The Happiness Box
Posted
on October 17, 2019 (5780) By Rabbi Label Lam | Series: Dvar Torah | Level: Beginner
Every once in a while, when reading a bed time story to the
younger children I find myself in the end wiping a tear from the corner of my
eye and wondering if any of the children are really capable of appreciating the
depth of the seemingly simple story, if it is not meant more for the parents
and if we get it either.
One such book reappeared on the bookshelf recently. It must
have been with all the stuff for sukkot because it certainly belongs there.
It’s called, “The Happiness Box”. The plot is something like this. There’s this
kid that’s never happy with what he has. He finds things to complain about all
day. Whatever he has is not enough or not just right and all he can find is
fault.
One day after his family moves into a beautiful new house a
giant package arrives. It’s a washing machine or some other large appliance and
the kid is suffering from existential nausea because it’s not for him. His
clever father convinces him that the box is the real item of desire and it’s
just for him.
It’s called “a happiness box” and while inside one must
think only happy thoughts.
This boy accepts the premise of the box and at first
begrudgingly but later with greater ease is able to generate happiness
producing thoughts such as; “Sometimes my mother makes dinners I like.” And
other such affirming statements that put him into a state of mind that makes
him feel rich and full.
After a while he’s complaining a lot less. Then he becomes
anxious about going to summer camp because all his possessions need to fit
neatly into a duffel bag and he would have to leave “the box” at home. What
would become of his state of happiness? He then realizes the great truth that
the happiness is not in his box but in his head. The important life lesson is
well learned. The children are fast asleep, but I am more awake.
The simple child’s story reminds me a little of a bad joke
about a fellow who claims his dog is so talented he can do anything he is
commanded to do. The challenge is taken up by a friend who throws a stick a
distance and commands the dog, “Fetch!”
The dog looks up at him and begins his diatribe. “All day
long people tell me what to do. Roll over! Jump! Go through the fiery hoop!
Good dog. Bad dog. Sit! Heal. Eat this! Don’t eat that! I can’t take it
anymore. It’s no fun being a dog. I hate it. I wish I were never born! The
fellow interrupts the dog and tells him with a sense of outrage, “All I asked
you to do was fetch.” The dog answers back with surprise, “Ohhhhhh! I thought
you said “Kvetch”.
Sukkos is referred to in our liturgy as “the time of our
happiness”. How do we celebrate? We leave our lovely homes and sit exposed to
the elements in little boxes. We are commanded by the Torah; “and you should
rejoice with your holiday and be only happy!”
Maybe the story is not so simplistic and the joke not so
(as we say in yiddish) “farfetched”. It’s very easy to be focused on what’s
missing in life; to give special recognition to the cruel and heartless; to the
unfinished business of history and history of business. Even more so these days
we need a way to regain a sense of optimism. How about 7 days in “a
happiness box” to see what’s right in G-d’s world. Hearing clearly the
commandment as it is pronounced is a critical point. No where does it say,
“kvetch”!
We all know how we can feel sometimes and how it creates a
contagion of negativity. Therefore, we hung two signs in our sukkah. One upon
entering reads, “You are entering a no kvetching zone”. The other posted
prominently reads, “Don’t even think of kvetching in the sukkah!” The
Vilna Gaon called this the hardest mitzvah in
the Torah to fulfill. So, don’t expect it to happen with a simple story, a
bad joke, by reciting an imperative verse, or by hanging a humorous sign but it
sure is a good beginning.
A Perfect Cycle
Posted
on September 25, 2007 (5768) By Rabbi Berel Wein | Series: Rabbi Wein | Level: Beginner
Sukkot comes at the exact right time of the year,
psychologically and emotionally speaking. If it were not for the advent of
Sukkot and all of the preparations involved regarding this festival of joy and
happiness, we would all be very depressed at having to climb down from the
pinnacle of Yom Kippur to everyday mundane existence.
The Torah allows us to contemplate our future year with a
sense of happiness and satisfaction.
The sukkah signifies the protection that the Lord will
provide us with for the whole coming year.
Though the actual sukkah may be small and relatively flimsy
as compared to our homes, it nevertheless symbolizes faith, serenity and
confidence in the eternity of Israel and its Torah.
The four species of vegetation that are an integral part of
Sukkot reinforce our appreciation of the beauty of God’s world. It reminds us
that the world can be a Garden of Eden and we should endeavor not to destroy it
or be expelled from it.
The different species represent the harmony of nature, the
flash of its color and its built-in symbiotic nature. Whereas pagans worshipped
nature, Judaism stressed its role as being one of the great wonders of G-d’s
creation.
Abraham had it right when he stated that people wonder at
the magnificence of a beautiful building but ignore the genius of the architect
that designed it. Judaism, while always impressed by the wonder of the building
itself, always looks intently to recognize and acknowledge the architect behind
it.
Sukkot helps remind us of the necessity to always search
for that architect in all of the facets of our lives and world.
Sukkot also reveals clearly our dependence upon Heaven for
rain – for water. Without water in abundance, life cannot function and grow.
The Torah tells us that the Lord sent us purposely into a land where water is a
precious commodity. There are no great rivers or giant lakes that appear on the
landscape of the Land of Israel. We are therefore dependent on the winter
season’s rains.
We pray on Sukkot for those rains to be abundant, gentle
and saturating. Rain has a cleansing effect not only on the air we breathe but
on the life-spirit that exists within us. Hence its deep association with the
joy of Sukkot.
Rain and water also symbolize Torah and purification. Moshe, in his final oration to Israel, states
that his words of Torah should be felt as gentle rain and dew descending on the
Holy Land. The prophet Yeshayahu compares Torah to water as does King David in
Tehillim.
The holiday of Sukkot reinforces this connection with its
own link to Simchat Torah, the day that marks the conclusion of this great and
noble holiday period. For as obvious as it is that the Land of Israel cannot
survive and prosper without water, so too the people of Israel will be unable
to prosper and survive without an attachment to Torah, its commandments and
values.
The message of Sukkot is the perfect conclusion to the
spirituality of Yom Kippur.
Chag sameach.
Rabbi Berel Wein Rabbi Berel Wein- Jewish historian, author
and international lecturer offers a complete selection of CDs, audio tapes,
video tapes, DVDs, and books on Jewish history at www.rabbiwein.com
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