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Happiness in Judaism and Jewish thought is considered an important value, especially in the context of the service of God. [1] A number of Jewish teachings stress the importance of joy, and demonstrate methods of attaining happiness.
There are a number of words in the Hebrew language that denote happiness:
The bible links happiness and joy in the context of the service of God. [4] [5] [6]
All these curses will befall you, pursuing you and overtaking you to destroy you because you did not obey the Lord.... Because you did not serve God, your God, with joy and gladness of the heart.
— Deuteronomy, 28:45, 28:47.
Worship The Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful song.
— Psalms, 100:2.
Ecclesiastes points to the futility of seeking joy and pleasure in life, however, the Talmud comments that this is only true of joy which has not been derived from the fulfilment of a commandment. [7]
I said to myself, "Come now, I will mix with joy and experience pleasure", and behold, it too was vanity. Of laughter, I said, "It is mirth" and concerning joy, "What does it accomplish?"
— Ecclesiastes, 2:1-2.
Elsewhere, the bible links happiness to finding the right answer to a question. [8]
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!
— Proverbs, 15:23.
In the Talmud, one of the primary sources for traditional Jewish Law (Halacha), happiness and sadness are associated with particular months of the Jewish calendar. One is meant to increase in happiness during the month of Adar and decrease in happiness during the month of Av. [9] [10] However, in both Maimonides's main legal work and the Code of Jewish Law by Rabbi Yosef Karo, the decrease in joy during Av is mentioned while the increase during Adar is omitted. Some commentaries ascribe this omission to the fact that happiness has no concrete guidelines and depends on the nature of each individual. Whereas acts of sadness and mourning where required by law requires specification and delineation. [11] [12] And though happiness during Adar isn't mentioned in the main Codes, it is mentioned by the Magen Avraham , one of the main commentaries published alongside Karo's work written by Rabbi Avraham Gombiner, and in Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (the "Abbreviated Code of Jewish Law") by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried. [13]
There is a Jewish custom to hang a sign in one's home on which is written "When Adar comes in, increase in happiness" (Mishenichnas Adar marbin b'simcha, Hebrew : משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה). Some have the custom to place this sign to cover the customary portion of a wall left unfinished serving the memory of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (this wall area is commonly referred to as the zecher l'churban). [14] [15]
According to Maimonides, happiness is an essential element in the performance of Jewish rituals. Maimonides rules in his Code, Yad Hachazakah , that the performance of all commandments must be accompanied by an abundance of joy. [4] [16]
The joy that a person takes in performing a mitzvah and in loving God Who commanded it is itself a great [divine] service.
— Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of the Lulav 8:15.
In Jewish Law, rejoicing during the Jewish holidays is considered a biblical commandment. Maimonides ruled that this obligation is fulfilled by drinking wine and eating meat. [17]
The Talmud states "One should not stand up to pray while immersed in sorrow, or idleness, or laughter, or chatter, or frivolity, or idle talk, but only while rejoicing in the performance of a commandment (b'simcha shel mitzvah)." [18] [19]
Some rabbinic commentaries have taught that there is no greater joy than the resolution of doubt. [corrected by Rabbi Yehuda Spitz, author of reference cited]. [20] [21] [22]
The Talmud, in an Aggadic (homiletic) teaching, states that the Divine presence does not rest on a prophet unless he is in a state of happiness as the result of fulfilling one of the commandments.
This teaches you that the Divine Presence rests upon man neither through gloom, nor through sloth, nor through frivolity, nor through levity, nor through talk, nor through idle chatter, save through a matter of joy in connection with a mitzvah.
— Talmud, Tractate Shabbos, 30b.
The Talmud and Midrash also associate joy with marriage. [23]
Any man who has no wife lives without joy, without blessing, and without goodness.
— Talmud, Tractate Yevamoth, 62a.
Elsewhere the Midrash emphasises joy as an effect of the state and nature of local governments. [24]
When the righteous achieve great power, there is joy in the world, and when the wicked achieve great power, there is groaning in the world.
