Aging Happiness

A large Gallup poll has found that by almost any measure, people get happier as they get older, and researchers are not sure why.

The Bal Shem Tov, Jewish mystic 250 years ago, taught how children and grandparents have a natural affinity since they have a common enemy–the parents. Children are naturally happy as are the elderly, the years in between are filled with aspirations trying to attain happiness.

The Torah/Teaching explains how the child has recently come from the soul and elderly are going back to the soul, the middle age is full of striving for more. Many save for their old age only to find things do not suffice– the power of the soul is more alluring.

The Cabala explains how the power of the soul derives ability from staring into the OreAinSof/LightWithoutEnd from where she was hewn; the OreAinSof/LightWithoutEnd is a reflection of the Creator–seeing is pleasure. The child still sees heaven and the elders begin to remember.

What is happiness and why is the most productive part of life the most unhappy? The Torah teaches, we go down to go up; the most down time is the time away from the soul–furthest from heaven. The way the soul gets closer to God is through coming down to the earth to perfect physicality.