzzle. You see the depth of Shlomo Hamelech. Simcholatik. It's simcha. Rabbeinu Bekhaya says there's multiple ways to say happy. There's gilu, there's Vahamisos, Vaharina. He proves these different concepts. Gil, yogil, avid zadik, violid chakam, losh and gila itzal tzadik, simcha, sihi yoyser godal, Rabbin Bachayah makes a hierarchy of the different ways to say happy and proves to us, and for the sake of time, I'll summarize it the way I understand it, simcha is the form of happiness when it's based on wisdom and association to God. In very plain terms. If you break down the word with a Hersheyan type of, what's that word for endo? A certain dictionary of how words and you break them down, I forget, endology and chronology. Either way, simcha is when it's associated with God. It's a deep and rejoicing kind of happiness. He proves this. You'll note, he says, that Davila Malach always reserves, and Shlomo Amalach always reserves the term simcha for association with Hashem. When these people in our Pasak, when they see the superior virtuous actions of God that are so smishbat, simcha happens. Simcha, not Rina or Gila. It's Simcha Latzadek, when I so smishbat. And then he continues. Even though it does get wordy sometimes when we read an essay inside, it does give us a sort of grounding and way to build an idea based in real Torah as opposed to getting lost in more fluffy motivational concepts. Reading an essay sometimes grant grounds us. So being a shloma shalom, he's has in mind here. Simcha. When he's doing actions that are associated with God. Because she ya se osan, when you do mitzvos, you should have simcha. O yeira achiram. Or when you see your friends, Osin, your friends doing mitzvos. The Zehusha Omar, listen to this diuk. The Zehusha Omar Asos Mishbat. Velo Omar Asos Mishbat. It said asos Mishpat. What that means is in the infinitive, the dispensing of justice. Asos Mishbat means when justice is had.

Learning To Celebrate Others’ Wins

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Not in your actions, but in the phenomenon of good actions. Rabbein of Khayah says that's what Simcha is, and a person should be happy. You hear these words? Ayyurah a chairim osim. When you see somebody else doing Torah and Mitzvos. You see, the concept is it's subtle.

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But joy, the natural joy, the happiness in the heart.

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It should come to you not only when you yourself fulfill God's will or have something good happen for sea, but asos mishbut if you should see your friend do a Torah in mitzvis, when he should go ahead and also give the big check. He should be Myrbitz Torah. That's also a so mishbut. Rabbi Lopiansky elaborate on this concept, it's very subtle.

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Because many times, I'll speak from the heart.

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If you spend months, years trying to do a sous mishpat, to be Marbit's Torah, or to give the big check, or to understand the Torah and give a khabura that your Russia she was proud of.

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But instead, somebody else was more Zoha than you. To be Marbit's Torah more.

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His videos or thoughts more accepted by the Hamoin Am.

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It could feel disheartening. Maybe we get jealous. But we shouldn't. We shouldn't. What's the goal?

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The goal isn't for me to do it, the goal is that it should happen and God's Torah should be known in Arbakanvo So Arret all the way down to New Zealand. And that's happening.

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Lamosha. If you're in a classroom, Hashem is the Mora.

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And all of the Kinderloch are told to follow unique rules. You have to follow these unique rules. Everyone needs to walk in a single file. And you really want everyone to listen to Mora, and that Mora's laws of the classroom should be had. And someone who's standing in line should make you happy. Good for you. You're doing Mishbat.

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It's Simcha and Asos Mishbat. They told this incredible story.

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Rabbi Lopiansky noted it. They said about the greatness of Rab Chaim Valojinnur, all these great things, and they tell this famous story when Rab Chaim Valojinur was walking past his yeshiva one night after he'd built the mother of yeshivas from the ground up, 400 boys with a roaring, booming Kaya Kavtaira bursting out of the walls. Chaim Valojner was walking past it with a friend. Late at night he heard the Kultura and he started to cry. Crying of happiness, blown away by what he had built. Success had been had. Somebody once told that story to Rabbi Sral Salantar. And there's a very mature point. I hope you'll take it with a grain of salt. Somebody told that story to Rabbi Sral Salantar in an effort to show the greatness of Rabhaim Valajner. Rabbi Sral Salantar commented. It does show greatness of Rabbi Sral Salantar. But if you'd like to show real greatness, if you'd really like to bring out a Mylla, you would bring a story. Rabhaim Valajanur started to cry when another yeshiva that had a booming Kaya Hatyrah walked by a different yeshiva. And for that one, he was happy. And the point is not to say anything about Ribchaim Valajanur, because Ribchaim Velajhnur was the greatest Jew that we've ever had, who's gun ailam and you can't describe it. But the point of the story, hopefully you get it, is Asus Mishpat. Rubi Sr. Sant is making the point here. The goal of victory is that God's will should be spread, that associat should be done, that everyone should follow the rules and the yeshiva should have enough money. It's not that you should be the one to give the donation, it's that the donation should be given. It is that you should spread Torah, but there's a general goal. We all need to take accountability, but that the Torah should be spread and that people should be doing the Torah and that no one should be stepping out of line. It's only the second paragraph of Rabbeinu Bakhaya's explanation of this pasak. He continues to talk about

