Don't Worry, Be Happy

         This week in Megillot, we continued on from the diplomatic discussion between the Yirei Elokim and the Chacham to the final speech of the Neheneh. We learned in earlier perakim that the Neheneh believed that G-d is in complete control, so man is not accountable for his actions. He then concluded that the only thing we should worry about is enjoying everything. 

         The Amal, Yirei Elokim, and Chacham all responded to the Neheneh and jumped down his throat. The Amal told him that man has a role to play, and you can't just sit back and watch as bad things happen. The Yirei Elokim told him that G-d is in control, but man must do his part to make the world a better place. The Chacham told him that you can't just ignore death and responsibility in order to party.

         Now, in Perek ח and Perek ט, the Neheneh comes back once again to give us one last piece of advice. In the beginning of Perek ח, the Neheneh begins by saying there are bad people who are rewarded and good people who are punished. He concludes from this (shocker) that הכל הבל. He also responds to the Amal, the Yirei Elokim, and the Chacham. 

         To the Amal and the Chacham he says whether you're wise or you toil, you don't know your fate. To the Yirei Elokim, he expands on this idea, saying that he sees chaos in this world and he doesn't see G-d's hand. He comes to this conclusion by thinking that if G-d were merciful, the bad person would go unpunished and the good person would be rewarded. If G-d was just, the bad person would be harshly punished and the good person would be somewhat punished. However, the fact that there is both justice and mercy means there is NO system of justice and NO control by G-d. 

         In Perek ט, the Neheneh continues on his rant, saying that no matter what you do in this world, everyone has the same fate and every dies. He concludes that once you are dead, you are lost and forgotten. We should drink, eat, and be ready to party it up because nothing will happen to you once you die. You can no longer enjoy and there will be no accounting for your actions after death. 

         What light, happy, fun-filled thoughts! Seriously though, the Neheneh is getting on my nerves. Why is he complaining about everything? Now he sounds like the Amal who said that we shouldn't do anything because it's all pointless after death. Who cares!?!? Why are all so obsessed with death? I think that if they would concentrate on the present instead of the future, they would all be a lot happier. 

         With Thanksgiving coming up (the greatest holiday of the entire year), now is great time to start appreciating what you have. An article posted on fundamentalfocusing.com, called "Happiness and Dying", cleverly explains these ideas. The author of the article takes the 5 things that people wish they had done looking back on life and provides some inspiration. The one that I thought really relates to the Neheneh is the last one: "I wish that I had let myself be happier". The author writes that nowadays people are "waking up to the fact that they don't want to be a living dead...the same comment arises when we are ready to die".  I think this will certainly happen to the Neheneh at the end of his life. He'll be wondering why he spent so much time focusing on death instead of on life.