05/24/2023 02:09:16 PM
Holy and Happy
Happiness is a central value of Judaism. We know this at Kol Ami, where Judaism and joy are one. We learn this in the Book of Chronicles, where it says “Rejoice in the Divine Name! May the heart of those who seek the Holy One be happy.” According to Arthur Green, this verse is key in discussing happiness as a religious precept in his book “Judaism's Ten Best Ideas.”
So, how do we seek the Holy One, and how do we attain that happiness? According to Green, we should follow “Rabbi Israel Ba’al Shem Tov, the first great master of Hasidism, who teaches….that love, the wonders of nature, music, dance, and the close companionship of friends are all there to keep you on the path of joy.”
In the search for holiness, we must find joy. When we praise God, when we call out “Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh” (“Holy, Holy, Holy”), like the angels do, we do so with joy. When we perform mitzvot and distance ourselves from excessive worry, we are able to achieve happiness.
Through our Recharge Initiative, we searched for a way to bring those things together, the holiness - joining together for prayer on Friday nights, with joy - bringing our friends together with good food and music. Thus was born, the Holy Happy Hour. For the past two Fridays, we have gathered in the lobby before Shabbat enjoying delicious food and wine, chatting with old friends and new, and listening to beautiful music to get us ready for Shabbat.
This mix of Holy and Happy gives us (a half of) an hour of preparation for connection to God through Shabbat, a holy time of rest. I hope you’ll join us for our last two Holy Happy Hour experiences over the next two weeks, May 26th and June 2nd. We hope to resume again in the fall.
Wishing you joy and connection!
Rabbi Blatt
