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The Revolution of Joy

Rabbi Ohad Ezrahi

Most people perceive joy as a response arising in the soul following circumstances, which have led to a wanted result. For instance: I found love, therefore I’m happy! But the Hassidic doctrine doesn’t see it this way.

It sees joy as a working tool, which produces a wanted result. That is: I am joyful, and as a result I will find love! Hassidism sees love as a working tool for life in general.

The Problem With Us

The problem with us is that we take ourselves too seriously. Really. Actors, in theater or film, can develop an unhealthy state called “Over Acting.”

This means an actor becomes fully identified with the character s/he is playing, and forgets that s/he is only an actor playing a character in a play written by someone else. This is what happens to us in our daily life.

We become over identified with our personality, and forget that this is not who we truly are. Therefore we take our problems so seriously, that they drag us down, to the sewers of despair and depression, and sometimes to the sewers of anger, rage, and craze.

For some reason we think it logical that when a problem arises, the proper response is descending into sadness. Or, when our partner gets on our nerves, it seems to us logic to get angry… But we all know already – it doesn’t help! It never solves the problem. The “logical” reactions usually only make the problem worse.

If we all know it doesn’t work, why do we stick to this ineffective strategy? Often it is because we were never given an option, culturally, of considering a different response. The culture into which we grew takes life’s dramas terribly seriously, and thus drama often turns into tragedy. Greek philosopher Plato said that if one can write a good tragedy, one must be able to write a good comedy as well. Rabbi Arieh Leib adds: “a comedy is a tragedy that people stop believing in.”

Turning Tragedy To Comedy

The verse in Isiah (55, 12), which says: “”For in joy shall you go out and in peace be led, the mountains and hills will burst into song and all the trees of the field will clap” is explained in Hassidism as “For in joy will you go out of all troubles.” This means, through joy you will leave all your inner exiles and problems. Joy is the tool that helps with exiting trouble.

There is a story about how Rabbi Bonem of Pshischa went for a walk with his students on the banks of the river Wisla. A sudden wind blew so hard that one of the lads, who didn’t know how to swim, tripped and fell into the raging river. He was swept by the flow and started drowning. Rabbi Bonem did not jump into the water. Instead, he shouted to the lad some macabre joke about drowning, and what transpired was that “The young man’s face changed immediately. He became joyous, gathered courage, and was saved by getting out of the water with the last of his strength.”

The Rabbi saw that the young man was in despair. He was drowning since he did not believe in his own strength. That’s why the Rabbi used a joke, in order to change the lad’s perspective and allow him to gather his strength and exit his trouble. What happened here?

Joy Is Freedom

Rabbi Nahman of Braslev says that sadness and melancholy are types of inner slavery, and only the joyful one is free. When bringing one’s self into joy, a person’s consciousness is freed, and it is from this free place that one can exit the inner exile of troubles. A sad person is enslaved, and can’t get out of his/her own problems.

Here is a quote from Rabbi Nahman: “Know that by melancholy it is impossible to lead the mind, or settle it, for joy is the world of freedom.” Therefore when joy is linked with mind – mind and thought are free, and one is not exiled any more.

The network of relationships we have with life provides an abundance of opportunities for practicing this joyful revolution. Turning joy from an effect into a cause. One of the best places for practice is our intimate relationship.

One of my students told me how she had been having bitter arguments with her husband for years. Something to do with the number of cats in the yard. It was always the same argument, leading to the same results – feeling bad, feeling stuck, misunderstood and disconnected.

Then one day, she decided to focus on bringing joy into the relationship and instead of getting upset to make fun of the whole matter. Her smiling and good spirits helped to stop the arguments.

When To Laugh

Yet there is an important rule here: laugh at yourself, not at the other! Laughing at the other hurts. It is a weapon. It’s cynical. But when you laugh at yourself, in a situation that typically slides into a fight, you are changing a familiar pattern and allow yourself and your partner a type of freedom. You allow both of you not to take yourselves so seriously, and light heartedly get out of it all. “For in joy shall you go out” – of all troubles.

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This article was translated and publishecd by EOL

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Emotion into Motion – Dance Class with Dawn

Emotion into Motion – Dance Class with Dawn

Monday evnings in Tel Aviv

A Dance class to explore your full range of free movements, while going through different emotional states to empty our selves to reveal the joy of abundant life.

This is an energetic ,flowing, and at times ecstatic tribal dance. We will explore masculinity and femininity within the movement,stripping away layers of the outer shell to reveal truth within. WE dance together to : be witnessed to dance in an environment that is fun, safe, healing, sexy, exploratory and growthfull. to empty our minds ,so that we can get of our own way. Explore the dance of ourselves(the dance from within), the other and spirit and the sacred to find the point of inner silence.

THIS IS AN ONGOING DANCE CLASS.WE MIGHT GO IN A SERIES,SO IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN,OR HAVE NOT BEEN FOR A WHILE ,PLEASE CALL TO CONFIRM 052-5213137; SISTERDAWN3@AOL.COM

About Dawn: Dawn Cherie Ezrahi is a teacher and a performer. Her work is focused on women’s movement, ritual and empowerment. She is the co-founder of the school of love in Kabala, and of HaShevet spiritual community. Along with her husband Ohad she teaches the way of sacred relationships and spiritual growth. Dawn is an American living in Israel and teaching internationally. Prior to that she was living in NYC for many years where she was a professional actress and performer. Combined with specialized methods inspired by: Five Rhythms Ritual Theater The work of David Deida and Breath work