Tonight begins Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, the final days of a journey that began on Rosh Hashanah.

 

It is a time to celebrate our relationship with G-d that has been strengthened, renewed and solidified during this special time.

 

But tonight also marks (in the Jewish Calendar) the 1st anniversary of the brutal attack of October 7th and the Yahrzeit of over 1200 Jews that were massacred on that sad day. This year it might be difficult to reconcile celebration and dancing while remembering this tragedy.

 

So let us consider a few things:

 

a) We cannot let the enemy win by allowing them to not only hurt us but to take away our spirit and a celebration of our Jewishness.

 

b) This year, despite a year of heartbreak and pain, the Jewish people have done remarkably well. We are stronger, more united and have been awakened with a deep resolve to connect more deeply with our Jewishness. Dancing on Simchat Torah is not just a party. It is an expression of love for each other, our Torah and our G-d. It is the best way to honour those who died only because they were Jewish. It is our way of showing that we will not let them down by becoming weaker but rather we will mark this day by expressing our Neshama (soul) with great passion, pride and strength.

 

c) Dancing is not just a method of celebration – it carries a deep message and creates a strong energy of blessing. (See below an explanation of the power of dancing – written a few years ago).

 

So, in addition to feeling the loss through Yizkor and other memorial services that will take place in the next two days, we will also continue to dance and celebrate our Jewishness even stronger than before. We will create a holy and powerful flow of blessings going into the future.

 

Chag Sameiach!

 

From a Previous Article:

The human body is divided into three parts – the head, the body and the feet. Each part represents another aspect of the human experience. The head represents our intellect and

the power of cognition. Our body contains the heart, which symbolizes feeling and emotion. The feet stand for action.

 

Dancing happens when we lift our feet off the ground. When we do that our heads are also lifted higher. Symbolically this means that when we practice what we learn our minds are elevated to a higher level. Implementing the values and principles that we study gives the knowledge and the academic concepts more depth and meaning.

 

On Simchat Torah, we celebrate the completion of the Torah and express our Jewishness with great intensity and happiness. But we do so by declaring our commitment to bring the values of the Torah down to the world of action. When we lift our feet and dance with the scroll, the Torah itself is elevated. When we lift our feet, committing ourselves to one more good deed, our minds and the Torah that we are holding are also able to dance.

 

Not everyone is a huge scholar, and we might not understand everything written in the Torah. But we can all do something. So, on this Simchat Torah make sure to go to shul and lift your feet higher and higher. While you dance think of one mitzvah you can do this coming year. The Torah will dance with you and shower upon you all of its blessings.

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