Shavuot: Entering into Hashem's Simchah
A Fresh Look at Na'aseh v'Nishma
In a well-known teaching, R' Nachman of Breslov explains that every person has the responsibility to do what he can to fix the world and to pray for it (Likutei Moharan 5:1): כִּי צָרִיךְ כָּל אָדָם לוֹמַר: כָּל הָעוֹלָם לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילִי (סנהדרין לז). נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁהָעוֹלָם נִבְרָא בִּשְׁבִילִי, צָרִיךְ אֲנִי לִרְאוֹת וּלְעַיֵּן בְּכָל עֵת בְּתִקּוּן הָעוֹלָם וּלְמַלְּאוֹת חֶסְרוֹן הָעוֹלָם וּלְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲבוּרָם (Everyone must say, The whole world was created only for me [Sanhedrin 37a]. Therefore, since the world was created for me, I need to look and consider, at all times, the rectification [tikkun] of the world, to fill that which is lacking in the world, and to pray on its behalf).
In this context, R' Nachman explains that there are two kinds of prayer. The first kind, i.e. default prayer, is prayer that follows the natural order. This corresponds to the kind of prayer we offer when things are going well and there aren't, chas v'shalom, judgments [gezeirot, din] against us. However, if Heaven decrees, for whatever reason, that there must be gezeirot against the Jewish People, then we must pray with prayers clothed in stories—something that only the tzaddikim are able to do. As R' Nachman teaches, this is necessary כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבִינוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים הָעוֹמְדִים לִשְׂמֹאל וְלֹא יְקַטְרְגוּ (so that the malachim [ministering angels] who stand on the left [i.e. on the side of gevurah] will not understand and prosecute).
But how can tzaddikim discern whether we are living in a time of normalcy or have entered a period after gezeirot have been decreed? They are able to feel the difference because they can perform a mitzvah lishmah, i.e. for its own sake, in a state of tremendous joy (L.M. 5:2): וְדַוְקָא כְּשֶׁעוֹשִׂין הַמִּצְווֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה כָּל כָּךְ עַד שֶׁאֵין רוֹצֶה בְּשׁוּם שְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא אֶלָּא הוּא רוֹצֶה שֶׁיַּזְמִין לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מִצְוָה אַחֶרֶת בִּשְׂכַר מִצְוָה זֹאת כְּמַאֲמַר חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (אבות ד): שְׂכַר מִצְוָה מִצְוָה—כִּי הוּא נֶהֱנֶה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ (And specifically, when we do the mitzvot with such great joy [simchah] to the point that one doesn't want any Olam ha-Ba reward, rather he wants Ha-Kadosh, baruch Hu, to prepare another mitzvah for him as reward for this mitzvah—just as Chazal said [Pirkei Avot 4:2]: 'Reward for a mitzvah is a mitzvah'—for he desires pleasure from the mitzvah itself).
What happens to someone who performs a mitzvah lishmah—whose only desire is to merit another mitzvah as a reward for the earlier mitzvah? In the words of R' Nachman: וּמִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה בְּשִׂמְחָה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁנִּכְנָס בְּהַשִּׂמְחָה שֶׁבַּמִּצְוָה הוּא נִכְנָס בְּשִׂמְחַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא שֶׁמְּשַמֵּחַ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו (And someone who performs the mitzvah with simchah from the mitzvah itself, it follows that when he enters into the simchah of the mitzvah, he enters into the simchah of Ha-Kadosh, baruch Hu, Who is sameach in His actions).
We can understand how this process works by considering two pesukim. The first one is Tehillim 104:31: יְהִי כְבוֹד יְיָ לְעוֹלָם יִשְׂמַח יְיָ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו (May the honor [kavod] of Hashem be forever, may Hashem be sameach in His actions). And the second one is Tehillim 149:2: יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֹשָׂיו בְּנֵי־צִיּוֹן יָגִילוּ בְמַלְכָּם (Yisrael will be sameach in His actions, B'nei Tzion will rejoice in their King). In other words, Hashem—Who is the source of all simchah—embedded His simchah into His actions, i.e. into creation in general and especially into the Torah and mitzvot. When we are able to perform a mitzvah lishmah, stripped of any ulterior motive or desire for any external reward—other than the opportunity to do another mitzvah—we enter directly into the simchah of Hashem, which is the simchah that He embedded into the mitzvah itself. When someone operates at that level, he gains the sensitivity to perceive Hashem's simchah to such an extent that he'll notice even a slight reduction or decline in that simchah. If such a person picks up on a lessening or weakening, so-to-speak, of Hashem's simchah, i.e. through the level of simchah that he himself experiences as he performs the mitzvah lishmah, then he'll know that Heaven must have issued gezeirot against the Jewish People—which saddens Hashem, so-to-speak.