— Midrash Rabbah, Esther, IV:i.
The Zohar, a central text in Kabbalah, states that in order for Man's service of God to be complete, it must be completed in a joyful manner. [25]
The Zohar also notes that the Hebrew word for "in happiness" (b'simcha, Hebrew : בשמחה) contains the same letters as the Hebrew word for "thought" (machshava, Hebrew : מחשבה). [26] This is understood to mean that the key to happiness is found through our minds, by training oneself to weed out any negative thought that prevent one from experiencing happiness. [27]
The Kabbalist Rabbi Elazar ben Moshe Azikri stated “Though a person may be depressed on account of his sins, he must be joyful at the time of Divine service. This applies to every service of God, and how much more so then to the service of prayer which is called ‘the service of the heart.'" [4] [28]
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the Arizal, is believed to have only received his wisdom due to his rejoicing in the mitzvoth. [29] : 1:159
Joy is considered an essential element of the Hasidic way of life. In the early stages of the Hasidic movement, before the name "Hasidim" was coined, one of the names used to refer to the followers of the new movement was di freilicha (Yiddish : די פרייליכע), “the happy ones.” [30]
The founder of Hasidism, Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov (1698–1760) is quoted as saying "In the eyes of the Hasidim, joy is considered a biblical commandment, a mitzvah." [27] [31] The Hasidic Rebbe, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810) would often say "It is a great mitzvah (commandment) to live in the state of happiness" (mitzvah gedolah lihiyot b'simcha tamid, Hebrew : מצוה גדולה להיות בשמחה תמיד). [27] [32] And Rabbi Aharon of Karlin (I), one of the early Hasidic masters, reportedly said, "There is no mitzvah to be joyous, but joy can bring on the greatest mitzvot." It is also true, he said, that "it is not a sin to be sad, but sadness can bring on the greatest sins." [1]
The Baal Shem Tov interprets the verse "Serve God with happiness", that "The happiness itself is your service of God". [33]
In the teachings of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Hasidism, happiness is believed to be an essential element in the struggle between the Godly and Animal souls. When a person is sad or depressed, they are likely to feel lethargic and unable to control negative impulses. By contrast, one who is happy is likely to feel energized and motivated to control oneself. [34]
Just as it is with a victory over a physical opponent--for instance, two people who wrestle with each other, each striving to fell the other, if one of them is lazy and sluggish he will easily be defeated and will fall, even if he be stronger than the other--so it is with the conquest of one's evil nature: it is impossible to conquer the evil nature with laziness and sluggishness, which stem from sadness and a stone-like dullness of the heart, but rather with alacrity, which derives from joy and an open heart that is unblemished by any trace of worry and sadness in the world.
The third Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn of Lubavitch taught that a person should be happy and remain in good spirits despite any lack in yirat shamayim ("fear of heaven"). Though one might consider his/herself wicked and feel he or she deserves some form of divine punishment, one should see no conflict in feeling "happiness... from one side, and bitterness [over his or her spiritual state] from the other side". [35] [36]
According to the Hasidic rebbe, Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov (1745–1807), a prayer filled with joy is greater than a prayer filled with tears. Quoting the Talmudic saying "The gates of tears are never locked", Rabbi Moshe states that for tears, the supernal gates are simply unlocked, while joy has the ability to destroy the gates completely. [37]
The Baal Shem Tov taught that prayer conducted with joy is greater than prayer conducted with tears. [29] : 1:185 The Baal Shem also taught that when the Tzadikim of the generation are joyful they awaken joy in the entire world, [29] : 2:349 and that anger is dispelled by an emphasis on love for God and joy in performing the commandments. [29] : 1:326
According to Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, founder of the Mussar movement, a person may be able to conquer and rectify one's negative impulses by being joyful in his or her service to God. [38]
According to Rabbi Naftali Amsterdam "Mussar study in ecstasy (b'hispaalus) renews the heart and gives joy to the soul." [39]
According to Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler "There is no happiness in the world of material things; there is only happiness in spiritual concerns. The one who enjoys a rich spiritual life is happy. There is no other kind of happiness in existence." [40]
