Reply To: Ivdu Es haShem b'Simcha

I can only try:

Helping someone with parnasah is a fanstastic mitzah. I have the chance, in my work, to mentor young people, some of whom will be future leaders in various industries. I do get joy out of passing on the gift of experience that haShem has allowed me.

Oneg Shabbos is a great one as well. To find joy in the recognition of the Creator, in an act that is signally and exclusively Jewish is praiseworthy.

BSD:

I heard a great drasha on Purim and Pesach. The idea is that Pesach is like the beginning of the “school year”. We sit and learn all the details of the Haggadah. The details of Hilchos Pesach so that the afikomen is “the last flavor in our mouths”. Then, just about 12 months later, we have Purim, the final exam. Purim is the “opposite” of Pesach. On Pesach we sit and learn, on Purim we don’t even get credit towards talmud Torah for reading the Megillah (though we would on any other day), because on Purim is it a test of our hearts. We drink until our intellect is no longer in control. The wine goes in and the secrets come out. We see how we did on the final exam so that we can make a special effort 30 days later on Pesach when we “begin to learn again”.

So, if you have simcha from the Purim drinking I take that to mean you do well on your final. Mazel tov on your excellent grades.