A famous Jewish sage from the 18th century, Rabbi David Altschuler, gives us an insight into the meaning of happiness in his commentary on Proverbs 15, 30. The original text tells us, “The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good report makes the bones fat.” The explanation the great sage provides is, “The world has no joy like the resolution of doubts.” The “light of the eyes,” means the clarity of our mind when it examines and understands life’s events and situations. This leads to a happy heart. The second part of this sentence refers to the enhancement of the physical body as well. The sage sees a correlation between worries and doubts causing poor health, as opposed to confidence and the removal of doubts that lead to a healthy mind and body. So, resolved doubts equates true happiness!
Due to life’s unknown future, the reality we live in is full of worries and self-doubt. Some of us are anxious about finances, our children, retirement plans, a clean bill of health and more. Many meditate to achieve peace of mind, some resort to prayers, while others simply play soft music trying to relax and give their aching soul a well- deserved, desired break. People enjoy such activities in pursuit of a clear mind, searching for answers of truth. As the famous saying goes, “Man makes plans and God laughs.” Our existence is in an uncharted territory, the territory of the Creator. Regardless of our religion’s belief, it is well known that some things are simply beyond our control. This causes us to experience stressful encounters and it is easy to lose our faith. When facing these unexplained challenges, it is rather hard to remove doubts and achieve happiness. We have a smaller capacity to observe what our Creator sees. Creation is meant for love and peace, and the Omnipotent goal is to always take us forward in a carefully implemented master plan. Sometimes we must make painful drastic changes in our lives, and we don’t want to move out of our comfort zone into the unknown. The Supernatural being makes us move, telling us, “Trust me, I’ll lead you in the proper direction and path.” The Omnipresence created this world and has the precise spiritual and physical map to everyone’s life. This can be illustrated by a famous true story about two friends who had a dispute over a property. Both claimed ownership and neither one would give it up. They came to a great Rabbi and asked him to rule who does this land belong to? After pondering the question for a while, he asked to be led to the land in question. When arriving he strangely bent down to the ground and whispered something. Then he put his ear on the earth listening carefully for a few minutes. When he got up, he shook his trousers from the dust and said: “You know, I listened to both of you, and each one of you says that the land is his. So, I bent down, and I asked the land saying land, land, which one of these men do you belong to? And the land answered, you’re asking me if I belong to either one of these men, when they both belong to me and soon, I will be claiming them! ” Their uncertainties were most likely resolved after being forced to see things in perspective.
To conclude, throughout your life’s journey, believe and trust in your decisions and even if it doesn’t turn out as expected, don’t dwell on the past. The past is a tool to prepare us for future happiness. Remove your doubts and concentrate on healthy lifestyles both physical and spiritual. Invest yourself into constructive thinking and healthy relationships. Wishing you all un-doubt-ly happy summer!
