Nachman of Breslov and the Obligation to be Happy

Nachman of Breslov was an 18th-century theologian and storyteller, known particularly for his creative parables. His religious philosophy involved fostering an individual, conversational relationship with God. And he believed that being happy was not just a nice thing but a positive requirement. If you don’t feel happy, he said, you should pretend to be; genuine joy will follow. But is it really possible to make yourself happy, from the outside in? And even if it is, should we really be doing that, rather than facing a sometimes painful reality? Josh and guest-host Yonah Schiller seek happiness with Ariel Burger, author of Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom.