Reclaiming Your Youthful Spirit: Lessons from the Brisker Rav

The wisdom of children's unbridled joy holds a secret we adults have forgotten. While watching his kids play outdoors, our host recalls a powerful story about the Heilige Briskerov (Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik) that fundamentally challenges how we approach our lives.

Sitting on a porch observing children cartwheel and play with rambunctious energy, the Brisker Rov was asked why these kids were making so much noise. His response? These children, in their pure, unfiltered happiness, represent what adults should aspire to be. Drawing from Koheles (Ecclesiastes), he explained that "God created man straight" but we've burdened ourselves with countless calculations and complexities that drain our natural joy.

This episode explores how we've lost the straightforward approach to life that children naturally embody. Where a child finds complete happiness in running through sprinklers or sliding down a slip-and-slide, adults overthink everything – from social dynamics to self-perception. The Brisker Rov suggests we should metaphorically "cartwheel to work," maintaining youthful exuberance in our prayers, work, and daily activities. Instead of chasing complexity, we're invited to return to basics: finding satisfaction in following Hashem's will and receiving our spiritual "sticker" for a day well lived.

Have you lost your childlike wonder? Perhaps it's time to shake off the "overcomplicatedness" of adult life and rediscover the simple joys that make life meaningful. Listen now and rediscover what it means to approach life with authentic, uncomplicated happiness.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Story of Children's Joy
• 0:43 The Brisker Rov's Wisdom
• 1:25 Living with Childlike Wonder
• 2:45 Finding Joy in Simple Pleasures

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Whenever I'm on dad duty, sitting outside on a lawn chair watching the kids scooter to and fro, bike to and fro, slip and slide to and fro, I'm always reminded of this incredible story. A man was sitting next to the Heilige Briskerov, reb Yitzchak Zev Salaveitchik, zechonav Levracha. They were sitting on a porch and he turned to the Briskerov, asking him a different shayla and learning. And eventually he pointed out to the yard where the Rove was sitting and watching some children play. They were cartwheeling around, doing as children are rambunctiously screaming, shouting, having a good time like children. The man said, equipped to the Rove, look how crazy these kids are making so much noise. Children. The Rove responded to him. He said no, no, my dear friend, look out there and take a good look at these children with all of their energy and all of their happiness in their joy, in their playing. Adults should look exactly like they do.

Speaker 1: 0:55

Citing a posse in Koheles Parag, zion, the very last posse that God created man, god created the human straight, hashem Elohim created Nasa, adam Yoshar, straight, not overthinking things. Happy Veheimo, bikshu, cheshbonos, rabos. But they over-calculate, they get involved in too many analyses and calculations of maybe they should and they have to also this and they lose track of that Waking up and going to mora, going to work, breathing the basics of joy and happiness of life eating lunch, it's snack time, it's nap time. Nasa, adam, a man was created. Elohim Yosha the Rav said a man should be so straight and continue that did always cartwheel himself to work. I don't know if he said those exact words, but he said you should never lose that youthful exuberance, that rambunctiousness, the joy. Just like kids say moda ani and kriya shaman, they're happy to get a sticker. A tati or a mami should be happy to say a kriya shaman to daven, to say a bracha, and maybe instead of a sticker they get a paycheck, or maybe they just feel good about themselves. But that sense of that positive satisfaction of playing with toys at Mower or now you're exchanging business deals so that you can further do mitzvot and push Hashem's plan forward, you should never lose that youthful innocence and then that should lead to that happiness.

Speaker 1: 2:22

Yashar, yashros, don't overthink things. We should get back to the basics of life and get our energy back to shake off all the overcomplicatedness and all the different cheshbonos that we don't want to see these people be too much like these people. What do people think about me. What am I about? Cut it all out and restart with a childlike, authentic wonder. That's how the Ruv explained what a person should be like Just like a child.

Speaker 1: 2:51

I always think of that story when I watch my children. They should all be happy and healthy, and everyone's children should be happy and healthy and live long, healthy lives. I see how they're happy with just the neighbor's sprinkler system to run through it A slip and slide is all you need to give a children an entire day of fun. Adults should be the same. They should have the basic, happy, simple pleasures in life. That should be enough Doing God's will, doing his mitzvot and getting a good job sticker on our shirts because we followed the will of Hashem. We should be more rambunctious, happy and simple children Because God created us straight, but sometimes we overcomplicate things.