Rabbi Chaim Volozhin taught "A person in a joyful mood can learn more in an hour than a depressed person can learn in many hours." [41] [42]
According to Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Chabad Rebbe, one may attain joy by thinking deeply and picturing in one's mind the subject of the unity of God. [43]
According to Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the third Chabad Rebbe, by assuming the demeanor and mannerisms of one who is joyful, even if the one practicing these actions does not feel happy, such behaviors will lead to true feelings of happiness, because behaviors and actions impact the heart. [44]
According to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, forcing oneself to be happy leads to truly feeling happy. According to Rabbi Nachman, even a faked, ungenuine, happiness has the power to transform one's personal situation and lead him or her to experiencing genuine joy. [45]
In 2014, the Jewish Learning Institute, a Chabad organization offering classes in Jewish education for adults, launched a six-part course titled How Happiness Thinks. [46] [47] [48] The course was planned to be delivered in 350 cities worldwide, to over 75,000 students. [49] The material in the lessons is drawn from Jewish sources as well as positive psychology addressing the concept of happiness, methods of its attainment as well as possible barriers to experiencing joy. [50]
The JLI happiness course focuses on one's self-concept and how self-centered ness and low self-esteem negatively impact one's experience of happiness, while humility is seen as a tool in increasing feelings of joy in life. The lessons also examine how stress over everyday worries can hinder feelings of happiness, and finding purpose and meaning in life are believed to make people happier. [50]
Professor Tal Ben-Shahar (PhD), one of the leaders in the field of Positive Psychology and the instructor of the most popular course in the history of Harvard University entitled Positive Psychology 1504, [51] explains that “many of the ideas quote-unquote ‘discovered’ by modern psychologists, had actually been present for thousands of years in traditional Jewish sources.". [52] In a production produced by Aish HaTorah and Jerusalem U entitled "Habits of Happiness: Positive Psychology and Judaism" Archived 2015-06-03 at the Wayback Machine , Professor Ben-Shahar discusses the age-old links between happiness and Judaism through the lens of Positive Psychology.
A yeshiva is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha, while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The studying is usually done through daily shiurim as well as in study pairs called chavrusas. Chavrusa-style learning is one of the unique features of the yeshiva.
Shneur Zalman of Liadi was an influential Lithuanian Jewish rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism, then based in Liadi in Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later in the Grodno Governorate of the Russian Empire. He was the author of many works, and is best known for Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Tanya, and his Siddur Torah Or compiled according to the Nusach Ari. Zalman is a Yiddish variant of Solomon and Shneur is a Yiddish composite of the two Hebrew words "shnei ohr".
Dov Ber ben Avraham of Mezeritch, also known as the Maggid of Mezeritch or Mezeritcher Maggid, was a disciple of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the founder of Hasidic Judaism, and was chosen as his successor to lead the early movement. Dov Ber is regarded as the first systematic exponent of the mystical philosophy underlying the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, and through his teaching and leadership, the main architect of the movement. He established his base in Mezhirichi, which moved the centre of Hasidism from Medzhybizh, where he focused his attention on raising a close circle of disciples to spread the movement. After his death the third generation of leadership took their different interpretations and disseminated across appointed regions of Eastern Europe, rapidly spreading Hasidism beyond Ukraine, to Poland, Galicia and Russia.
The Tanya is an early work of Hasidic philosophy, by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Hasidism, first published in 1796. Its formal title is Likkutei Amarim, but is more commonly known by its first Hebrew word tanya, which means "it has been taught", where he refers to a baraita section in "Niddah", at the end of chapter 3, 30b. Tanya is composed of five sections that define Hasidic mystical psychology and theology as a handbook for daily spiritual life in Jewish observance.
Breslov is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810), a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism. Its adherents strive to develop an intense, joyous relationship with God, and receive guidance toward this goal from the teachings of Rebbe Nachman.
