Finding Joy: A Practical Spiritual Guide to Happiness - Hardcover

Schwartz, Dannel I.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1879045532 ISBN 13: 9781879045538

Publisher: Jewish Lights, 1996

Synopsis

Searching for happiness in our modern world of stress and struggle is common; finding it is more unusual. This guide explores and explains how to find joy through a time-honored, creative―and surprisingly practical―approach based on Kabbalah and the teachings of Jewish mystics.

The very core of the Jewish mystical tradition is centered on the belief that if our focus is spiritual, then true appreciation of our lives, and true joy, are possible. Step by step, Finding Joy describes the basis of happiness in the context of Jewish mystical tradition and shows, in an easy-to-understand way, how we can use its concept of the 10 divine "rays of light," the Sefirot, to remedy the everyday unhappiness in our lives.

Clear, creative, personal and down-to-earth, Finding Joy introduces the ancient insights of the Jewish mystics, and offers practical week-by-week exercises for the soul which bring them into our daily routines. Finding Joy is not an instant cure for modern life's burdens. Instead, it’s a guide to a time-honored method for thinking and living ... and finding real joy.

About this title

About the Authors

Dannel I. Schwartz is spiritual leader of Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield, Michigan, one of the fastest growing congregations in the U.S. He is well-known for his ability to motivate and inspire. He is the author of On the Wings of Healing, and his articles on religion and spirituality have been featured in Moment Magazine, The American Rabbi, the Detroit Free Press, the Jewish Spectator, and the Detroit News. He frequently is a guest lecturer at universities, synagogues and community centers on the subjects of spirituality, intermarriage strategies and modern Jewish philosophy.

Mark Hass has been on the staff of the Detroit News and the Miami Herald.

From the Back Cover

Pithy, effective, and remarkable....A good read for those who seek to do good and enjoy happiness. Msgr.
Tom Hartman, The God Squad

You don t need to be Jewish to enjoy the spiritual lessons of Finding Joy. In an age of cynicism, suspicion, and greed, Schwartz reminds us how to seek the joy of being alive.
Diane Winston, Fellow, Center for the Study of American Religion, Princeton University

A direct and easy guide to a Jewish spirituality that doesn t make it a big deal.
Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi

Reviews

Pithy, effective, and remarkable....A good read for those who seek to do good and enjoy happiness

You don't need to be Jewish to enjoy the spiritual lessons of Finding Joy. In an age of cynicism, suspicion, and greed, Schwartz reminds us how to seek the joy of being alive.

This lovely, simple introduction to Cabala will appeal to audiences of all traditions who are curious about Jewish spirituality--or simply wish to be happy. That is a huge audience indeed. The book is packed with everyday stories beautifully told and simple exercises that bring profound mystical insights to life. Not a theoretical introduction but a practical one, this is a singular contribution to tikkun olam, repairing the world. Steve Schroeder

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"Why are some of us able to find joy in our day-to-day existence, even when that existence is a struggle, and others, despite apparent advantages, feel miserable? Is the answer in a diet, an exercise program, or a popularized and customized version of an Eastern religion? In a crystal, perhaps?Perhaps not. Perhaps the answer lies in a spiritual approach to living, an approach consistent with the teachings of the fundamental texts of Jewish mystical life, which hold remarkable insights for people searching for an elusive happiness, both Jews and non-Jews alike."

Edition details

• Publisher: Jewish Lights
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1879045532
• ISBN 13: 9781879045538
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192