Likutay Moharan II, Torah 24: A Great Mitzvah to Always Be in Simchah

Likutay Moharan II, Torah 24: A Great Mitzvah to Always Be in Simchah “Upon the asor [ten-stringed instrument]… for You have made me simchah [joyful] with Your deeds…” (Psalms 92:4-5) It is a great mitzvah [commandment] to always be in simchah [joy] and to strengthen oneself with all one’s might to remove atzvus [sadness] and marah shechorah [black bile, melancholy]. For all the cholaim [sicknesses] that come upon a person, all of them come only from the spoiling of simchah . For there are ten types of neginah [melody], which are an aspect of simchah , as it is written: “Upon the asor… for You have made me simchah with Your deeds…” And these ten types of neginah come within ten types of depakin [pulses], and they give them life (see Tikun 69, folio 105). Therefore, when there a spoiling and defect in simchah , which is the aspect of the ten types of neginah , through this come chola'im (illnesses) from the ten types of defikin (pulses) that are spoiled due to the spoiling of the ten types of neginah , which are simchah , as mentioned above. For all types of chola'im are included in the ten types of defikin , and similarly, all types of nigunim [melodies] are included in the ten types of neginah . And according to the spoiling of simchah and neginah , so too come chola'im , as mentioned above. And also , the wise physicians have elaborated on this, that all chola'im (illnesses) come due to marah shechorah (depression, lit. black bile) and atzvus (sadness). And simchah [joy] is a great refuah [healing]. And in the future, simchah will be greatly increased, and therefore our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Jerusalem Talmud, Sukkah, Chapter Lulav and Aravah ; Midrash Rabbah, Shemini, Parsha 11): In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will be the head of the chulah

[dance/sick person] for the tzadikim [righteous ones] to come. That is, He will make a machol [dance circle] for the tzadikim , and He, blessed be He, will be the head of the chulah [dance/sick person]. For the Shechinah [Divine Presence] is above the head of the choleh [sick person], as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded ( Nedarim 40): “Hashem supports him on the bed of devai [sickness]” (Psalms 41:4). For the choleh has no vitality except that the Shechinah gives him life. And in the future, through simchah , all cholaim will be rectified, as mentioned above. And then Hashem, blessed be He, will be the head of the chulah [dance], that is, the head of the machol [dance], as mentioned above. For simchah is the aspect of the rectification of the choleh [sick person], as mentioned above. And therefore, simchah and rikudin [dances] are called chulah [dance/sick person], as mentioned above, because they are the rectification of cholaim [sicknesses], as mentioned above. And the principle is that one must greatly strengthen oneself with all one’s strengths to be only samai'ach [joyful] always. For it is the nature of a person to draw oneself to marah shechorah (depression) and atzvus (sadness) due to the blows and events of time. And every person is full of yissurim [sufferings]. Therefore, one must force oneself with great strength to be in simchah always and to gladden oneself with whatever one can, even with milay dish’tusa [foolish words]. Although a broken heart is also very good, nevertheless, it is only at a specific hour, and it is proper to designate for oneself some hour in the day to break one’s heart and to pour out one’s sichah [speech] before Him, blessed be He, as brought by us. But all the day , one must be in simchah . For from a broken heart, one can easily come to marah shechorah more than one can stumble through simchah , heaven forbid, to come to any holelus [foolishness], heaven forbid. For this is closer to coming from a broken heart to marah shechorah . Therefore, one must be in simchah always, and only at a specific hour should one have a broken heart.