It’s good to laugh.
Starting with light humor in a Torah lecture is recommended. It is called Mila dibedichuta.
Comedy reveals truth.
Comedians are sometimes truth seekers.
If they pursued their truth seeking – they would probably arrive.
Humorous Cartoons portray a character with a moral dilemma showing – a little devil on one shoulder – telling him to “kick” the guy and a little angel on the other shoulder telling him to help the guy.
Cartoons have discovered a truth. A person has voices inside – telling him or her what to do. One says “do good” the other says the opposite.
The proper thing to do is to listen to the little angel.
If you don’t know which voice is the angel consult someone knowledgeable in Torah.
Some think that the good voice wants them to be moral – to give you a good portion in the next world. The other voice is to tell them how to have a good time – to live in this world.
In reality, the good voice tells a person how to receive both worlds. Living a wholesome life gives a person a desire to live.
When you feel you are accomplishing, for yourself and for the world, you feel meaning and purpose.
So, when someone is down – besides taking care of the symptoms, it is good to take care of the main cause of depression – the feeling of worthlessness and sadness.
The feeling that something is lacking in life and the unbearable lightness of being comes from a spiritual stirring of the soul. The soul needs spirituality.
Talking it out with friends, family or a respected psychologist, might help.
But another venue is to pursue spiritual growth.
It takes one step. To try to connect with the one that said “Let their be Light.” Praying to G-d to guide you. Reading up on Judaism. Doing good deeds for others, brings you closer to truth and purpose, so that you can regain your self-worth, help the greater development of society and the become an even greater person.
Doing good to others makes you feel good about yourself.
One step at a time.
I once attended a lecture by a rabbi. He met a person who was hospitalized in bed. This person was questioning the value of living in a hospital bed. The Rabbi replied – every moment is a moment to gain a new world. Every moment one thinks of doing a good deed or learns Torah, they are able to gain new worlds of reward in the next world. Every second is another second to gain unimaginable reward.
Two women used to collect charity for the poor together. Once one waved to get the attention of a well-off woman. When the other one died, she came back in a dream to the one who waved. She told her “You can’t imagine how tremendous is the reward for just waving to that wealthy woman.”
Renewal takes one small step.
Be good and feel good.