What does simchah really mean, and what does it look like from the outside? Simchah is an inner joy, contentment, and peace of mind that is the direct result of spiritual growth, movement, and connection to Hashem. In other words, someone who is really alive in this world is the one who is truly b’simchah.
Real living in this world, the one that brings a person to simchah, will only come when there are three things in place:
- He has a personal connection to Hashem. The person maintains a strong connection to Hashem, particularly when things are hard, unclear, uncertain, or painful. This can only happen if he understands and believes that Hashem loves him, that everything he experiences is from Hashem, and that there is some good (whether hidden or revealed) in each and every situation and place that the person finds himself in.
- He knows what his purpose is in life. In other words, he knows where he is going. This means a few things: He is connected to the Torah and thus knows what Hashem expects of him in most situations (and even if he doesn’t know, he knows where to find out)… he is in touch with his strengths and weaknesses… he understands the nature of growth – that it includes ups and downs, periods of giving and receiving, moving and resting. He knows that he has a unique mission in the world that only he can fulfill. He may not know how or when (or if) he will get to that point, or even what it will look like when he is there – yet, he is patient and courageous, pushing himself to keep moving forward even when the path ahead of him is full of roadblocks, regressions, and unexpected detours.
- He surrounds himself with the right people. This includes a connection to a rebbe or a rav whom he can turn to for guidance, as well as friends and neighbors who are also working on themselves and their relationship with Hashem at their level.
In short, someone who is serving Hashem in simchah is someone who is full of life, whether he is singing, dancing, smiling or whether he is on the floor crying out to Hashem. In every instance, his connection to Hashem and his desire to fulfill his role in this world never leaves him.
(Material was previously published on www.ShiratMiriam.com.)
List of People Who Need
a R’fuah Sh’leimah
(a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Boris Baruch ben Frecha Frida
Alter Shmuel ben Chavah Leah
Chaim Avraham ben Shifrah Zisel
Chaim ben Malkah
Yehudah Yudel ben Miriam Gittel
Yosef Ezriel ben Chayah Michal
Aharon ben Feiga
Menachem Mendel ben Gita Perel
Eliezer ben Ra’oma
Shlomo ben Mazal
Chaim ben Pesha Miriam
Chaim Gershom Yeshaya ben Leah
Yonah Gedaliah ben Pesha
David Yosef Elimelech ben Elisheva Hinda
Nasan ben Naamah
Tzvi ben Miriam Rachel
Yosef Ala ben Samara
Rafael ben Yocheved
Rachamin ben Alizah
Yosef ben Yaffah Liba
Farid David ben Shushan
Tovah Yocheved bas Esther Bukas
Chayah Shoshanah Tovah bas Esther
Ruchamah Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Gittel bas Sarah
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Chayah Malkah bas Charlotte
Rachel bas Miriam
Batya bas Esther
Rachel Leah bas Chayah Zlata
Chavah Leah bas Shoshanah
Rachel bas Hinda Reizel
Olga Chayah bas Geila
Limor bas Chanah
Chanah Esther bas Ayalah Hadar
Chavah bas Shoshanah Sofie
Rachel Naomi bas Esther Chanah
Miriam bas Esther
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
and complete the Google form.