Nachman of Breslov, also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover, and Nachman from Uman, was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement. He was particularly known for his creative parables, which drew on Eastern European folktales to create mystical and mythic fantasies and which influenced 20th century literature, probably including the works of Franz Kafka.
Devekut, debekuth, deveikuth or deveikus is a Jewish concept referring to closeness to God. It may refer to a deep, trance-like meditative state attained during Jewish prayer, Torah study, or when performing the 613 mitzvot. It is particularly associated with the Jewish mystical tradition.
A seudat mitzvah, in Judaism, is an obligatory festive meal, usually referring to the celebratory meal following the fulfillment of a mitzvah (commandment), such as a bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, a wedding, a brit milah, or a siyum. Seudot fixed in the calendar are also considered seudot mitzvah, but many have their own, more commonly used names.
Dovber Schneuri was the second Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement. Rabbi Dovber was the first Chabad rebbe to live in the town of Lyubavichi, the town for which this Hasidic dynasty is named. He is also known as the Mitteler Rebbe, being the second of the first three generations of Chabad leaders.
Yitro, Yithro, Yisroi, Yisrau, or Yisro is the seventeenth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fifth in the Book of Exodus. The parashah tells of Jethro's organizational counsel to Moses and God's revelation of the Ten Commandments to the Israelites at Mount Sinai.
Simcha is a Hebrew word that means gladness, or joy, and is often used as a given name.
Behar, BeHar, Be-har, or B'har is the 32nd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the ninth in the Book of Leviticus. The parashah tells the laws of the Sabbatical year and limits on debt servitude. The parashah constitutes Leviticus 25:1–26:2. It is the shortest of the weekly Torah portions in the Book of Leviticus. It is made up of 2,817 Hebrew letters, 737 Hebrew words, 57 verses, and 99 lines in a Torah Scroll.
Hasidic philosophy or Hasidism, alternatively transliterated as Hasidut or Chassidus, consists of the teachings of the Hasidic movement, which are the teachings of the Hasidic rebbes, often in the form of commentary on the Torah and Kabbalah. Hasidism deals with a range of spiritual concepts such as God, the soul, and the Torah, dealing with esoteric matters but often making them understandable, applicable and finding practical expressions.
Mezhbizh is the name of the town of Medzhybizh in the present Ukraine which is significant as both the source of a Hasidic dynasty that bears its name and as a symbolic name for the roots of Hasidism.
Divine providence is discussed throughout rabbinic literature, by the classical Jewish philosophers, and by the tradition of Jewish mysticism.
Tzavaat HaRivash is a book of collected teachings from the Baal Shem Tov regarding Divine service, personal refinement, and understanding the Divine. The title of the book is derived from its opening words of the first teaching. The work was not penned by the Baal Shem Tov himself, but rather compiled by his disciples and followers.
Chabad philosophy comprises the teachings of the leaders of Chabad-Lubavitch, a Hasidic movement. Chabad Hasidic philosophy focuses on religious concepts such as God, the soul, and the meaning of the Jewish commandments.
Orthodox Jewish philosophy comprises the philosophical and theological teachings of Orthodox Judaism. Though Orthodox Judaism sees itself as the heir of traditional rabbinic Judaism, the present-day movement is thought to have first formed in the late 18th century, mainly in reaction to the Jewish emancipation and the growth of the Haskalah and Reform movements. Orthodox Jewish philosophy concerns itself with interpreting traditional Jewish sources, reconciling the Jewish faith with the changes in the modern world and the movement's relationships with the State of Israel and other Jewish denominations.
Israel ben Eliezer or Yisroel ben Eliezer, known as the Baal Shem Tov or as the Besht, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which means "Master of the Good Name," a term for a holy man who wields the secret name of God.
Anger in Judaism is treated as a negative trait to be avoided whenever possible. The subject of anger is treated in a range of Jewish sources, from the Hebrew Bible and Talmud to the rabbinical law, Kabbalah, Hasidism, and contemporary Jewish sources.
