Who’s Happier – Avraham or Abraham?

No, flying into JFK Airport doesn’t count.

(I wonder: does getting an airport named after you raise or lower your standing in History?)

53 years ago, on April 29, 1962, President Kennedy hosted fifty Nobel laureates and dozens of other intellectuals for dinner. He famously quipped, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”

Since Jefferson, the US has been led by several great intellectuals, not the least of whom was Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was remarkable in that he was mostly self-taught and had such a thirst for learning that he was rarely seen without a book. One of the keys to his learning was “by never being ashamed to confess his ignorance of what in fact he did not know, by always asking questions where he could probably elicit information, and by studying all his life. I have seen him repeatedly around upon the circuit with school books” (Leonard Swett, a lawyer who worked with Lincoln).

We are fortunate to live in a world that honors learning and people like this on pedestals.

But there are two questions we should ask about these role models.

First, these people all have natural gifts. Sure, one can (and should) be a lifelong learner like Lincoln. But not everyone is cut out to be constantly studying, are they?

Second – and more important – does knowledge lead to happiness?

Perhaps it does for some.

But achieving breakthroughs in knowledge, even on a personal level, can take months or years of work, and it’s hard work. Jefferson himself quipped, “Most people will go to any amount of trouble to avoid the effort of thinking.”

For those who don’t feel cut out for such intellectual life, you may be interested in the 2025 “World Happiness Report” from the Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Centre. Based on data from 140 countries, they have concluded that one way to achieve   And turns out that one way to become instantly happier is sharing a meal.

And they found that the health impact of the opposite – loneliness and isolation – is “roughly equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”

It turns out that our Patriarch Avraham was both an intellectual and a great gatherer of people to eat together. But we remember him primarily for the latter quality. His intellect was a gift, his learning was certainly a pursuit, but his loving kindness via food was his art.

Abraham Lincoln’s art was politics, and he saved his country. Not bad.

Avraham Avinu’s art was people, and he saved the world.

May we all learn to cultivate the great arts of happiness.

Happy Pesach and

Shabbat Shalom

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