Joy via Judging Oneself! – Parshat Eikev

Today, everyone wants to know how to be happy. Well, this is the secret: hisbodedus. Speaking to Hashem, begging Him to help us run our lives correctly!

Welcome back to Kollel Kol Shira, in partnership with Breslov.org.

We’re going to learn a beautiful lesson relating to our parshah, Parshas Eikev, Moshe Rabbeinu’s final messages to klal Yisrael, for eternity. Let’s see what Moshe Rabbeinu is teaching us today.

וְהָיָ֣ה | עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן –The Rebbe teaches us that “Vehayah” is an expression of simchah, joy. “Eikev tishmeun,” you have to heel, to listen, or even know
אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה — these laws
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם — uphold them
וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם — do them, follow them
וְשָׁמַר֩ ה’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ לְךָ֗ אֶת־הַבְּרִית֙ — Hashem will keep for you the covenant
וְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַֽאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ: — and the kindness that was promised to our forefathers.

Let’s understand the words of our Rebbe, in Lesson 169.
וְזֶהוּ: וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן.
וְהָיָה – לְשׁוֹן שִׂמְחָה. עֵקֶב – הֵם הָרַגְלִין, הַיְנוּ:
לִזְכּוֹת לְשִׂמְחָה עַד שֶׁהָעֲקֵבִים שֶׁהֵם הָרַגְלִין יִשְׁמְעוּ הַשִּׂמְחָה, זֶה זוֹכִין עַל־יְדֵי:

Any time you see in the holy Torah the word “וְהָיָ֣ה ,” it’s an expression of joy. A person should be filled with joy from his head to his heels.

How does one accomplish this?

אֶת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם – שֶׁתִּשְׁמְרוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּעַצְמְכֶם הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְהַדִּינִים, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִתְבַּטֵּל הַדִּין שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה כַּנַּ”ל,

Via judging yourself. A person has to judge his actions honestly. We all make mistakes, but the question is, do we want to ‘fess up to them? One way or another you’re going to have to, but if we do it here in this world, now, and talk honestly to Hashem about our shortcomings and mistakes, and thank Hashem for everything, and speak out about the way we conduct ourselves, then the judgment down here eliminates judgment upstairs.
What does that mean?

We have a legal concept that there is no double jeopardy, meaning, if a person is tried and acquitted for a particular crime, he can’t be tried again for that crime. Look what we can do! If we put ourselves on trial in this world for those things we’ve done wrong, that didn’t come out the way we’d hoped, for our mistakes, then we can’t be put on trial for them in the next world.

A person must speak to Hashem and request of Him, “Please Hashem, I want to follow Your Torah in everything I do.” That is the secret of always being happy. Speak to Hashem! Beg Him!

Breslov has a custom that every night, we say that we are giving over all our actions, for myself, my family, any of my dependents, to You. Hashem, You run my life for me.

If we put ourselves on trial in this world for those things we’ve done wrong, that didn’t come out the way we’d hoped, for our mistakes, then we can’t be put on trial for them in the next world.

Why do we do this? It’s a recognition that it is all Hashem, it’s not me. Whatever we do is through the will of Hashem. If we understand that, we can be happy. It’s comparable to going on a bus, that goes over some bumps, or runs a little late. You don’t get upset because it’s not happening to you, it’s happening to the bus.

That’s how life can be. On a regular day, you get up, you go to daven, you go to work, you go to learn, you do whatever you have to do, but you recognize that you are doing it with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And Hashem helps us stay away from pagam habris, blemishing our covenant with Him, anything that has to do with immorality.

If even our heels can hear the simchah, if we use the laws to judge our conduct, and speak to Hashem, being honest in his assessment, then we will merit happiness.

Today, everyone wants to know how to be happy. Well, this is the secret: hisbodedus. Speaking to Hashem, begging Him to help us run our lives correctly. Giving over our problems to Hashem, recognizing that it’s not we who run our lives but Him. We don’t have to worry about things because Hashem is running the world. Acknowledging that will bring us great happiness.

The secret: hisbodedus. Speaking to Hashem!

Mitzvah gedolah lehiyos besimchah tamid (Book 2, Lesson 24) –it’s a great mitzvah to be happy always. Why is it a great mitzvah?

What is the greatest mitzvah in the world, that isn’t counted as a mitzvah?

What is the greatest aveirah, misdeed, in the world, that isn’t counted as an aveirah?

Simchah is the greatest mitzvah in the world, that isn’t counted as a mitzvah, because one who is filled with joy will be motivated to do more mitzvos. If someone is chas veshalom full of atzvus, depression, he’s melancholy and anxious and worried, then he will not be able to do mitzvos. Simchah will lead one to do all of the mitzvos, while atzvus will lead one to do all the aveiros.

Moshe Rabbeinu is teaching us, through using the word “Vehayah,” an expression of joy, that you can have simchah that reaches all the way to your heels if you keep all these laws. How do you keep them? By judging ourselves in this world, so we won’t be judged in the next.

Kol tuv, and have a wonderful Shabbos.