“Do not think that all the years of galus travails were a vale of tears”
ON Shabbos and Yom Tov, before bentshing, we recite perek 126 of Tehillim, beginning with the words, “Shir hama’alos b’shuv Hashem es shivas Tzion.” In this perek, Dovid Hamelech describes how the world will marvel at the great things they will witness HaKadosh Baruch Hu doing for Klal Yisrael — az yomru vagoyim higdil Hashem la’asos im eileh.”
The pasuk continues: Higdil Hashem la’asos imanu hayinu semeichim. Ever since I read this beautiful explanation of these pesukim in Yisroel Besser’s Voice in the Crowd in 2018, I’ve been quoting it incredulously. Asks Reb Meilech, in the name of his grandfather, Rav Dovid Zvi of Lelov, “What made the Jewish nation deserving of this more than any other nation?” It’s because, “hayinu semeichim,” we’re the only nation that works on being happy as a spiritual goal, even during the long and bitter galus, when things are very difficult.
As someone who teaches the Torah of Rav Shimon Schwab ztz”l, I was excited to see that his son Rav Moshe recently released a sefer with Rav Schwab’s insights on a few particular chapters of Tehillim. His comments on perek 126 add an additional glorious perspective to Reb Meilech’s explanation and is very apropos to the Three Weeks, especially in a year when Tishah B’Av will come directly after Shabbos Kodesh.
Rav Schwab says, “G-d did great things for us during the long, difficult years of galus in that He kept us happy and optimistic during those dark, difficult years. Do not think that all the years of galus travails were a vale of tears.” He mentions that the yearly cycle has Shabbos every week and Yamim Tovim, and our life cycle includes chasunahs, bris milahs, bar mitzvahs, and numerous other simchahs. Even during the saddest three weeks of the year — “yismechu b’malchusecha shomrei Shabbos,” Shabbos will still arrive, and we will celebrate it, even when Tishah B’Av will begin as soon as the stars emerge, signaling Shabbos’s close.
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