Days of Rejoicing - Finding Happiness in Every Day Living

Parshat B'ha'alotcha

by Rabbi Avi Billet

“On your days of rejoicing, on your festivals, and on your new-moon celebrations, you shall sound a note with the trumpets for your burnt offerings and your peace offerings. This shall be a remembrance before your God. I am God your Lord.” Bamidbar 10:10 

When we think about the sounding of the trumpets in the Temple, and its cousin, the sounding of the shofar, our minds jump to the only religious rite of horn sounding we have today, the shofar blasts of Rosh Hashana. However, the interpretation that this depiction refers to Rosh Hashana is not a common one, advanced by Kli Yakar, but not by many others.

From the other side, we have some Midrash statements, and commentary demonstrating that the “days of your rejoicing” refer to the Sabbath (2nd view recorded by Ibn Ezra, Baal Haturim).

Ibn Ezra’s first view is that the “days of your rejoicing” refers to when you returned from the land of your enemies, or you defeated your enemy and established a day of joy, such as Purim, or Chanukah.

If I could be so bold, I would suggest that “the days of your rejoicing” need a new definition today. Because while there are certainly people who experience joy a lot – I see this most of all with people who are grandparents, delighting in their grandchildren and in their children’s success – for many people, day to day life doesn’t always bring a requisite amount of joy.

And, insofar as great battles go, beyond Yom Yerushalayim, I think we would all prefer there to be no battles, than some great victory. Do we really need or want some impending doom to face us, only for us to experience a great salvation at the last moment?

I was talking to someone this weekend who told me, “I make a nice living. But after living expenses and tuition bills, I have nothing left.” Can’t buy his wife a present, can’t afford a simple vacation. Doesn’t want to go anywhere if it’s going to cost money. Can’t put anything away for retirement or a rainy day. Of course he wouldn’t trade this life for any more dire kind of life, and he wasn’t complaining (he actually lives his life with a very positive attitude!).

I know a lot of people in similar boats. Normal life expenses are much higher than they were a generation ago, and while some people seem to manage, for some it’s an endless battle of “how can I get more clients?” and “how can I get more work?” and “how can I charge more?” as well as the moral battle of “is it ok to charge for something they don’t need (an extra x-ray, an extra test, replacing a finely-operating part, putting in a wall when a patch would have been sufficient), because they’ll pay anyway, and why should I care?”

And as I tragically learned once again this week, sometimes people bury their pain inside, without seeking help, allowing drugs or untreated depression to take them to the depths of where there is no return.

While it would seem bizarre to sound a trumpet every time we had a joyous occasion or moment, maybe we can at least find a way to get excited about our triumphs of joy. Because beyond obligatory simchas – which usually accompany lifecycle events and graduations – we probably have much more to be joyous over, were we to only take notice.

I heard a story about Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, who grew up a Yankee fan in the Babe Ruth days, who once made a Kiddush after the Yankees won the World Series. Someone asked him why, and he said, “For the first time in my life,” after over 70 years of getting at least a minimal thrill when he’d hear about a win, “I don’t care about it at all.” That’s a simcha!

For a kid in school who always gets grades in the 70s, getting an 80 is a simcha!

When a child who has few to no friends is noticed by someone who is socially fine, and invited to hangout, or for Shabbos, that’s a simcha!

When the credit card bill can be paid in full, that’s a simcha!

When the tuition assistance committee can be discreet and helpful without dragging the applicant through the muck and scrutiny of “why did you buy this?” – that’s a simcha!

When people who disagree with one another politically can see that there’s more to life than arguing and getting angry about politics – that’s a simcha!

When people who are unused to giving in a little take on a dose of real humility (without telling everyone how humble they are) – that’s a simcha!

When people are loved for who they are, and not judged for who they are – that’s a simcha.

So, let us find reasons to rejoice. Let us find the little victories life sends our way. And let us herald the greatness in wherever we can find it.

Life is full of downers. Maybe with a change of perspective, we can sound the proverbial trumpet when goodness passes our way.