Finding Joy Is a Mitzvah. Yes, Even Now.

Almost a year ago, I became obsessed with mah jongg.

I know. I know. The world is on fire, and I’m over here organizing neighborhood games, teaching at my local synagogue and running a Facebook group for Jewish mah jongg players. If that sounds a little ridiculous, well, it is.

But here’s the thing: Mah jongg has changed my life in ways I wasn’t expecting. It keeps my brain focused and engaged instead of spinning out into anxiety. It’s introduced me to a lovely, funny group of people in my community and online. Every time I sit down at the table, I feel connected to generations of Jewish women who have embraced this popular Chinese game. And also, it’s just really, really fun.

In other words: This game brings me joy.

I used to wonder if I had any right to seek joy when there is so much suffering in the world. I wondered if I was being selfish.

But I don’t worry about that anymore.

That’s because I’ve realized that joy isn’t a luxury we get to enjoy once things calm down (and not just because things never really do). Joy is what keeps us going when things are hard. Judaism has understood this for thousands of years — joy isn’t a suggestion, it’s a mitzvah. The book of Deuteronomy literally commands us to rejoice. Every Simchat Torah, for example, we pull the scrolls out of the ark and dance around the shul with them, no matter what kind of year it’s been.

I’m Carla Naumburg, a licensed clinical social worker, author and the author of Kveller’s Calm-ish series for Jews with anxiety. This new series, Joy-ish, is about the next step. It’s not about pretending everything is fine, and it’s not about toxic positivity or forced gratitude. Instead, it’s about making deliberate, sustainable space for joy — even now, especially now — in the middle of real life.

Sign up for this new, limited-run newsletter about how to embrace joy during troubled times. Over the coming weeks, we’ll explore what that actually looks like in practice: practical, Jewish-infused strategies for feeling more present, more connected and more joyful, including:

• Noticing and giving thanks (and why Judaism is so obsessed with it)
• Marking time to make meaning
• Making space for grief and fear without letting it take over
• Connecting as a necessity, not a luxury
• Giving what you can (and why “small counts”)
• Learning to love learning again
• The power of play

I hope you’ll join me on this journey to help cultivate a deeper sense of joy in our lives, even when faced with challenging circumstances. And maybe, in the meantime, consider taking up mah jongg.

Sign up for our new email series, Joy-ish, here.