I Create Joy

How do I CREATE JOY?

WINNING JOY 

- Joy Krauthammer


http://joys-joyousjoy.blogspot.com/

When the invitation arrived, and after nominating myself, for the Spirit of Joy award, and having the name JOY and being my name JOY, I WON the free hotel room night at Joie de' Vivre in San Francisco, but I did not take a trip to the SF JOYS celebration. 

Since I love sharing in joy, here's my self nomination proposal.

   (I turned 60 two months before writing this.)

August 26, 2007    Nominating JOY    

Nomination to Joie de’ Vivre hotel: ksanchez@jdvhospitality.com

HI,  I nominate myself, JOY, for Spirit of Joy award.  

   

How do I create JOY?

This is what I am. JOY. It is what I do. It is how I transcend and transform.

It is how I "make lemon aide out of lemons." It is what I offer others to be, not just for myself.

I invite friends on my Joy journeys, on my Tree of Life, to share the joy, my passions, and to connect with their own joy.

As percussionist, it is how I 'perform' or how 'I am played'.  I have written in gold on my instruments, "CREATE JOY." People tell me that they light up when they are in my presence as I perform.

I reflect the joy in others that I see and feel, especially as I play, and then others feel more joy. Joy circulates

My business cards have read, Gifts of JOY, Angels of JOY, and Serve G*d With Joy.

When I visit the elderly and the infirm, to do Bikkur Cholim, I bring JOY.  Barefoot I walk on the grass under a tree, to fill myself-- to bring the joy energy of the tree with me, along with G*d's beautiful blooming flowers from my garden.

Tonight I went to a class where I had never been, and in joy, I brought my garden's fresh figs filled with joy to the hosts.

Last night I went to a friend's birthday party and there were guests that I did not know, who looked like they did not know anyone but the guest of honor.  I brought over my joy to them, the stranger, instead of sitting with my own friends with whom I wanted to visit, so that the stranger, too, could feel joy and feel included.  With intention, I introduced people to each other. I connect so that the world feels closer.

I realize that I do this wherever I am, including, inclusively, so others don’t feel left out, or alone.

This sensitivity and caring, my compassion, is my innate nature in creating more joy. 


As an adult, my very first friend in life, Terry Lenihan, of blessed memory, reminded me that when we were together in kindergarten, I befriended her so she was not alone.

My Hebrew name is Gila (joy of happiness) Rena (joy of song) Tzohara (window at the top of Noah’s ark).

This translates to "double Joy and Light."

When I was again named in Hebrew, in a ceremony, my teacher, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, z’l, called me "double Joy and Light" and said, that I had a million reasons to cry but you only saw my joy. Reb Shlomo called me his “holy sister” and “holy drummer”. (We were all his holy siblings.)

When my husband, of blessed memory, died last year after 18 years of finally paralyzing cancer; when he was being laid by friends and family into the ground—interred in the grave, I called out loud in joy, "Free, he's free at last."   I expressed the joy of him not suffering any longer.

Whether it is a funeral, or performing to bring 150 women to praise and dance in a temple, or playing percussion to remember my teachers of blessed memory, or my serving as Sound Healer as a volunteer whereever I go, it is the joy of the giving and of the sharing, and my receiving, and in having people receive the vibrational sounds of the drums, gongs, and the crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, which in joy, I bought in Tibet.

I celebrate the joy of going out barefoot in the morning at dawn with the first colorful rays of the sunrise, and to sing and dance my prayers, and finding the fallen fruits from the vine, have the joy of delivering fruits daily to those who I know could enjoy the joy of G*d’s succulent creations.


It is the joy of seeing the seed planted and watching it grow.  It is the joy of the first flowers that I saw today.

It is saying Shehecheyanu in experiencing each new joyous moment, and having been sustained to reach this time.

It is the joy I have making another happy.

It is the joy I have seeing another succeed in whatever is good for them. It is feeling the 'empathetic joy', when another has accomplished and is living a right life and is happy, and I feel their happiness and share that with them. They then are happy that another knows...


It is the joy of knowing that there is a club for people filled with joy; And a hotel named Joie de' Vivre.

“Joy breaks through all barriers.” The Baal Shem Tov

Joy Krauthammer

"Serve G*d in Joy"


PS

Friends, there is so much more JOY than this, but I shared some here.
I feel the joy of the rains that we are blessed to receive.


For my photos, art, prose and poems on my joy, please enjoy my other Joy blogs, by clicking on SEE MY PROFILE connected to ABOUT ME.
Enjoy the Joy photo, me wearing my purple angel wings.


I think it is important to realize how one functions in the world, and what our attributes are, and how we can be inspiring and uplifting to others.


