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The Hebrew word that most approximates happiness is osher. In the Torah, the osher sense of happiness is achieved through spiritual activity. In Jewish teachings, physical actions cannot bring happiness because man’s physical desires can never be totally satisfied. Even things that at one point in life made us very happy, eventually fail to make us happy. We experience an emotional spike of joy when we get something new, but then the new becomes normal and we don’t find happiness in normal. So we look for the new new. The cycle never ends. When we are so focused on getting more, we lose the chance to focus on what we already have.
Spiritual experiences, on the other hand, cause a much longer lived pleasure. It is a rich pleasure that does not easily recede over time.
The Torah’s examples of activities that lead to Osher are: Those who hold onto the Tree Of Life, that is, the Torah. (Proverbs 3:18). A Torah way of life, if lived properly, gives a person an inner feeling of wellbeing and satisfaction along with feelings of accomplishment and spirituality that can change a person’s entire attitude about life.
Another example is from Isaiah 56:2: One who keeps the Shabbat and does not violate it is called happy. A properly experienced Shabbat brings feelings that last well beyond the one day.
The very first verse in Psalms begins with the statement that he who does not follow the advice of evil doers and who does not go in the path of the wicked will be happy. By associating with and following the path of righteous people, one can experience a special feeling between people who care about each other.
Spiritual pleasure does not always need to be religious in nature. Examples are experiences of deep friendships or meaningful experiences of personal growth.