This brings us to Shavuot, a day known for extraordinary simchah. It is brought down in the Gemara (Pesachim 68a): מָר בְּרֵיהּ דְּרָבִינָא כּוּלַּהּ שַׁתָּא הֲוָה יָתֵיב בְּתַעֲנִיתָא לְבַר מֵעֲצַרְתָּא וּפוּרְיָא וּמַעֲלֵי יוֹמָא דְכִיפּוּרֵי (Mar the son of Ravina would fast [to a certain extent] the whole year, except for Shavuot, Purim and Erev Yom Kippur). What aspect of Shavuot makes it comparable to Purim? Mar the son of Ravina explains: יוֹם שֶׁנִּיתְּנָה בּוֹ תּוֹרָה (It is the day in which the Torah was given). In other words, the giving of the Torah—along with all of the mitzvot, the mitzvot into which Hashem embedded His simchah—is likened to the incredible simchah of Purim. Whether we actually experience that level of simchah is another matter entirely—for that depends on our ability to immerse ourselves in the simchah of the mitzvot by performing them lishmah (as we explained above). Shavuot contains that level of simchah. We just need to access it.
R' Natan of Nemirov expands on these themes in a lengthy passage from his halachic commentary Likutei Halachot (Hilchot Sefirat ha-Omer 2:1): וְזֶה בְּחִינַת מַה שֶּׁהִקְדִּימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נַעֲשֶׂה לְנִשְׁמָע שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה עַל פָּסוּק וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם עַל רֹאשָׁם (And this is an aspect of Yisrael putting 'we will do' [na'aseh] before 'we will hear' [nishma], which is an aspect of simchah, like our Rabbis, may their remembrance be for a blessing, said on the pasuk [Yeshayahu 35:10]: 'and eternal simchah on their head'). Many explanations have been given to explain the meaning of na'aseh v'nishma, but R' Natan is clearly providing us with a novel interpretation. To fully grasp what he's saying, we need to unpack just how na'aseh v'nishma is related to simchah, and then once we do that, we'll be able to understand how this is all connected with eternal simchah. Let's go one step at a time.
R' Natan asks a very insightful question: כִּי לִכְאוֹרָה תָּמוּהַ. אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר לְהַקְדִּים עֲשִׂיָּה לִשְׁמִיעָה וּבִפְרָט שֶׁמִּקְרָא מָלֵא דִּבֵּר הַכָּתוּב: כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע, נִמְצָא שֶׁמְּבֹאָר בְּפָסוּק שֶׁהָעֲשִׂיָּה הוּא אַחַר שֶׁיְּדַבֵּר ה' וְאִם כֵּן אֵיךְ הִקְדִּימוּ עֲשִׂיָּה לִשְׁמִיעָה (Seemingly, this is strange. How is it possible to put action ahead of hearing? In particular, since Scripture fully spoke out the pasuk [Shemot 24:7]: 'All that Hashem has spoken, we will do and we will hear,' it follows that the pasuk explains that the action is after Hashem speaks. And if so, how can action precede hearing?) To put it another way, the pasuk explicitly states that B'nei Yisrael said na'aseh v'nishma after Hashem had already spoken. If so, how could they have said na'aseh v'nishma? They should have said nishma v'na'aseh. What's going on here?
The key is in that which we have explained above from R' Nachman in Likutei Moharan 5, that this high level of simchah is only attained when someone doesn't want any Olam ha-Ba reward for doing a mitzvah, but only another mitzvah as reward for the earlier mitzvah—as we saw above from Pirkei Avot 4:2: שְׂכַר מִצְוָה מִצְוָה (Reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah). That's the goal—it's not an absolute statement. It is not coming to teach us that a mitzvah is the only reward for a mitzvah. Indeed, someone could receive Olam ha-Ba reward for a mitzvah—if that is what he deserves, that is what he will receive. Rather, it is coming to teach us that the better reward, the ideal reward for a mitzvah, the reward that we should all desire and crave, is nothing other than another mitzvah itself. And as we have seen, someone who has reached this level of maturity and love for Hashem has literally entered into Hashem's simchah, a level of simchah beyond which no greater simchah is even conceivable. According to R' Natan, this is the meaning of na'aseh v'nishma: וְזֶהוּ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמַע, הַיְנוּ שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ כָּל אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר ה' וְעִקַּר מְגַמָּתָם וְקִבּוּל שְׂכָרָם הוּא 'וְנִשְׁמַע' שֶׁיִּזְכּוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ מִצְוָה אַחֶרֶת בִּשְׂכַר עֲשִׂיַּת מִצְוָה זֹאת (And this is [the meaning of] na'aseh v'nishma, i.e. that they will do everything that Hashem will speak, and their primary objective and the acceptance of their reward is v'nishma, that they will merit to hear another mitzvah as the reward for doing this [first] mitzvah). In other words, the pasuk could have spelled it out: שָׁמַעְנוּ וְנַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע [shamanu v'na'aseh v'nishma, we have heard, and we will do, and we will hear [again]).
