Never Define Yourself By What You Hate
The opposite of happiness is not sadness; it’s rage. Rage is a symptom of emptiness. It is a sign that you don’t know who you are; you know only who you are not.
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Vice Advice – Part Eight: Melancholy and Depression
What is the root and anatomy of melancholy and depression? How can we channel its power to positive ends? Is there a difference between sadness and depression; between healthy sadness and unhealthy melancholy?
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A Whole New Take on Joy
A secure person experiences each one of life’s moments to its fullest. It gives you a whole new take on joy: It’s not about doing things to be happy; it is about having an inner joy that is always there with you.
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Why Singing A Sad Song Will Make You Happy
It’s counter-intuitive: Singing a sad song when you are sad can lead you out of sadness and into a better dimension.
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The Paradox of Pain
From Parshat Maasei & the period of the 3 Weeks we learn not to view difficulty as a wholly negative experience, but as the greatest facilitator of growth.
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Two Problems
A story of two disciples of the Maggid and their two contending troubles – sin and mitzvah. One can repent for the former but what of the latter?
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The Bottom of the Barrel
One of the great Chassidic masters teaches us about sadness and where the pieces of a broken heart should lie.
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Nasso: Raw Ovol
For the first time in my 48 years I am an “ovol,” a griever. My father always knew he was on a mission. With the passion of a soldier he never wavered.
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Matot-Masei: Three Weeks of Pain, Seven of Comfort, & Two of Return
Parshat Matot-Masei: 3 Weeks of Pain, 7 of Comfort & 2 of Return. Understanding the 3 Weeks of mourning in a chassidic discourse by Reb Hillel of Paritch.
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