Serving God with Joy

The theme of the Torah portion Ki Tavo (Deut. 26:1) is particularly powerful during this month of Elul. In this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman find that the portion itself seems to contain two utterly different worlds: The farmer walking on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his first fruits offering amid music, gratitude and joy-- and the terrifying darkness of the verses of the admonition. But in reality they are not two subjects at all...they are relating to the same concept: the importance of serving God with joy, and learning to appreciate that everything we have in this world, is exactly what we are meant to have. The secret is to learn to receive the blessings in our lives, with joy and appreciation. Rabbi Richman's essay 'The Secret of Joy' on Substack: https://chaimrichman.substack.com/p/the-secret-of-joy _________ Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone Follow Rabbi Richman on Substack: https://substack.com/@chaimrichman Join our new WhatsApp channel! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbDNanG3QxRsAHcafA45 Rabbi Chaim Richman's 'Jerusalem Lights', a non-profit educational organization, shares the wisdom of Torah teachings with all sincere spiritual seekers, emphasizing the ennoblement of the human spirit, the brotherhood of mankind, and the nurturing and development of each individual’s personal faith and relationship with the Creator. Torah for Everyone! If you enjoy these videos, please consider supporting the work of Jerusalem Lights, Inc., a USA recognized 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization to enable these productions to continue and grow: PayPal: infojerusalemlights@gmail.com or: https://paypal.me/JerusalemLights?loc... In the USA: Jerusalem Lights Inc. Post Office Box 16886 Lubbock Texas 79490 In Israel: Tel. 972 54 7000395 Mail: PO Box 23808, Jerusalem Israel For more information: https://www.jerusalemlights.org Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jerusalemlights-rabbirichman Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RabbiChaimRichman https://www.facebook.com/groups/282440396475839