I bless you to be in YOUR OWN JOY, and to share it, 

BlesSings,
JOY
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"This is what I am. JOY. It is what I do.
It is how I transcend and transform.
In joy I wear my purple angel wings
to shul, to concerts, and when I perform.
I share purple wings with others." - Joy K.

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Feel free to leave a COMMENT below. I will have the joy of hearing from you.

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Joy's JOY montage

Joy's JOY montage

I have a lot of pleasure adding JOY to my JOY montage.

Friends make me JOY cards and send JOY trinkets that give me JOY.

- Joy

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Translation of my name Tzohara

My Hebrew name is Gila Rena Tzohara.
This is what I learned about Tzohar.  It is important to me in my actions to reflect the Tzohar. - Joy


About Tzohar

“Tzohar taaseh L’teivah” — Hashem instructs Noach to make a Tzohar for the ark.

What does Tzohar mean?

Rashi gives two explanations: a) It was a window to let light in to the ark; b) it was a precious stone that emitted light. The Previous Rebbe draws a distinction between these two explanations; a window allows light in from the outside, while a precious stone radiates from within.

The Rebbe explains that this is a message to each one of us to create a “Tzohar” in our lives, a way to reveal the G-dly energy within the universe. This requires a two-step process, mirroring the idea inherent in a window, and in the quality of a precious stone.

a) First, an individual strives to make a “window” in his or her life– allowing the Divine to illuminate every field of endeavor. b) Then each undertaking becomes a “precious stone” – as the enterprise itself starts to radiate G-dly energy to the world.

At Tzohar Seminary, Chassidus will illuminate the study of the arts, and then our students’ enthusiasm and G-d given talents will allow the beauty of Torah to radiate within their creative endeavors. Through the arts: writing, music, dance, fine arts, theatre and filmmaking; the students will create performances, projects, productions and works of art that will communicate Torah and Chassidus to a greater audience.

GILA

GILA, Gimel and Hay

There is a tradition amongst Jewish people to find a Pasuk that begins with the first Hebrew letter of your name and ends in the last Hebrew letter of your name, and have that as your own personal pasuk. Can be used for meditation, healing, etc. Using first and last Hebrew letters Gimmel and Hay, of my Hebrew name Gila, and finding in Tehillim a line, a phrase was painted. This can be used for healing for me, if needed. Hebrew GILA painting on silk I purchased from artist in Meir Shaareim. Tehillim 37:5   גּוֹל עַל-יְהוָה דַּרְכֶּךָ;    וּבְטַח עָלָיו, וְהוּא יַעֲשֶׂה. Commit you way to Hashem; trust also in G*d, and G*d will bring it to pass.

JOY by Reb Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen

JOY  

by Reb Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen  (formerly in NY, Jeff Oboler)

http://yosef-ben-shlomo-hakohen-myrebbe.blogspot.com/

March 4, 2008

Dear Joy,

Yes, your special spiritual strength and potential is gila!

I would like to offer some personal reflections as to why you experience spiritual life and joy so intensely within your body:

Women have a very great potential within them to intensely experience spiritual life and joy within their bodies. This may be the deeper reason why the Talmud mentions that a woman of sixty will dance like a six-year old to the sound of musical instruments (Moed Katan 9b).  In fact, the path of mitzvos is to enable us to sanctify the physical, and the Midrash teaches that women tend to be more swift and eager to fulfill mitzvos than men (Exodus Rabbah 28:2).

In terms of feminine spiritual energy, you are very blessed; moreover, through following the "halacha" - steps - of the Torah path which sanctify this physical world, you can go higher and higher - from joy to joy.

May we soon experience the age when Zion, and eventually the entire earth, will become a Garden of Eden, where we will dwell together with the Shechinah.

Shalom Rav,

Yosef

~ ~ ~

From: Yosef <chazon
Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007
Subject: New Reply

My dear Sister,

I am happy to hear you say, "And G*d loves me!" I pray that all of us can realize this more and more. And others can learn to develop this awareness from you and thereby achieve more joy. However, in order to achieve the highest level of joyous joy, they will also need to learn from you that we were placed in this world to serve; thus, our true joy comes from fulfilling the purpose of our creation. As human beings created in the Divine image, we find joy when we fulfill our potential to emulate the Divine love, compassion, and concern. The mitzvos - Divine mandates - of the Torah relate to every area of human existence, and they enable us to serve Hashem - the Compassionate and Life-giving One - in all areas of life. In this spiirit, the great singer of Israel, King David, proclaimed, "The mandates of Hashem are upright, rejoicing the heart” (Psalm 19:9).

