A Review of Evan Moffic’s “The Happiness Prayer”
Words from the Wise
One of the things I’ve been meaning to do with these theologically-oriented reviews is stretch outside of my comfort zone as a Christian and review works from people who don’t share the same belief system as mine. Whether it is a book by a Muslim author or a Jewish one, I’m open to learning about other religions and customs. Well, The Happiness Prayer fits the bill. Authored by Rabbi Evan Moffic, a young man who leads a large synagogue in Chicago, The Happiness Prayer is notable in that its wisdom can apply to any religion — even if the examples it culls from are Jewish in origin.
The Happiness Prayer is exactly what it bills itself to be: it is an ancient Jewish prayer that has 10 practices for finding pure happiness. Moffic guides the reader through each practice that makes up the prayer, whether it is forgiving others for their transgressions (it’ll make you a more joyful person) or just simply celebrating the good times when they happen. The title should be a godsend to those who either want to do deep personal reflections or those who are members of religious book clubs because there’s a series of questions at the back of this tome to offer further thinking on the practices proposed within.
While the volume is slim — it clocks in at less than 200 pages — the wisdom is deep. I was confronted with a few things that I personally have to work on, such as honouring my parents. (By the way, this has nothing to do with actually loving them, as the book itself points out.) As Moffic proposes, we should have a different relationship with those who gave us life, so this is something I’ve found myself thinking about after picking up the book, wondering if there are any specific ways that I should be honouring my folks, aside from sending birthday cards in the mail.
The other key take away from the book is that happiness is something that you have to work at. Comparing happiness to the changes made in recent years by the Chicago Cubs, who won the World Series last year after years of experimenting with a new coaching and playing style, you really have to pull up your sleeves and be willing to do certain things to make you really happy. I should caution that at no point in the book does Moffic address those who are suffering from clinical depression, and I would imagine that, for some people, medication or therapy or some combination thereof should be pursued rather than praying a simple prayer and putting its practices to work. Still, for the rest of us, The Happiness Prayer suggests that true joy will be a work in progress for most people. Happiness doesn’t land in our laps, it seems.
The book challenged me and my belief system. If you’ve been regularly reading these reviews, you know that I’m not a big fan of God as a Fairy Godmother who will cure your (or your relatives and friends’) ailments with a prayer. However, Moffic points out that those who are in the hospital and know that someone is praying for them have a tendency to leave the hospital sooner and be less sick. Maybe it’s a placebo-like effect, but, still, I had to concede that if someone else knows that you’re praying for them, they might be able to generate some form of self-healing. My mind is slowly starting to turn around on this. Maybe prayer does heal, after all, in some ways?
As far as the tone of the book goes, Moffic has a winning, infectious and positive writing style. You can tell that he deeply thinks about his answers to his congregant’s questions (some examples of which pepper the book), and you can tell that, despite being less than 40 years old, Moffic has a sort of wisdom that eclipses his years. Something must truly work with the happiness prayer from Jewish tradition that Moffic draws upon for inspiration, so, just by judging that, one can see that applying the principles of this book may do wonders for those grappling with how to be less grumpy before getting the morning coffee on a day-to-day basis. Again, I don’t think this book is for those who are have severe psychiatric problems, but, rather, those who are relatively stable and want to increase their feelings of well-being.
In the end, The Happiness Prayer is bound to have a long shelf life where you keep your books. Any of its 10 practices may challenge you, and you may find yourself coming back to the book again and again as you work on a certain facet of the prayer. This is less a self-help book that teaches you how to pray, but, instead, it is a book that teaches what you should be praying for in order for you to live a well-balanced, satisfying life. (To wit, one of the practices that will make you happy is, indeed, to pray. I hope I’m not spoiling anything there.)
It’s strange that this Jewish prayer hasn’t really reared itself until now — though part of that may just be the fact that I’m a Christian, and my own shortsightedness towards other religions may have a role in that — but readers who check out this book, no matter their religious background (as the book is written to be universal in scope), will find a great feast of anecdotes, as well as ideas and concepts worth pursuing. The Happiness Prayer may be a tiny book, but it should be one that has a big impact on those who want to know the secret to leading a long life full of joy and merriment. Want to be happy? Check out this title and be amazed as you learn from a true master what it means to live a life that is almost fully, 100 percent content.
Evan Moffic’s The Happiness Prayer: Ancient Jewish Wisdom for the Best Way to Live Today will be published by Center Street on September 12, 2017.
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