YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Jewish Holidays
- Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret
Simchat Torah! The very name conjures up delightful images of exuberant dancing, kids marching with flags, entire congregations embracing the Torah in celebration of a new lease on life. The 10 Days of Repentance & Yom Kippur are past us, & now it’s time to lighten the atmosphere & "let it all out" in a burst of spiritual ecstasy.
The Rabbis really show their creative genius on this day, & we demonstrate our unity & commonality as we dance in circles around the Sefer Torah – everyone equidistant from the center - as aliyot are universally dispensed.
My Rabbi once asked me, "What, exactly, does the name ‘Simchat Torah’ actually mean?" When I shot back a puzzled look, he said, "The literal meaning of Simchat Torah is, ‘The happiness of the Torah!’ " And he then explained: "Our Torah is not a dead document or a sterile story, it is a Torat Chayim, a living Torah! Not only does it contains all knowledge – past, present & future - the Torah actually has feelings, it has emotions, no less than a human being. It can cry, it can be sad, it can even be upset; but on this day – the Torah is boundlessly happy."
An amazing concept, is it not? And it led me to thinking about what the Torah might feel at certain times:
I think the Torah is discouraged when it is ignored & neglected, when its vast wisdom is not accessed & its many secrets not fully plumbed. It feels hurt when some members of the faith selfishly claim it as theirs alone, as if it is reserved for only the privileged few. Yet the Torah also must be resentful, even indignant, when – as Pirkei Avot cautions against – it is used as someone’s personal "spade" with which to dig; i.e. for their own self-aggrandizement or to advance their own personal agenda.
But the Torah must be very proud when people rise in respect when it is lifted, or even when it just "shows its face" as the Aron is opened. It certainly must "shep nachas" when the children gather ‘round it, approaching it with awe & reaching out their hand to lovingly kiss it. It
must smile with satisfaction when it is read from properly, when care is taken to gently cover & "dress" it so that it always maintains a most dignified appearance.
But what I think most pleases the Torah is when it feels confident that it is never going to lose its special place in our society. That generation after generation, it is going to be revered as the depository of G-d’s wondrous word, that its timeless message will reverberate all the way from Moshe to Moshiach.
It is precisely that feeling which allows the Torah to dance with US – even as we dance with IT!
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret Beans, Fear & Simchat Torah: A Spiritual Recipe for the Heart & Soul
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