Joy As A Mitzvah And A Practice

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simcha. He says like this You should know Yodua kiya simcha mitzvah vifnai atma. The simcha in the asos mishpat is its own class of mitzvah. There's an avoda of doing the mitzvah, and then there's an avoda of simcha, a class in its own as part of the mitzvah. The khanksiv tacha sasher lo avita asashem alokeha bis simcha. Simcha is called avadita. Ivdu ashem bis simcha. The happiness, the joy in your heart. Not this drunken happiness, but the pleasure, the deep meaning of the deep feeling of I'm doing the right thing, the satisfaction, that's simcha. That's what completes the avoda, completes the mitzvah. This is where he starts to segue into the parsha. That's what's going on by the service of the Besan Mikdash. That's why we're singing. But Mikdash, Uba Mishkan, Bishir Happeh, Vahli. Why do we have an avodah in the Besan Mikdash? Besides for the Kohanim to bring the Karbonos, we need to have a choir. People standing on rows, the Levites chanting and singing. Why do they have it? Listen to these words. Because it brings a person to happiness. Not that you're happy so that you sing. But as my Shvar says, you sing to make yourself happy. That's why the Pasik says, Avoda. What is the avoda that we're talking about by the Lavim? What's an avoda ha vey oimer ze hashir? There's an entire aspect of Judaism in doing the mitzvah and then singing about the mitzvah, gladdening the mitzvah. Hashem set aside an entire army of Levites just there not to do the mitzvah. That's the Kohanim. The Leviim are there to sing about the mitzvah, to bring joyousness. Basimcha Asos Mishbat. It's important that we have that joy. A normal, happy, satisfactory feeling of doing the right thing and a job well done when doing a mitzvah. And this is why he says, if you never knew this about the Leviim, you talk fashion, but toyahamalach, so is man slash him shana alhamishim. This is where it gave me a bit of relief.

The Levites’ Song And Peak Years

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He says, and this is the reason why Leviim were chosen to be in the army of Hashem only by the age of 30. And they were told to retire, to hang up the skates, to stop singing when they were. 50. Why?

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Because between the ages of 30 and 50, as the Gemorah tells us, and he sources, as the Mishnah says, that's when you get your strength. And you grow with your strength. Between 30 to 50, that's your real peak hours. That's when you should sing. That's when you're drafted. But after 50, the voice gets a little bit more subdued. It's time for new Levium to be had. That always pumped me up because I'm 29. I felt like I was getting old. 29? I was just 15. Life was nothing more than playing ball and candy, and all of a sudden there's mortgages, insurance policies, and tuition. And I turned 30. But I saw this and I said, wow, it was all just preparation. Zero to 29 and 364 days until you're finally 30. That's all preparation. You can only get drafted and really have your kayak to start building institutions and making people happy and donating only between 30 to 50. Not only, but that's when your main strength comes. And for this reason, continues Rabinu Bekhaya. As he finishes and runs you right into the first Pusuk. Explains to you and you gets you rolling right into the Parsha. The 30 to 50, that's Levium. The counting of Levi'im, it means a lot more this week to us. Because we know what the Leviam are there to do. We know that the Leviam are there to add Simcha. And where do we get this concept coming from? Because Simcha is its own unique avoda. It's what brings the shlamas to an action. And when we talk about bringing Simcha and Schleimus to an action, we're building that upon the lesson of that it's not just your action, but it's somebody else's action also. And it should be bis simcha was the first thing we said. That simcha is uniquely associated with God. And it's that feeling of happiness and satisfaction and the feeling of I got the job done. And whether you did it or somebody else did it, there's simcha in the asos mishpat. Because the apostle says asos and not asoso. The phenomenon of God's will being fulfilled, that should make you happy, whether it's you or somebody else.

The Takeaway On Success And Self

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So we've built kind of a tower here of separate lessons. But I hope that what we take from it is that it's not about our accomplishments. It's about the accomplishment. It's about the yeshiva having enough. It's about the shool having what it needs. It's about the Almanah, the Yasom having what they need. It's about Hashem's will being followed in the world. And you do your part and I do my part. And together we rejoice with this deep kind of simcha and asos mishpat. And don't you just love how all of this is really only just an introduction. An introduction to the meat and potatoes of Parsha's Naso. So much is baked in here. And all this introduction simply boiled down into one pasuk. One pasuk. Again, we see how deep Torah is. And like this, we roll right into the parsha of Nasoy as Roish. Let's start counting the Leviim so that they can sing with all of their strength. And we rejoice as Hashem's will is fulfilled in the world.