Inclining the Mind Toward Joy
In the late 1980s, I studied the “learned helplessness theory” of depression with psychologist Martin Seligman. I had imagined becoming a psychologist since age 7, but there was something missing for me in the focus of my undergraduate psychology courses. That missing piece was simcha — joy.
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After Shiva, Glimpsing Joy
I’ve never been one for following commandments strictly — without some personal adjustment — especially those that prescribe emotional states. Though I observe the laws of kashrut and have only recently relaxed my notion of Shabbat, I recoil from the implied obligation to be happy — as suggested in the Mishnah in reference to the month of Adar (“Mi sh’nichnas Adar, marbim b’simcha,” “When Adar arrives, we (make) much joy”).
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From Anguish to Authenticity
I woke up on my 50th birthday to the loneliest, most disconnected and painful day of my life. For decades — for as long as I could remember — I had felt as though I was a woman living inside a man’s body. Joy was not a feeling I could access in my despair. But that day, something clicked in me. I was tired of living an inauthentic life. I knew something had to change. That day, I made the monumental decision to begin my gender transition journey.
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NiSh’ma: Simcha
NiSh’ma — let us hear — is our simulated Talmud page. Here, we offer four takes on the notion of simcha—how we discover and embrace joy in a complicated world.
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Consider and Converse: Simcha
A guide with suggestions to help readers consider the idea of “simcha” (finding joy in a complicated world). The guide includes activities and conversation prompts for individual contemplation and informal or more structured conversations.
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