Why communal rituals produce hygge-like joy

As Sukkot begins, Mijal and Noam revisit a favorite episode about what it really means to live with fragility and joy. From stepping into temporary huts to Rabbi Nachman’s teaching to “always be in a state of joy,” they explore how Judaism reframes happiness—not as comfort or control, but as presence, purpose, and connection.

Mijal Bitton: ⁠Committed by Mijal Bitton  | Substack⁠

Martin Seligman: ⁠Pursuit of Happiness⁠

Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz (Harvard study on happiness): ⁠The Good Life⁠

Noam Weissman's Jewish Journal article about Sukkot: ⁠Living in the Joy of Sukkot⁠

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