When you are always happy, it is easy to set aside some time each day to express your thoughts before God with a broken heart. But when you are depressed, it is very difficult to seclude yourself and speak to God. You must force yourself always to be happy. Especially during prayer, you must force yourself to be joyous (see “His Wisdom” #74).
Another time, he said that it seems impossible to achieve happiness without some measure of foolishness. One must resort to all sorts of joking and foolish things if this is the only way to attain happiness.27Likutey Moharan II, 24; Tzaddik #243. Cf. Zohar III, 47b; Pesachim 117a.
כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם כָּל הַיּוֹם בְּשִׂמְחָה, אֲזַי בְּנָקֵל לוֹ לְיַחֵד לוֹ שָׁעָה בַּיּוֹם לְשַׁבֵּר אֶת לִבּוֹ וּלְהָשִׂיחַ אֶת אֲשֶׁר עִם לְבָבוֹ לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ (כַּמְבֹאָר אֶצְלֵנוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים). אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ עַצְבוּת ח"ו, קָשֶׁה לוֹ לְהִתְבּוֹדֵד וּלְפָרֵשׁ שִׂיחָתוֹ. וְעַיֵּן בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (לְקַמָּן ע"ד) כַּמָּה הָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לְהִתְחַזֵּק לִהְיוֹת שָׂמֵחַ תָּמִיד וּבְיוֹתֵר בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה, וְשֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְהַכְרִיחַ עַצְמוֹ בְּכָל כֹּחוֹתָיו לִזְכּוֹת לְשִׂמְחָה.
When you are always happy, it is easy to set aside some time each day to express your thoughts before God with a broken heart. But when you are depressed, it is very difficult to seclude yourself and speak to God. You must force yourself always to be happy. Especially during prayer, you must force yourself to be joyous (see “His Wisdom” #74).
וְאָמַר: כִּי לִזְכּוֹת לְשִׂמְחָה זֶה קָשֶׁה וְכָבֵד לְהָאָדָם לִזְכּוֹת לָזֶה, יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁאָר כָּל הָעֲבוֹדוֹת.
The Rebbe said that true happiness is one of the most difficult things to attain in serving God.
עָנָה וְאָמַר: כְּפִי הַנִּרְאֶה, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לָבוֹא לְשִׂמְחָה, כִּי־אִם עַל־יְדֵי עִנְיְנֵי שְׁטוּת, לַעֲשׂוֹת עַצְמוֹ כְּשׁוֹטֶה וְלַעֲשׂוֹת עִנְיְנֵי צְחוֹק וּשְׁטוּת וְכוּ' (כַּמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר) וְרַק עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה בָּאִין לְשִׂמְחָה.
Another time, he said that it seems impossible to achieve happiness without some measure of foolishness. One must resort to all sorts of joking and foolish things if this is the only way to attain happiness.27Likutey Moharan II, 24; Tzaddik #243. Cf. Zohar III, 47b; Pesachim 117a.
כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם זוֹכֶה לְשִׂמְחָה אֲזַי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּעַצְמוֹ שׁוֹמֵר אוֹתוֹ וּמַצִּיל אוֹתוֹ מִפְּגַם הַבְּרִית.
When a person attains true joy, then God Himself watches him and protects him from sexual defilement (Likutey Moharan I, 169).