As Rosh Hashanah approaces, many people have anxierty and some fear about the new year. But we can learn from today, Chai Elul, which is the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov and of the Alter Rebbe, that we need to serve Hashem with joy. That means whaever we do, even teshuvah, has to be with joy. Yes, we all feel guilt over different things or we have regrets, but wasting our time and energy on feeling sad or depressed is not the way of Chassidu. the Baal ShemTov and the Alter Rebbe brought us the teachings of chassidus: to infuse our service of G-d with joy and with vitality.
But how do we become joyful? We need to learn that happiness is wherever we are. Happiness is something internal. We need to stop looking for external happiness and dig within. In order to get rid of anxiety and fear and worry, we need to learn to let go. We don’t have to control things. We don’t have to have expectations of how things have to be. Hashem wants us to serve Him in many ways: we don’t have to have everything perfect or in a box….we just have to be a conduit to do whatever Hashem wants at a particular time. When we are a channel for G-d and for His will, we are happy. That does not mean things will always be easy or without suffering . But we can be joyful knowing this is what G-d wants from us at this particular time.
We need to live in the present and realize where we are this time is where Hashem wants us to be. Just like when Moses turned aside to see the burning bush, Hashem told him to stay where he was , that this place he is standing on is holy. This is a lesson to all of us: wherever we are is holy, is part of our mission in life to make this world a place of holiness . To do that we need to understand no matter where we are, the place is holy and the mission is holy.
The Baal Shem Tov taught that Hashem recreates the world every moment….there is only one moment, the present one. Use it wisely. Infuse it with joy and vitality. may we all be written and inscribed for life and for a healthy, happy and sweet new year. Why do we say sweet? so that all judgements and harshness should be sweetenend and turned to revealed goodness.