08 Aug RE’EH: EARNING A LIVELIHOOD THROUGH JOY

The Torah in Parashat
Re’eh discusses the
basic laws of the three
Regalim – the holidays
of Pesach, Shabuot
and Sukkot, when
Beneh Yisrael would assemble in the Bet
Ha’mikdash. In presenting the obligations
relevant to the celebration of Sukkot, the
Torah famously commands that on this day,
“Ve’hayita Ach Same’ah” – “You shall be
only joyous” (16:15).
Rav Baruch of Mezhbizh (1753-1811), a
grandson and disciple of the Ba’al Shem
Tob (d. 1760), taught that the greatest Segula
(“charm”) for earning a livelihood is joy,
living with happiness and contentment.
Indeed, the Mishna in Abot (4:1) famously
teaches, “Who is wealthy? He who is joyous
with his lot.” Rav Baruch explained that
wealth comes through Simha – experiencing
genuine joy, without worrying about the
future and without feeling distressed over
what one does not have.
This concept is alluded to in the verse cited
above – “Ve’hayita Ach Same’ah.” The final
letters of these words – “Tav,” “Chaf Sofit,”
and “Het” – are the letters of the divine
Name “Hatach” (spelled “Het,” “Tav,” “Chaf
Sofit”), which, as the Arizal (Rav Yishak
Luria, 1534-1572) taught, is the Name which
brings livelihood and sustenance. The Arizal
instructed that when we recite in our prayer
service the verse, “Pote’ah Et Yadecha
U’masbia Le’chol Hai Rason” (“You open
Your hands and willfully satiate all living
creatures” – Tehillim 145:16), he should
have in mind the final letters of the first three
words of this verse – “Het,” “Tav,” “Chaf
Sofit,” which spell this Name. This Name
is alluded to in the verse, “Ve’hayita Ach
Same’ah” to teach that experiencing joy is
the means to earning a livelihood.
This concept seems counterintuitive. We
might have assumed that to achieve financial
success, one must feel constantly dissatisfied
with his current state, and continually work
and strive to achieve more. We would
have thought that it is specifically through
discontent and anxiety about money that
one is driven to succeed and thus becomes
wealthy. But the precise opposite is true –
we achieve Parnasa (livelihood) through
happiness, by feeling content and joyful over
all we have.
This is why the special Misva of “Ve’hayita
Ach Same’ah” applies specifically to Sukkot,
the holiday when we move outside our large,
furnished homes and live in a temporary,
crude structure. One of the messages of the
Sukka is that life is temporary, and we do
not keep our material possessions forever,

and so we must feel joyous and content
with whatever lot we have received. This
is the true key to Parnasa – maintaining
our joy and sense of fulfillment regardless
of our circumstances, finding meaning and

happiness in our performance of Misvot,
irrespective of finances. If we live this
way, then we will, please G-d, be worthy
of G-d’s unlimited blessings and enjoy

much joy and success.