The Joy of Mitzvot: Why Happiness Transforms Your Spiritual Life

Is there a difference between performing a mitzvah without joy and performing it with joy? What might we lose when mitzvot are done out of burden rather than delight? Following are some profound answers from classic Jewish sources.

1. Joy in fulfilling mitzvot draws down divine light and abundance

Rabbi Chaim Vital, the foremost disciple of the holy Ari, explains in the introduction to his work Sha’ar HaMitzvot that sometimes we see people who perform mitzvot yet do not seem to receive the blessings promised for them. The root cause, he writes, is that they perform the mitzvot without joy which prevents that abundance from descending upon them.

In his words: “We find in the words of our sages (Kiddushin 39b) that ‘anyone who performs one mitzvah, it is good for him, and his days are lengthened.’ And similarly, they said: ‘Whoever fulfills a certain mitzvah will receive such-and-such reward.’ Yet we see many mitzvot that people perform, and the words of our sages regarding their great reward — even in this world, are not fulfilled. The root of it all is that in doing the mitzvah, a person should not think of it as a burden to be quickly removed from his shoulders… Rather, he should be overjoyed to fulfill it, with boundless joy, from heart and soul, with great desire, as if in actuality he were being given thousands upon thousands of gold coins to perform that mitzvah. This is the secret of the verse: ‘Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and with a good heart’ (Deuteronomy 28:47)… According to the magnitude of one’s true inner joy, so will they merit to receive the higher light… This applies to the fulfillment of all mitzvot, including Torah study, which should be done with great passion and fiery enthusiasm, as if standing before the King Himself and serving Him with the desire to find favor in His eyes.”

2. Sadness closes the gates of wisdom and blocks spiritual attainment

In Sha’ar Ruach HaKodesh, Rabbi Chaim Vital writes: “The trait of sadness is extremely disgraceful, especially for one who wishes to attain wisdom and divine inspiration (Ruach HaKodesh). There is nothing that prevents such attainment more, even if a person is otherwise worthy.”

Similarly, the Pele Yoetz quotes the Arizal as saying: “Everything I attained — every gate of wisdom and divine inspiration that was opened to me, came through the great, boundless joy I had in performing every mitzvah, greater than all the gold and precious gems in the world.”

3. A mitzvah done with joy is worth 1,000 times more

In Reshit Chochmah (Sha’ar HaAhava), it is written: “Let a person place his joy in the Torah, and when he fulfills mitzvot, let him rejoice in his heart that he has merited to be a servant of the supreme King… Whoever performs a mitzvah with joy receives a reward a thousand times greater than one who performs it as a burden.”

4. Prophecy does not rest upon one who is sad

A Jew who has reached the level of prophecy will not receive prophecy if sadness is present. This is why the disciples of the prophets would request music before them to expand their hearts and bring them to joy, so that prophecy could rest upon them.

As Reshit Chochmah (Sha’ar HaAhava) writes: “Prophecy does not rest from sadness or laziness, but only from joy. Therefore, the sons of the prophets had before them a drum, flute, and lyre, seeking prophecy, as it is written (Kings II 3:15): ‘And it came to pass, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.’”

Rabbi Chaim Vital adds that Jacob our forefather lost the divine presence (Shechinah) for 22 years, during which he believed his son Joseph had been devoured by wild beasts: “The proof is from Jacob, the choicest of the Patriarchs, from whom the Shechinah and divine inspiration departed for 22 years after Joseph was separated from him. But when he rejoiced upon hearing the good news [that Joseph was alive], it is written: ‘And the spirit of Jacob revived’ — and divine inspiration rested upon him” (Sha’arei Kedusha, Part 2, Gate 4).

5. There is reward for the mitzvah — and separate reward for the joy in doing it

Rabbeinu Bachya, commenting on the verse “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy” (Deuteronomy 28:47), writes: “A person is obligated to have joy when engaging in mitzvot, and this joy in performing the mitzvah is itself a separate mitzvah. In addition to the reward for the mitzvah itself, there is reward for the joy.”

6. Sadness hinders divine service, while joy fuels it

Sadness prevents the fulfillment of mitzvot, Torah study, prayer with concentration, and the desire to serve God. Joy, on the other hand, fuels enthusiasm and love for divine service.

Rabbi Chaim Vital writes in Sha’arei Kedusha (Part 2, Gate 4): “Sadness causes the prevention of divine service, the fulfillment of mitzvot, the study of Torah, the intent of prayer, and nullifies good thoughts to serve God. It is the gateway through which the evil inclination begins its incitement — even for a righteous person, by showing him that his service is of no benefit when suffering comes upon him… It also causes the removal of divine inspiration. The opposite is true when one serves God with joy, as it is written (Psalms 100:2): ‘Serve the Lord with joy.’ Joy adds great desire and love to cleave to Him, as it is written (Deuteronomy 28:47): ‘Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and with a good heart.’ Service done in sadness is like a servant working for his master with a sullen, downcast face.”

7. Joy is a necessary condition for fulfilling a mitzvah completely

The Sefer HaCharedim lists four essential conditions for performing a mitzvah in its fullness — one of them being joy: “Before all, I must list the conditions a person must be careful with in every mitzvah, to do it properly so it will be accepted with favor before our King, our Creator, blessed be He…
First condition: Perform each mitzvah with the intention of fulfilling your obligation, as ruled by the Rif, Rambam, and Ramban that mitzvot require intent.
Second and third conditions: Perform the mitzvah with awe and with great love, as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said, ‘Any mitzvah not done with awe and love is not truly a mitzvah.’
Fourth condition: Great joy in the mitzvah — for every mitzvah that comes to a person is a gift sent to him by the Holy One, blessed be He. And according to the measure of his joy, so will his reward increase.”