What enormous heights B'nei Yisrael had reached! The whole nation reached the level that, under normal circumstances, only tzaddikim are able to reach. They weren't interested in Olam ha-Ba. All they wanted was the opportunity to do another mitzvah, and then another mitzvah, and then another one.
How did they attain such a lofty level, such a remarkably clear vision of purpose? R' Natan explains in Likutei Halachot: וְזֶה בְּחִינַת נְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה בְּחִינַת אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא הַמְּאִירָה וְכוּ', אֲבָל מִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה בִּשְׁבִיל שְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא זֶה בְּחִינַת אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְאִירָה (And this [i.e. someone who does a mitzvah with so much simchah that all he wants is an opportunity to do another mitzvah] is an aspect of the prophecy [level] of Moshe, the aspect of the 'radiant lens' etc., but someone who does the mitzvah for Olah ha-Ba reward is in the aspect of a 'lens that is not radiant'). They had bound themselves to Moshe Rabbeinu so much, so intensely, that they literally shared in his prophetic level. Continuing on in Likutei Halachot: וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי שֶׁזָּכוּ לְקַבֵּל הַתּוֹרָה עַל-יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה זָכוּ לְזֶה הַשְּׁלֵמוּת שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא הַמְּאִירָה (And when Yisrael stood on Har Sinai, they merited to receive the Torah through Moshe, through this they merited 'completeness' [of simchah], which is aspect of the 'radiant lens'). To be clear, they had entered into the simchah of Ha-Kadosh, baruch Hu, which is the totality of the simchah of the mitzvah itself.
This is the level of simchah that Hashem embedded in Chag Shavuot. It's there, but we've got to tap into it. And we have to want to tap into it. Like everything else, it's a choice, an aspect of our bechirah, or free will.
Earlier, we read how R' Natan connected na'aseh v'nishma with Yeshayahu 35:10. Let's quote the entire pasuk now in its entirety: וּפְדוּיֵי יְיָ יְשֻׁבוּן וּבָאוּ צִיּוֹן בְּרִנָּה וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם עַל־רֹאשָׁם שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה (And the redeemed of Hashem will return and come to Tzion with joyful song and eternal simchah on their head—they will attain gladness and simchah, and grief and sighing will flee away). Do you get it? Can you now see what is the eternal simchah that is on the head of those who are ultimately redeemed by Hashem? It is the actual simchah of Hashem. That's why it's an 'eternal' simchah. As R' Natan puts it: שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כַּנַּ"ל, וְעַל-כֵּן נִקְרָא 'שִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם', כִּי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, 'חַי לָעַד וְקַיָּם לָנֶצַח', וְעַל-כֵּן הַשִּמְחָה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, שֶׁהִוא שִׂמְחַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, הִוא שִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם (This is an aspect of the simchah of Ha-Kadosh, baruch Hu, as we saw above, and therefore, it is called 'eternal simchah' because Hashem, may He be blessed, so-to-speak, is 'alive forever and enduring for eternity,' and therefore, it is the simchah from the mitzvah itself, which is the simchah of Hashem, may He be blessed, so-to-speak, which is eternal simchah). As Reish Lakish explains when commenting on this pasuk (Shabbat 88a): שִׂמְחָה שֶׁמֵּעוֹלָם עַל רֹאשָׁם (It's the simchah they [B'nei Yisrael] once had on their head [i.e. when they stood on Har Sinai]).
We hope that's clear. Lots of words to explain it, but once you've gotten it, you wonder why you needed so many words. Such is the nature of learning Torah.
Shabbat shalom and chag sameach.
