by Rav Eliezer Melamed, yeshiva.co, translated by Hillel Fendel
"One must be joyous and of good heart on the Festivals," rules the Shulchan Arukh (O.C. 529,2), "he, and his wife, and all in his household. How so? He should give the children candies and nuts, and should buy clothing and jewelry for the women, to the best of his financial ability." The men themselves should "feast on meat and wine," as was the custom.
The above recommendations are just examples, but actually anything that brings joy comprises the mitzvah of joy on the holiday. Each person should know how to gladden those around him.
Not only his family, but also – especially – those who are poor or otherwise suffering should be in his sights, and he must do what we can to gladden them, particularly on the Festivals. This is stated outright in the Torah: "You shall rejoice on your Festival – you, and your son, and your servants, and the Levites, sojourners, orphans and widows in your midst" (D'varim 16,14).
The Rambam sums up: "… But he who locks the gates of his yard and eats and drinks with his family and does not share with the poor and downtrodden – this is not Torah-mandated joy, but rather happiness only of his own stomach… This type of happiness is a disgrace, as is written in the Book of the Prophet Malachi …"
In the Beit HaMikdash
The joy of the Three Festivals in Holy Temple times in Jerusalem was a very uniting experience for the Nation of Israel. The well-to-do would host holiday meals, based largely on their tithes, and invite the poor to take part as well. How so?
To understand how this worked, we must remember that during four of every seven years, approximately a tenth (tithe) of one's produce had to be consumed in Jerusalem, according to Torah law. If one could not transport the produce to the Holy City, he could redeem it and, with that money, buy food in Jerusalem and eat it there in sanctity and purity.
In addition, whoever had sheep and cattle – and not a few people had – would separate a tenth of the new livestock born that year, offer them as sacrifices in the Temple, and eat the meat in sanctity and purity.
In short, there was a lot to eat in Jerusalem! Those who were especially well-to-do, or even less so, would generally not be able to consume it all in Jerusalem during the Festival season. How was this problem solved? Very simply: They would host large meals during the holiday, and would invite the others who made the Festival pilgrimage to Jerusalem to join with them!
Thus, the thrice-yearly festival days were times of joy that united all of Israel, wealthy and poor all together. Even those who all year had to suffice with bread and water, were able to celebrate the holidays in great style, and all rejoiced together before Hashem.
The Situation Today
This helps us explain a seemingly puzzling Torah passage having to do with the Festivals. Why does the Torah, in the middle of the chapter on Festival sacrificial offerings (Vayikra 23), abruptly interrupt itself to discuss the commandments of giving portions of one's produce (leket and pe'ah) for the poor? The Sages explain that the Torah wishes to teach us here that whoever gives such gifts to the poor as commanded "is as if he built the Holy Temple and brought sacrifices therein" (Medrash Torat Cohanim 13,12).
That is to say: Though of course the Temple is in ruins today, and we cannot bring the sacrifices that the Torah commands us, still and all we are able to gladden the poor. We thus learn that even when we cannot bring the holiday offerings, we can still fulfill other aspects of the Festival mitzvot, namely, to enable the poor to rejoice together with us – and by doing so, it is as if we have reenacted the holiday season in Jerusalem. It is therefore as if we have built the Beit HaMikdash itself and even brought sacrifices there!
And as Rav Kook zt"l wrote: "The Holy Temple will be built via ahavat chinam, love for all Jews."
Look Around and See
Today there are fewer people who are unable to buy themselves food for the holidays. But there are many who are hungry for attention and warmth, and who thirst for friendship. This is exactly what the Torah commands in the aforementioned verse – not only to share food, but to rejoice with those who find themselves on the fringes of society and are in pain. Today, no differently than before, there are many lonely people who, when they see others rejoicing with their families and friends, feel extra intensely the sorrow of their lowliness. The Torah commands us to rejoice specifically with these people.
Therefore, when the holiday season arrives, everyone must think how he can help those who are pained to feel happy. We must strive to invite orphans and widows, terror victims, others who are ill, new immigrants, unemployed people, or others – for only in this way is our own holiday happiness complete, genuine, and desired by G-d.
[Ed. note: During these Corona times, of course, it is difficult to invite others to our table, but there are other ways to gladden the hearts of those who are in pain, such as via phone calls.]
Invitations to Happy Occasions
The above applies not only on holidays, but for every mitzvah that commemorates a measure of success and accomplishment. One who brings his First Fruits to the Temple, or offerings that he previously vowed, and the like, should include the needy in his joy.
We do not bring First Fruits and the like today, of course, but we do have mitzvah celebrations such as Bar Mitzvahs, britot, and weddings. Whenever we are privileged to celebrate one of these, we must begin compiling our list of invitees with those amongst our acquaintances who are needy in any way or are in extra sensitive situations. They must not be forgotten! If a widow is overlooked, she is liable to think, with tears in her eyes, "When my husband was alive, they never forgot us, but now I'm not that important to them…" The poor or retired person might think sadly, "When I was able to bring them a nice gift, they didn't forget me, but now…" They must be first on our list!
Only when one includes the needy in his joyous occasions, are these occasions truly joyous, with happiness that stems from a sensitive heart that rejoices in that which is good in life. If not, his happiness is ugly, and nothing more than the revelry of those who are apathetic and closed. Far from being a mitzvah, it augments the sorrow and jealousy of others – the opposite of what we are enjoined to pursue on the Torah's Festivals.
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