Sichot HaRan Chapter 177
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
חִזֵּק אֶת אֶחָד לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה, וְאָמַר: שֶׁרָאוּי לוֹ לִשְׂמֹחַ בְּהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין אַתֶּם יוֹדְעִים מִגְּדֻלַּת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, רָאוּי לָכֶם לִסְמֹךְ עָלַי, כִּי אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ מִגְּדֻלָּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.
The Rebbe once encouraged one of his followers to be happy. He said, “You should rejoice in God. Even if you don’t realize God’s greatness, you can rely on me. For I know His greatness.”
וְהִזְכִּיר אָז הַפָּסוּק (תְּהִלִּים קלה): "כִּי אֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי גָּדוֹל ה'" וְכוּ'. גַּם רָאוּי לָכֶם לִשְׂמֹחַ בִּי, מַה שֶּׁזְּכִיתֶם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָכֶם רַבִּי כָּזֶה.
The Rebbe then quoted the verse, “For I know that God is great” (Psalms 135:5; see “His Wisdom” #1). He said, “You should also rejoice in me, that you are worthy of having a Rebbe like me.”
גַּם חִזֵּק אֶת אֶחָד, שֶׁיְּשַׂמַּח אֶת עַצְמוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בְּעִסְקֵי חֹל. וְאָמַר לוֹ: "בְּוַדַּאי כֵּן הוּא, שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה צְרִיכִין לִשְׂמֹחַ עַצְמוֹ בְּמִלֵּי דְּעַלְמָא בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁיְּכוֹלִין, וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּאִין לְשִׂמְחָה אֲמִתִּית".
The Rebbe encouraged another of his followers to make himself happy even in his everyday affairs. He said, “This is certainly the way. First make yourself happy with matters of this world. Do this as best you can and you will eventually be worthy of true joy.”