Community Magazine April 2014

68 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE The Happiest Place on Earth Many people consider their level of happiness to be a personal issue, affecting each on an individual level. However, the UN General Assembly recognized that the collective state of happiness of citizens in any given region can affect a country economically, politically and developmentally.With the understanding that public policy objectives should seek to create happier citizens, the UN launched an intensive study, known as The World Happiness Report 2013 , which created guidelines to define happiness and conducted research to measure and compare levels of happiness worldwide. Using six measurements – life expectancy, perceptions of corruption, GDP per capita, freedom to make life choices, social support, and generosity – the study compared the findings for 156 countries, giving them a happiness score on a scale from 1 to 10. The winner, ranking at 7.693 happiness points, was Denmark, followed closely by Norway and Switzerland. Israel scored 7.301, ranking at number 11, and the United States scored 7.082, earning 17th place. On the other end of the spectrum, the most discontent countries are Togo, Benin and Central African Republic, all in Africa. Following the results of this study, all eyes turned to Denmark with the question, “Why Denmark, over any of the other wealthy, democratic countries with small, educated populations?” In looking for answers, speculations highlighted the areas where Denmark excels in public policy. The Danes receive 18 weeks of full paid maternity leave as well as two weeks paid paternity leave, which is bolstered by free or low cost child care. This enables women to prioritize their children without forfeiting their careers. Danish women contribute up to 38 percent of household income, as opposed to 28 percent in America. Fittingly, Denmark is known for a high degree of gender parity in all realms of society. The Nordic countries were the first to grant women the right to vote, which led to greater female representation. In fact, the current Prime Minister of Denmark is a woman. Another factor is the highly efficient health care system, which is provided free to all Danish citizens as a basic right. Danish people visit their primary care physician an average of seven times per year (in contrast to Americans, who are likely to see a doctor less than four times yearly), which offers continuity of care as well as a single medical advocate to treat each patient. In a similar vein, the prevalence of biking in Denmark – half of all commuting in Copenhagen is on a bike – is a notable factor in improving health and general fitness levels. In addition to health benefits, biking cuts down on carbon emissions from cars and saves tax dollars spent on road maintenance and prevention of air and noise pollution. Along with Denmark’s admirable public policies and active lifestyle, the Danish culture is known for a sense of responsibility, belonging and trust. According to the Danish Ministry of Business and Growth, “Denmark is a society where citizens participate and contribute to making society work. More than 40 percent of all Danes do voluntary work in cultural and sports associations…, everyone takes responsibility for treating each other fairly and doing their best.” Serving Hashem With Joy When we examine the writings of our holy rabbis on the topic of happiness, a common thread emerges. The Orhot Saddikim (sha’ar 9) defines happiness as “the feeling of complete peace in one’s heart.” Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (on Bamidbar 10:10) elaborates on this idea: “Happiness is not necessarily the elevated feeling that comes from a particular cause. Rather, it includes the feelings of gladness of the heart and the soul’s own internal joy which ought to fill us all the time.” Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler reinforces the internality of happiness, explaining that real joy “depend[s] on no one else for…fulfillment.” In his brilliant work Strive for Truth , Rav Dessler develops another fascinating insight about happiness. He studies every strata of society, seeking the group that has achieved happiness. He finds that the rich, while abounding in material pleasures, are unfulfilled, dissatisfied and frustrated. The middle class squander their time working hard with no time left to enjoy life, and the working class feel exploited and robbed of the riches created by their labor that they do not benefit from. He then concludes: There is no happiness in the world in material things; there is only happiness in spiritual concerns. The one who enjoys a rich spiritual life is happy. There is no other kind of happiness in existence. We see this in individuals who understand Torah. Those fortunate people who devote their whole mind and desire, enthusiasm and ambition, to the pursuit of Torah and wisdom – they experience what true happiness means in this world. We are not talking about the World to Come; we are talking about this world – here and now. Developing this point further, Rav Dessler explains that happiness is the result of “goals, drive, and ambition” towards attainable goals in Torah. Real, true satisfaction comes from honest toil and hard work towards developing ourselves in Torah and mitzvot. The holy writings of Hovot Halevavot reveal that the basis of a relationship with the Almighty is gratitude ( Sha’ar Avodat HaElokim ). Gratitude is developed by examining the glories of creation and attributing these wonders to the Creator ( Sha’ar HaBehinah ).When we realize how truly blessed we are with free gifts that we do not deserve – did you do anything to earn eyesight or even your pinky? We are filled with appreciation to the Benevolent Giver who sustains us with His goodness. Dwelling on these feelings of awareness and gratitude can take us to lofty levels of spiritual happiness and closeness to Hashem. The happy ending is that, in contrast to the research that we examined previously, our Torah sources teach us that happiness is not only the result of what we put into our bodies or where we live, but is rather a character trait that needs to be cultivated internally. Happiness depends only on us, and it is in our hearts where we can find the key which opens the treasure trove of joy which we all desire.