One More Day

This Wed. night-Fri. night, Jews (outside of Israel) will be celebrating the special holiday known as Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah (those in Israel only wed. night-thurs. night). On these days we complete the cycle of the reading of the Torah, and begin reading from the Torah's beginning from "Bereishit" - "In the Beginning of G-d's Creating..." The last of the 3 major holidays (Passover & Shavuot being the other 2) until the spring time, this holiday marks the end to the holiday of Sukkot, but in truth, is really a holiday onto itself. Why, after all of the previous holy days, did G-d Feel the need to give us another one?


The 11th-century sage, Rashi, explains the holiday as follows (based on Leviticus 23:36): [G‑d says to Israel,] "I have detained you [to remain] with Me." This is analogous to a king who invited his sons to feast with him for a certain number of days, and when the time came for them to leave, he said: "My sons! Please, stay with me just one more day; it is difficult for me to part with you!"

After the special closeness of the high holidays of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot, G-d desires a short time to spend in seclusion with His people. But how do we act during this special time? Do we learn; do we pray?
We dance. We take the Torah (at a synagogue near you, specifically Thursday evening), and we simply dance with it. We revel in the special connection G-d has given us for so long, the precious Torah, to connect with Him beyond the holiday, throughout the year. As Rabbi Shalom DovBer Schneerson once said: The 48 hours of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah should be highly treasured. Every moment is an opportunity to draw bucket and barrel-fuls of material and spiritual treasures. And this is accomplished through dancing.

On Simchat Torah, we become the feet of the Torah and we dance for it. And as we leave the holiday season and embark on the coming year, we must pay close attention to the words of Rashi: "...and when the time came for them to leave, he said: "My sons! Please, your departure is difficult for me!" G-d never leaves. We are the ones who can "leave" from the connection & feeling of closeness to Him, especially felt during the high holidays. May we keep up the celebration of our connection to the one G-d throughout the coming year, with joy and gladness of heart.

Chag Sameach!

-Daniel

The Need for Sinai

"Upon your taking out the nation from Egypt, they shall serve G-d on this mountain." (Exodus 3:12)


As we approach Passover, let's take a look at probably the most simple, and most fundamental, Passover question: Why did G-d Have to Enslave the Jewish People in Egypt!? Why couldn't we just have been given the Torah & moved on? Evidently, our time in Egypt had an intrinsic connection to the giving of the Torah.
It had to serve as some sort of a preparation...

It's interesting to note under whom the Jewish People have been victimized most. The first exiles were caused by the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and then Romans. Later it was the Inquisition in Spain, and we all know what happened 70 yrs. ago. in Germany (skipping many others). What do all of these nations have in common? They were leaders of their time. Culture, art, philosophy, modernity, government. These nations led the way in their respective times. And so did Egypt. At the time of their enslavement there, the Egyptians were an extremely advanced nation! The pyramids are a prime example of their architectural prowess at that time. Astronomy, mathematics, science; Egypt was the most advanced culture and nation of their time.

And perhaps that's what G-d Wanted to show us. 'Before I Give you the Torah, take a good look at the "advanced" human race. Maybe the world, maybe you, don't need Torah? Surely all can be found in the human mind and reason?' But the Jewish People saw a principle in Egyptian society, that has held true throughout history, in every nation across the world: Wisdom, advancement, does not correlate to true morality. From Egypt to modern Germany, from Plato to Mozart, genius and modern progress often has nothing to do with that person or nation acting justly. For that we need a set of Divine ideas & rules - beyond human thought - given by G-d: The Torah. "Chochma b’goyim ta’amin, Torah b’goyim al ta’amin - If you find Wisdom among the nations, believe it; Torah among the nations, don’t believe it."

The Jewish People had to experience the "best" the world had to offer, and only then, after realizing the emptiness, could they truly appreciate the Torah. "Yisron Ohr Min Hachoshech" - Great is light from darkness. As Passover approaches, let us remember that even here in 2011, in our very advanced and moral Western Civilization, only Torah can be our true guide for living a just life.

Shabbat Shalom!

-Daniel

This is My Torah Scroll

Hey Everyone!
Tonight is the Jewish holiday of "Shemini Atzeret," while tomorrow Night (Thursday) is the joyous holiday of "Simchat Torah" - full of dancing with Torahs & saying "L'chaim!" We celebrate the completion of the Torah by dancing with the Torah, every Jew together, scholar and beginner alike, for in essence we are all equal and have an equal share in the Torah given to all of us by G-d at Mt. Sinai.
Below is an amazing true story that I've always loved - I hope you enjoy.
May you have a very happy holiday! (For more info on the holiday, see: Simchat Torah)

By Ruth Benjamin


Henryk was very young in 1945, when the War ended and solitary survivors tried frantically to trace their relatives. He had spent what seemed to be most of his life with his nanny, who had hidden him away from the Nazis at his father's request. There was great personal risk involved, but the woman had readily taken it, as she loved the boy.



All the Jews were being killed, and Henryk's nanny did not think for a moment that the father,Joseph Foxman, would survive the infamous destruction of the Vilna Ghetto. He would surely have been transferred to Auschwitz -— and everyone knew that nobody ever came back from Auschwitz. She therefore had no scruples about adopting the boy, having him baptized into the Catholic Church and taught catechism by the local priest.

He told his son that he was a Jew and that his name was Avraham
It was Simchat Torah when his father came to take him. The heartbroken nanny had packed all his clothing and his small catechism book, stressing to the father that the boy had become a good Catholic. Joseph Foxman took his son by the hand and led him directly to the Great Synagogue of Vilna. On the way, he told his son that he was a Jew and that his name was Avraham.

Not far from the house, they passed the church and the boy reverently crossed himself, causing his father great anguish. Just then, a priest emerged who knew the boy, and when Henryk rushed over to kiss his hand, the priest spoke to him, reminding him of his Catholic faith.

Everything inside of Joseph wanted to drag his son away from the priest and from the church. But he knew that this was not the way to do things. He nodded to the priest, holding his son more closely. After all, these people had harbored his child and saved the child's life. He had to show his son Judaism, living Judaism, and in this way all these foreign beliefs would be naturally abandoned and forgotten.

They entered the Great Synagogue of Vilna, now a remnant of a past, vibrant Jewish era. There they found some Jewish survivors from Auschwitz who had made their way back to Vilna and were now rebuilding their lives and their Jewish spirits. Amid the stark reality of their suffering and terrible loss, in much diminished numbers, they were singing and dancing with real joy while celebrating Simchat Torah.

Avraham stared wide-eyed around him and picked up a tattered prayer book with a touch of affection. Something deep inside of him responded to the atmosphere, and he was happy to be there with the father he barely knew. He held back, though, from joining the dancing.

A Jewish man wearing a Soviet Army uniform could not take his eyes off the boy, and he came over to Joseph. "Is this child... Jewish?" he asked, a touch of awe in his voice.

"This is the first live Jewish child I have come across in all this time..."
The father answered that the boy was Jewish and introduced his son. As the soldier stared at Henryk-Avraham, he fought to hold back tears. "Over these four terrible years, I have traveled thousands of miles, and this is the first live Jewish child I have come across in all this time. Would you like to dance with me on my shoulders?" he asked the boy, who was staring back at him, fascinated.

The father nodded permission, and the soldier hoisted the boy high onto his shoulders. With tears now coursing down his cheeks and a heart full of real joy, the soldier joined in the dancing.

"This is my Torah scroll," he cried.

Abe Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League -- the Avraham in our story -- remembers this as his first conscious feeling of a connection with Judaism and of being a Jew.