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It is a great Mitzvah to always be happy!

by Yossi Katz
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One of the most famous sayings of the Rebbe is undoubtedly, “It is a great Mitzvah to always be happy.” Let’s see if we can reflect a little upon the depth of this powerful statement.

It’s hard to accept that that joy is a Mitzvah. But why are we so convinced that sadness is a Mitzvah?

As we all know, Miztvos are not dependant on one another. That is to say, just because I may have difficulty performing a specific Mitzvah doesn’t release me from putting all of my energy into whatever Mitzvah I am able to do properly.

If I trust the Rebbe that being happy is a Mitzvah, just because I’ve done things wrong in my life doesn’t free me from being happy. Just because I’m not living up to what I think is my potential is no excuse for not being joyful.

Yes, I’ve made mistakes. But just because I’ve made so many mistakes doesn’t mean that I have to make the error of not being happy.

As the holy Reb Noach of Lechovich used to say, someone who is unable to daven Maariv with the greatest enthusiasm immediately after having committed the gravest sin hasn’t yet crossed the threshold of Chassidus.

Written by Ephraim Portnoy

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