“Sisu v’simchu b’simchas haTorah…”The words whirl around you, whispering promises of the simchah a life of Torah brings. You sing along, giving expression to your belief that Torah brings the ultimate simchah.

But you wonder, How? How does Torah bring a life of simchah? How does it happen? How can I tap into that higher, happier way of life? How can I access the true and ultimate simchah of the Torah?

Your mind wanders to other times that you’ve seen and experienced true joy. The delighted smile of a baby, toothless gums glinting, when he sees someone he loves. The irresistible giggle of a toddler, the sound of her glee filling the room and your heart.

Why does your heart melt?

Why do the smiles and giggles of little ones lift your spirits like nothing else can?

You know what the secret is: It’s the innocence. The purity. The serenity. The life our littlest ones lead is not the life of longing for more and clawing to the top. It’s not the life of desire, of jealousy, of chasing the pot of gold and running in a rat race.

Just the opposite.

Our little treasures have no need that hasn’t been met. They have no desires that haven’t been fulfilled. Their simple wishes include food and warmth and motherly love…and once they have those blessings, complete happiness is theirs to own and feel.

Pure joy

Get a glimpse into the life of a true ben Torah. Get to know him and hear his deepest desires—and be prepared to discover that he shares something with our little ones.

He lives a life of that same purity. He enjoys the serenity of having needs that are small and satisfied easily. His greatest longing is to make strides in his limud haTorah and to discover and delve deeper in dvar Hashem.

Connecting with the ultimate truth of Torah. Understanding a pshat in Rashi. Conquering a Tosfos. Delving into a Rashba. This is the ben Torah’s desire, and this is what fills him with complete happiness.

Yes, there are other things in life that bring pleasure. The ben Torah sees them and knows they exist. But they are a very distant second, an unattractive alternative to living a life of meeting his goals in limud haTorah.

It takes a fine eye to notice the nuances and understand the satisfaction of a ben Torah. It’s too easy to miss it and mistake the source of his happiness. But those who know, know.

Thanks but no thanks

A newcomer to Lakewood proudly professed his admiration for the ihr haTorah, saying, “A mother in Lakewood would prefer that her son become a gadol b’Torah over becoming a millionaire.”

However, he couldn’t resist adding a punchline, “But she wouldn’t mind if he would be both.”

Some would laugh. Some would understand. But the chashuve rosh chaburah in Bais Medrash Govoha who heard the comment wished it could be unsaid. He wished he could correct the misconception and clarify for those who don’t understand.

He admitted that it took immense strength to squelch the desire to get up and scream with every fiber of his being. He wanted to shout, “You are wrong! We don’t want to be millionaires! That is worthless to us, and that is not what we desire or value in any way! It’s only Torah, Torah and Torah!”

A utopian reality

The truest simchah you will ever experience is borne of a sense of fulfillment. It arises from the serenity that is only acquired through toiling over dvar Hashem.

Our youngest children sing “Toras Hashem temimah meshivas nafesh…” but it is our song too. The Torah is the truth and the foundation of the world. It restores us and fills our soul with delight. If we pursue our dreams in limud Torah, we find the exit strategy from the rat race this world compels us to join.

It sounds like a far-off fantasy, a utopian vision for someday in the future. But this is the life being lived and appreciated by so many among us. This happy, simple, pure, and fulfilling life is reality.

In pursuit of happiness

The pursuit of happiness is not just an American dream. In countries the world over and in centuries gone by, men and women have been searching for happiness…yet the search has been met with empty results.

Billions—no, trillions—of dollars are spent to try to provide people with the happiness they seek, but the effort is for naught. The richest men and women living the most lavish lifestyles still try fruitlessly to feel true joy.

Yet we know where the true simchah lies. And we know it is not out of our reach. We know some of us are already living this life, and we know how to share in their happiness. We can connect to them—we can tap into the same experience—and we can also enjoy a small taste of the serenity that leads to such true simchah.

No one wants to be left out. And no one should be left out. The solution is at your fingertips. You have been given your unique role in life that no one else in the world’s history has ever experienced. But no matter what that position is, no matter what life circumstances you have, you can connect with Torah. You can learn Torah. You can support Torah. You can even do both.

Within reach

Throughout the generations, we’ve been inspired and comforted by stories of simchas haTorah. We listened, enthralled, to the story of Hillel, who pined for Hashem’s words after a long, fruitless day of work. We heard about our gedolim who danced in the European snow after finally understanding pshat in a sugya.

And today, we have among us people who share the same joy. Walk into one of the countless batei medrash and feel the simchah of our bnei Torah. Walk into a classroom and see the simchah of a young boy who is conquering the words of a Tanna. Walk into the kitchen of kollel family and experience the simchah that is shared by the husband, the wife, and the children as they revel in a lifestyle of pure happiness.

Whether it’s a beis medrash, a classroom, or a mikdash me’at of a kollel family, we can feel that special something in the air. We can carry that simchah with us all day, and it will give extra meaning to our learning seder or the drive to take on another seder. Because we all want to be part of this.

Join in the joy

With the Yom Tov of Zman Simchaseinu approaching, we want to do ours to ensure that nothing external is blocking our beloved bnei Torah from basking in undiluted simchah. We want to ensure that they have all they need so their families can have a Yom Tov befitting their beautiful, pure, Torah’dig lives.

And when we come into Yom Tov, when we dance at hakafos, our simchah will be real. We will be connected with the source of all simchah, experiencing the simple truth of “Ein simchah k’simchas haTorah.”

Now is the time. Take advantage and join the zechus. Join in the simchah and feel it when you sing “Sisu v’simchu b’simchas haTorah.”

We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to Mr. and Mrs. Chuny and Chavi Herzka for showing their utmost chashivus haTorah through raising the bar and generously sponsoring this Yom Tov’s expanded chalukah.

Sidebar

Kupas Yom Tov is privileged toassist kollel families from Bais Medrash Govoha as well as any other Lakewood kollel with the overwhelming expenses of Yom Tov.

While these diligent and devoted yungerleit can manage their year-round budget on their own by living with simplicity, the added Yom Tov expenses are beyond what they can handle alone.

A generous check, discreetly given, allows over 1,400 chashuve kollel families to make Yom Tov with joy.

The assistance provided shows these special yungerleit that their mesirus nefesh for Torah is valued and appreciated.

Kupas Yom Tov is run by yungerleit and roshei chaburah under the guidance of the Lakewood roshei yeshivah and rabbanim.

Grab the zechus!

Donate at RAYZE.IT/KYT.