BS’D
How do we pursue happiness? After all it is Adar and we all want to tap into the special gift of this month. When we look at Tehillim perek kuf (100), Mizmor l’Todah we see that it was part of the service when the korban todah (a thanksgiving offering) was brought to the Beit HaMikdash. Yet, this offering was voluntary. Why was this korban not mandated?
Hashem instructs us on the many ways to conduct ourselves in our daily lives. However, when it comes to appreciation we are not commanded to express gratitude. The reason is so that we may naturally develop our own sense of recognition and appreciation for all the goodness that Hashem bestows upon us. Hashem mandates that we fear and love Him, yet we are not given specific direction as to how to achieve these emotions, only guiding advice. We are asked to develop these feelings and attain them as part of the scheme of ‘free will’. This is one of the main reasons this perek is part of the morning tefillah – so that we internalize the message before we go about our daily activities.
This perek is written as a proclamation of thanks and a request for others to join in his singing words of appreciation. You can ‘feel’ his jubilance in every expression and his desire to share it with others. Sadness is contagious; but so is joy and we should therefore share and use it to uplift others.
We are taught a remarkable lesson by reading this perek daily. Serve Hashem with the same joyful enthusiasm as the one who offered a voluntary offering of thanks. This broadcasts our tremendous love for Hashem emphasizing the fact that serving Him is not a burden, but something we wish to do voluntarily.
Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Shimon ben Mindle who was hit by a car and is going to need long term intervention. May he merit a complete healing amongst all of those in Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
