Do we cherish and rejoice in fulfilling mitzvot? Are we excited when we study? Or are these things rote actions? This is the daily struggle. Most of the time, I would venture we are doing because we feel we must. Even if there is a modicum of joy, it is not nearly enough to get us to celebrate even the simplest of activities or the completion of another line of study.
I came across this small piece in Rebbe Nachman’s Likkutei Eztot, in the section on faith, that I think gives us another incentive to really cherish all we do:
נא. עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוָה עַד שֶׁמְּרַקֵּד מֵחֲמַת שִׂמְחָה, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה נִתְעַלֶּה הָאֱמוּנָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה: (לק”ת סי’ פ”א)
When you take such joy in Torah and mitzvoth that you literally dance for joy, it will strengthen your faith (Likutey Moharan II, 81).
Our actions and our learning are the outer manifestations of our faith. If we just do them by rote, checking the boxes, fulfilling our “obligations,” what does that say about what we feel? What does this say about what we believe to be the underlying goals? If we are fully present, if we bring the excitement to the mitzvah or the study like it’s the first time, being so overwhelmed all we would want to do is show how excited we are, perhaps we are showing how much we really do have faith. And from that we can build and build, strengthening our faith through all we do.
I recognize this is an ideal. It can be extremely difficult to maintain the constant joy we would need to fulfill this approach. Yet, why should we not strive to get there?
So today, find something to be fully present to, something to be joyful for, and “dance,” and hopefully this will help strengthen your faith just a little bit.
Are you struggling with your spiritual growth? Faith? Feeling lost in the midst of the journey of life? Contact New Beginnings Spiritual Coaching and Consulting LLC at 732-314-6758 ext. 100 or via email at newbeginningsspiritualcoach@gmail.com
New beginnings: A blog about spirituality, chaplaincy and renewal 