In the messainic age, all people will come to this realization, and this is expressed in the following verse from the Psalm of Thanksgiving which refers to the messianic age of spiritual enlightenment:

“A Psalm of thanksgiving: Call out to Hashem, everyone on earth. Serve Hashem with joy, come before Him with joyous song.” (Psalm 100:1,2).

May you be blessed with a Shabbos of tranquil contentment, light, and joy!

Yosef

~ ~ ~

excerpts from Reb Yosef:


“Rejoice with trembling.” There are a number of terms for joy in Hebrew, including gila, and the term for rejoicing in this statement – gilu – is the verb form of the term gila. In his commentary on these words, Rabbi Hirsch defines gila as, “the greatest joy, articulate joy, the greatest emotion.” Rabbi Hirsch explains that the awe which leads to rejoicing with trembling is the awe which leads to the full awareness that our only purpose on earth is to fulfill the Divine purpose. It is this awesome awareness, states Rabbi Hirsch, which leads to the great joy called gila.


On Rosh Hashana, the anniversary of the human being’s creation, we seek to return to the original wholeness of the human being when the human body and soul were dedicated to fulfilling the Divine purpose – to serve and protect the Divine creations (Genesis 2:15). The human being is to serve the Divine purpose with joy, as David proclaimed to all humankind, “Serve Hashem with joy; come before Him with joyous song.” 


In order to understand the deeper reason for this joy, we need to remember that we were created in the image of the Compassionate and Life-Giving One; thus, the purpose of our creation is to fulfill the compassionate and life-giving Divine purpose. When we fulfill this Divine purpose with all of our being, we experience joy, for we are developing and expressing the unique potential within us.

“A Psalm of Thanksgiving: Shout for joy to Hashem, everyone on earth. Serve Hashem with joy; come before Him with joyous song.” (Psalm 100:2)

“For You have given me joy, Hashem, in pa’alecha (Your work); at the works of Your hands, I will sing joyous song.” (Psalm 92:5)

“I shall put my hope in God, I shall beseech His presence. I shall request of Him eloquent speech, so that I can sing of His strength in the people’s congregation, and so that I can express joyous songs for the sake of His creations.” (O’chila L’Kal)

~ ~ ~ 

Dear Reb Yosef,

I think I'll keep my name, Gila. I am Gila.

Emes. mamash, emes.

This is what one of the shul board women said  to me after services on Shabbat. "Thank you for the joy that you always bring to us."

I serve G*d with Gila.

Thank you for feeding me, my brother.

One love, shalom and abundant blesSings of harmony, wholeness, health and joy to you,
Joy

"Serve G*d With Joy"
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From Where Does My JOY Come?

From Where Does My Joy Come?

JOY of Serving G*D

Hazon – Our Universal Vision:  www.shemayisrael.co.il/publicat/hazon/
excerpted from "My Firstborn Child" - 190
by Reb Yosef ben Shlomo haKohen, 2008   (formerly Jeff Oboler)

On Rosh Hashana, the anniversary of the human being’s creation, we seek to return to the original wholeness of the human being when the human body and soul were dedicated to fulfilling the Divine purpose – to serve and protect the Divine creations (Genesis 2:15). The human being is to serve the Divine purpose with joy, as David proclaimed to all humankind, “Serve Hashem with joy; come before Him with joyous song.” In order to understand the deeper reason for this joy, we need to remember that we were created in the image of the Compassionate and Life-Giving One; thus, the purpose of our creation is to fulfill the compassionate and life-giving Divine purpose. When we fulfill this Divine purpose with all of our being, we experience joy, for we are developing and expressing the unique potential within us.

On the awesome day of Rosh Hashana, we proclaim the sovereignty of Hashem, the Compassionate and Life-Giving One. This awesome awareness reminds us that we were created to fulfill the mandates of our Sovereign which enable us to serve and protect the Divine creations. Through this awesome awareness, we rediscover the secret of human joy, as it is written:

“The mandates of Hashem are upright, rejoicing the heart” (Psalm 19:9).

In his commentary on this verse, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch writes: “All the mitzvos that regulate our private and public acts are simply directions for the proper discharge of this mandate of serving and preserving.” And he adds:

“Therefore they rejoice the heart. They give us that joy of life which nothing can ever dim, that satisfaction which comes from a task well done. There can be no substitute for this feeling of quiet joy and serenity, secure in the knowledge that we have done what was expected of us in life, however small or limited the sphere in which our lives are lived. For there is only one true joy, eternally bright: This is the gladness that smiles upon us from every little plant, that shines forth from every one of our marvelous fellow-creatures – the joy that comes from a life of duty fulfilled, of consecration of all our desires and achievements to the fulfillment of the will of God.”
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