The Power of Joy: Rabbi Yaakov Chamu’s Guide to Happiness, Healing, and Humor

Anyone who knows Rabbi Yaakov Chamu knows that he has a rare gift of blending healthy humor with meaningful life lessons.

According to him, reaching a state of true joy isn’t just a bonus for the spiritually advanced, but a sacred obligation. As Rabbi Chamu explains: “Our Sages teach that joy and optimism are the best tools for solving life’s problems. But more than that, joy is the bridge that connects us with our Creator. On the other hand, sadness, negativity, and depression drag a person into illness, misfortune, and spiritual disconnection. Remember: joy isn’t optional- it’s essential. Nothing will set you free like happiness. It frees the mind and fills you with calm and inner peace.”

10 Practical Tips for Finding Real Joy

In Breslov Hasidism, it’s well known that finding genuine happiness is one of the hardest spiritual challenges, but with G-d's help, it’s possible to reach it step by step. Rabbi Chamu shares 10 practical tips for bringing joy into your life:

1. If the only way to be happy is to act a little silly, don’t hesitate. Go for it.

2. Losing hope means losing your freedom. It’s losing your very self!

3. Depression causes serious harm. Use any trick you can think of to pull yourself toward joy- just avoid anything forbidden or destructive.

4. Don’t let yesterday or tomorrow drag you down today.

5. Still feeling low even though you desperately want to be happy? Fake it till you make it. Smile, even through the sadness. Joy is contagious, even to itself.

6. Get into the habit of singing. It gives you new life and fills you with joy. King David taught us how powerful music is.

Rabbi Yaakov Chamu

7. Get into the habit of dancing. It can push away depression and break through emotional heaviness.

8. Sometimes people are deeply troubled but have no one to talk to. If you show up with a big smile, you can literally bring them back to life. That’s reason enough to “wear” a giant smile. Your joy can become a gift to others.

9. Don’t confuse sadness and a broken heart.

10. Sadness and its close cousin, depression, lead to anger, complaints, and bitterness. Who do we complain about most? G-d. Why? Because, in the mind of the sad or depressed person, G-d isn’t giving them what they want. But a broken heart is like a little child crying for their father who feels far away. That’s a beautiful thing. If only we could live with that kind of tender longing all the time. But most of us can’t and it easily turns into sadness. So give yourself a time and space to cry out to G-d with a broken heart in a quiet room or open field. That’s the time for heartbreak. And the rest of the day? Choose joy.

Open a joke book and read at least ten jokes to get yourself laughing. When you're joyful, it’s much easier to pray with a broken heart. When you're depressed, it’s hard to pray at all.