Being happy during difficult times

Parshat Ki Tavo begins with the word “vehaya,” “When it happens that you come to the land that HaShem, your God, is giving you as territory, and you inherit it and settle it.”

Ohr HaChayim explains that we are commanded to be happy as the word “vehaya” denotes happiness. This teaches us that one is only truly happy when they are settling the Land of Israel.

In the continuation of the parsha, we see that failing to be happy in Israel, even during difficult times could force us to lose the land and be exiled as we see in Dvarim 28:47-50:

Since you did not serve HaShem, your God, with joy and good heartedness, when everything was abundant, you will serve your enemies who HaShem sends against you, in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and lacking everything; and he will send an iron yoke upon your neck until he destroys you. God will raise upon you a nation from afar from the end of the earth, as the eagle soars, a nation whose language you will not hear. A hard faced nation that will not show favor to the old, and will not pity the young…

Unfortunately, last year at this time, there was a lot of anger in Israel. Instead of being happy to have a Jewish homeland, many found things to complain about and started to take the State of Israel for granted. Then October 7 hit and horrible atrocities fell upon us. Hostages were taken out of their beds without shoes on their feet, receiving very little food and water. The elderly were murdered or left to die and there was no mercy on the children.

As we try to rebuild, now is the time to try our best to bring happiness and unity into our lives, even when it isn’t easy. We must take a lesson from the soldiers who have lost so much- friends, comrades, their health, their jobs- yet they have a positive attitude, a love for the Land of Israel and the will to try to make it a better place despite all odds.

We must remember that no matter what we have been through, we still have Israel, a gift that was returned to us after 2000 years.

May we start the new year on the right foot by seeing the return of all of the hostages. As we say in the prayer for those being held in captivity (Yishayahu 35:10): “Those redeemed by God will return; they will enter Zion with singing, and everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”