Tag Archives: simcha

Meditation

Jewish Meditation: an Oxymoron?

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The positive psychology movement has identified meditation as a key technique for increasing happiness and feelings of tranquility. But observant Jews don’t meditate, do they?

There are some excellent books and articles written by Rabbis and Jews about the traditional approach to simcha (Jewish joy). Most of them, unfortunately, ignore meditation as a tool for centering oneself and becoming happier. This seems to be part of a larger trend of marginalizing meditation, a practice that was once widespread among Jews.

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Goal of Simcha, Holidays, The Holy Land

The Happiness of Hanukkah

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Part of the happiness of Hanukkah (beyond the delicious latkes and sufganiyot, of course) is knowing our purpose, which is a crucial ingredient for experiencing simcha (Jewish joy).

In his amazing book Man’s Search for Meaning, Holocaust survivor Viktor E. Frankl (z’l) details his life philosophy. A man who suffered through the worst life has to offer realized:

Man’s search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life and not a ‘secondary rationalization’ of instinctual drives. This meaning is unique and specific in that it must and can be fulfilled by him alone; only then does it achieve a significance which will satisfy his own will to meaning (page 121 in the paperback edition). 

How does this relate to Hanukkah?

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Fitness and Diet

Can you RUN to do a Mitzva?

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It’s difficult to run to do mitzvot when your back and knees hurt.

It’s much easier to study Torah in a Yeshiva or Beit Midrash than it is in a hospital.

One must be alive and breathing to do good deeds for others.

Despite the skepticism of some in the traditional Jewish community towards healthy nutrition and fitness for a variety of reasons (which I covered in my last blog post), Judaism has always stressed taking care of one’s health and body. Our holy souls should not be housed in defiled vessels.

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Fitness and Diet, Time Management

5 Reasons Jews Don’t Exercise

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As part of my efforts to feel greater happiness (simcha) and joy, I have begun working out and watching what I eat. I already feel a little better, but is my new focus at odds with traditional Judaism?

Unfortunately, there are some in the community who have taken a negative view of proper nutrition and physical fitness for a variety of reasons:

1. Exercise is a waste of time: wasting time is a serious offense in traditional Judaism and the Rabbis taught us to preoccupy ourselves mostly with Torah study, good deeds and prayer. It is sometimes difficult to find time to exercise when one also prays three times a day (in addition to all of life’s other responsibilities).

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Fitness and Diet, Sadness, Self-Esteem

Disordered Eating Blocks My Spirituality

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I just failed another “lunchtime challenge.” A few months ago, I started working full-time at an organization that doesn’t have a cafeteria. Our building is surrounded by restaurants, so most employees head downstairs to grab a bite.

It sounds simple enough, unless you are a person who struggles with binge eating. I start obsessively thinking about what I am going to eat almost immediately upon arriving at work. I tell myself, “Today will be different,” but more often than not, I order fatty, unhealthy food in large quantities. Because I’m embarrassed about my terrible habits, I usually eat alone, in my office.

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Emuna, Self-Esteem, Time Management

Does Writing a Blog Make You Happier?

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Will writing this blog make me happier? Or will I become sucked into the social media vortex?

My intention for starting Seeking Simcha is to chart my exploration of Jewish happiness. But obviously that’s something I can do offline. By putting the blog posts online and sharing them via social media, I am hoping to help others. Although this is still very much a brand new effort, I’m not succeeding so far. This blog has one follower, none of my six blog posts have received even a single comment and I have a whopping 23 Twitter followers.

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Sadness, The Holy Land

Keith Berman’s (z’l) Passing

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In the Land of Israel, it is possible to draw the joy of holiness from the site of joy itself. – Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Israel

Normally you wouldn’t expect a blog about simcha (Jewish joy) to focus on a recent passing. But the death of Keith Berman (z’l), whom I had the pleasure of working for when he was the director of the Young Judaea/FZY Year Course in Israel, is relevant to this blog because I saw firsthand how much joy he brought into the world.

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Meditation, Simcha Techniques

A Happiness Visualization for the Mikveh

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After deciding to start my current search for simcha (Jewish joy) on Hoshana Rabbah, one of the first things I did that morning was immerse myself in one of the local mikvehs. Hoshana Rabbah is the day when the judgment process that has started on Rosh HaShana is sealed, and I wanted to feel spiritually pure.

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Emuna, Gratitude, Kindness, Prayer, The Holy Land

Are You Happy on a Rainy Day?

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Rainy days are annoying, right? Who wants to get soaked when going outside or risk driving a car in the lowered visibility of a rainstorm?

Many people view rain as a negative phenomenon, but for our sages, it wasn’t enough to merely appreciate rain. They taught us to actively pray for it. Starting on Thursday evening, the 7th of Cheshvan, Jews in Israel will begin saying, “Grant dew and rain as a blessing” (ותן טל ומטר לברכה) in their daily prayers (Jews in the Diaspora begin saying it on December 4).

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Learning Torah, Marriage, Meditation, Parenting, Prayer, Shabbat, Shalom Bayit

5 Reasons Why Shabbat = Simcha (Happiness)

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The Shabbos Project (@ShabbosProject_) is a wonderful idea that is sure to increase simcha (happiness) worldwide.  This weekend (the first day of the new month of Cheshvan/October 24-25) Jews in more than 212 cities and 33 countries will experience the joy of observing and celebrating Shabbat (or “Shabbos”). As a Jew who keeps Shabbat on a weekly basis with his family, I’ll try to explain why Shabbat never fails to put a smile on my face.

So, why does Shabbat = simcha?

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