Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
The שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים (shalosh regalim)—Pesah, Shavuot, and Sukkot—are the three major holidays when Benei Yisrael used to travel to Yerushalayim to celebrate at the Beit Ha-Mikdash.
The Torah mentions joy—וְשָׂמַחְתָּ (vesamahta, you shall be happy)—when discussing two of the regalim: Shavuot (Devarim 16:11) and Sukkot (Devarim 16:14-15). Why is being happy connected to these, but not to Pesah?!
Here’s a midrash that gives two reasons why happiness is not mentioned in the pesukim about Pesah.
אַתָּה מוֹצֵא שֶׁבַּפֶּסַח הַתְּבוּאָה נִדֹּנֶת, וְאֵין אָדָם יוֹדֵעַ אִם עוֹשֶׂה הַשָּׁנָה, אִם אֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה.
On Pesah, God decides whether crops will grow, so at that time no one knows yet if it will be a successful year or not.
- Why do you think it's hard to have joy if you don't know whether you're going to have enough crops, or enough food?
- Is there something about the future you worry about?
דָּבָר אַחֵר, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁמֵּתוּ בּוֹ הַמִּצְרִיִּים. וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא כָּל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הֶחָג אָנוּ קוֹרִין בָּהֶן אֶת הַהַלֵּל אֲבָל בַּפֶּסַח אֵין אָנוּ קוֹרִין אֶת הַהַלֵּל אֶלָּא בְּיוֹם טוֹב הָרִאשׁוֹן וְלֵילוֹ. לָמָּה? מִשּׁוּם "בִּנְפֹל אוֹיִבְךָ אַל תִּשְׂמָח" (משלי כד:יז).
Another possibility: It’s because the Egyptians died. On Sukkot, we say full Hallel all seven days long, but on Pesah we only do this on the first night and the first day. Why? “If your enemy falls, do not be happy” (Mishlei 24:17).
- Why shouldn't we be completely happy if our enemies fall? Isn't that when people usually become the most happy?
- What does it say about our Jewish holidays, that our happiness should be limited by our thoughts about other people? How do you see that in the pesukim about being happy on Shavuot and Sukkot?
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