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Our Parashah states “VeShameru Bnei Yisrael Et HaShabbat…” (31:16). The Toldot Yaakov Yosef explained this Pasuk with a Mashal he heard from his Rebbe, the Ba’al Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov, would prefer teaching deep ideas from the Torah with Mashalim, to reach the hearts and minds of all Jews regardless of their academic capability. There was once a prince who was sent to a distant land, far away from the Kingdom. The town he was sent to was a very low class town, an unbefitting place for a prince to be. After many years, the prince received a letter from the king, which made him very happy. However, he was embarrassed to display his happiness to the low class citizens of the town in which he lived, he felt they would make fun of him for being happy that the king sent him a letter. What did the prince do? He invited everyone to the town bar, bought them drinks and they all became joyous. At this moment the prince then displayed his happiness without fearing he would be judged and ridiculed. 

The Ba’al Shem Tov explained that our Neshamot are like the prince, the Neshamah Yeteira we receive on Shabbat is like the letter from the king and our Guf is like the low class citizens. Our Neshama fears that if it delights in the Neshama Yeteira of Shabbat, the Guf would ridicule it! Therefore, the Torah commands the body to enjoy Shabbat with food with rest and all types of enjoyment. Once the Guf is in a state of enjoyment, our Neshama is able to enjoy its added Deveikut (connection) to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. 

This message is a simple but also very deep one. We must recognize that everything in life is intended to enable us to attach to Hashem. If we indulge in anything in this world for the act itself, and that act does not elevate us closer to Hashem, we are missing the point. 

This idea can also explain “MiSheh Nichnas Adar Marbim BeSimcha”, being BeSimcha isn’t something we strive to achieve for Simcha itself, but rather so we can ultimately get closer to the Ribono Shel Olam. The charge to be BeSimcha does not give us the right to run through streets and be destructive human beings because we are in a state of joy and nothing matters. Rather, Simcha should be an emotion that allows us to recognize our great potential, to appreciate everything we have in life, and to feel a state of completion that we are children of Hashem who have the opportunity to fulfill His Mitzvot. Once our bodies are happy during Adar and Purim, we allow our Neshamot to also rejoice in being Ovdei Hashem!