Simchas Yom Tov – Genuine Happiness

The Rambam in Hilchos Yom Tov states that a person and his family must be happy on Yom Tov, as it says, "V’smachta b’chagecha," "And you shall rejoice in your festival…" There is a special mandate to be happy on Yom Tov and do things that make us rejoice. Although it can be quite a stressful time, it is a time of incredible happiness.

One year before Pesach, countless people approached Rav Shach for help. As he dealt with each case, Rav Shach paused briefly, asking an assistant to visit a woman's home and request her presence at his home as he had an important favor to request. The woman in question tragically lost her husband a few years earlier and had just one young son and no other family. The woman was baffled and could not imagine how she could ever be of help to the great Rav Shach.

She rushed to the Torah giant's home as requested, arriving nervous, but determined to assist. Rav Shach handed her an envelope and requested that she purchase a new dress to brighten her Yom Tov. Shocked, the young lady smiled as she fought back the tears that came to her eyes and thanked the Rosh HaYeshivah for his thoughtfulness and incredible kindness. When she left, Rav Shach quietly said, “She doesn't have her husband to buy her jewelry and clothing. She just needed someone to remind her that she deserves to have it." (Touched by the Seder)

 

Special Matzot

Pesach is a time when many people have different chumrot, extra stringencies, that they take upon themselves. One must remember that getting angry or upset can be worse than being extra stringent. Rav Meshlam Igra was extremely cautious with the prohibition of chametz. Each year, the rabbi would bake matzot alone and these were the only ones that the sage consumed over the chag.

One erev Pesach, Rav Meshulem’s children were hungry, and the maid was searching for something to feed the clan. The chametz was already burnt, eliminating that option and only the Rebbe's holy matzot turned up in her search. Not knowing their significance, she gave them to the youth to hold them over.

When the rebbetzin discovered that her husband’s precious matzot were gone she left the house only coming back right in time for the Seder. She could not bear to see her husband’s reaction when he noticed that his precious matzot were gone, knowing how upset he would be. When she nervously reentered her home, she dared to look at her husband.

However, when she saw him, she was pleasantly surprised; he was in happy spirits! She figured that he probably had not realized what occurred and revealed with tears in her eyes that the precious matzot were given to the kids. "What’s the problem? We have other matzot in the house. I’ll use those,” was his reply. Rav Meshulem realized that his stringencies were a chumrah while becoming angry, insulting others, and getting unnerved was against the Torah.

 

The Kernel in the Soup

A chatan, just a couple of weeks after his wedding, found a wheat kernel in the soup his mother-in-law served at the Seder. The embarrassed woman immediately apologized and said that she cleaned the whole home, and she was unsure how this transpired. The son-in-law felt unable to eat in their home moving forward. He stood up, took his mortified wife, and marched directly to the house of his rebbe to relate the incident, certain that the Torah giant would concur with his action.

When the young man arrived, the scholar grabbed hold of the young man's shtreimel and tore it off his head shaking it vigorously. One by one, kernels started falling out. The custom to throw kernels at the chatan after being called up to the Torah on Shabbos before his wedding at his aufruf was at fault. Obviously, the wheat kernels that were stuck in the shtreimel fell into the soup, and his mother-in-law was cleared leaving the chatan himself guilty for not cleaning his own shtreimel. In his zeal, he had not considered the shame and humiliation he was causing his in-laws and adoring wife.

Wishing you a good Yom Tov and this year may we all celebrate Pesach together in Yerushalayim with the coming of Moshiach! 

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By Aryeh Fingerer