Finding Joy seems like a game of hide and seek. “Ready or not here I come!” The childhood game can erupt in giggles and laughter when a person is found. That’s what happens with joy. It makes us smile or giggle or laugh when we find it. Without being self-conscious.
William Wordsworth wrote a poem, “Surprised by Joy” when dealing with grief after his daughter died:
Surprised by joy — impatient as the Wind
I turned to share the transport — Oh! with whom
But Thee, deep buried in the silent tomb,
That spot which no vicissitude can find?
Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind —
But how could I forget thee? Through what power,
Even for the least division of an hour,
Have I been so beguiled as to be blind
To my most grievous loss? — That thought’s return
Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore,
Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn,
Knowing my heart’s best treasure was no more;
That neither present time, nor years unborn
Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.
Sometimes joy just sneaks up on us, when we are least expecting it. Sometimes it catches us off guard. Sometimes it is profound feeling that cannot be put into words. You know it when you feel it.
Perhaps that is why there are so many words for joy in Hebrew.
- Simcha, joy with a sense of passion, also the name of a celebration.(and my middle name in Hebrew!)
- Osher, Happiness like in the song, Ashrei yoshvei…Happy is the one who dwells in the house of the Lord. In this case it can also be a pun on the word for being rich.
- Ora, which means both light and joy. There is a song Ora v’simcha–light and joy!
- Gila, an exuberant outburst of joy or the happiness of discovery, to reveal G-d, which is a great source of joy
- Rina, joy, sometimes singing, sometimes “refreshing happiness” or if you scramble the letters, candle (ner) of G-d
- Ditza, a sublime joy
- Sasson, sudden unexpected happiness
- Tzahala, happiness and dancing
- Chedva, happiness of togetherness which only shows up twice in the Hebrew Bible
As I write this, I find myself humming the last blessing of the “Sheva Brachot”, the seven marriage blessings. Many of the Hebrew words for joy are in just this one paragraph.
“Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, Ruler of the universe, who created joy (sasson) and happiness (simcha), groom and bride, gladness (gila), jubilation (rina), cheer (ditza) and delight (cheva), love, friendship, harmony and fellowship. L-rd our G‑d, let there speedily be heard in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the sound of joy (sasson) and the sound of happiness (simcha), the sound of a groom and the sound of a bride, the sound of exultation of grooms from under their chuppah, and youths from their joyous (simcha) banquets. Blessed are You Lord, who gladdens the groom with the bride.”
There you have it. Joy, all the words. All in one prayer!
Sometimes, I am surprised by joy, surprised by my husband, even after all these years. Sometimes that too can be a game of hide and seek. Sometimes the secret is in leaving room to be surprised by joy, by not filling up every available space, or every available timeslot. Leaving room, I am surprised by joy. Then as the psalmist says, “My cup runneth over.”
I am surprised by joy in a myriad of ways. During the next few weeks we will look at all those ways we can be surprised by joy. And maybe in the process we will learn how to sustain joy.