(For the SoundCloud audio, scroll down) In his 2016 book Essays on Ethics, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote, “A people that can know insecurity and still feel joy is one that can never be defeated, for its spirit can never be broken nor its hope destroyed.” This year, as Simchat Torah draws near, we are painfully … Continue reading “ONE DANCE STEP AT A TIME”
Jewish law prohibits imposing a celebration onto an already joyful time – a rule known as “ein me’arvin simcha besimcha”. And yet, Simchat Torah, when we dance with the Torah scrolls having completed the reading of the entire Torah, appears to have been imposed onto the festival of Shmini Atzeret. Rabbi Dunner explains why this … Continue reading “SIMCHAT TORAH REVEALED”
What is Shmini Atzeret really about? Why do we need an extra day of yomtov? The Midrash offers a wonderful suggestion — Rabbi Dunner recalls the Midrash, and goes on to offer his own unique interpretation for the requirement of an extra festival day after Sukkot is already over, a day that offers us all … Continue reading “FINDING YOUR BURIED TREASURE (PODCAST)”
What is the festival of Shmini Atzeret really about? Why do we need an extra day of yomtov after Sukkot is over? The Midrash offers a wonderful suggestion. God is reluctant to let us go, and we are also reluctant to let go of God – so we continue on for another day, before embarking … Continue reading “FINDING YOUR BURIED TREASURE”
There is a maxim in Jewish ritual law which prohibits mixing two distinct expressions of joy, a rule known as “Ein Me’arvin Simcha Besimcha.” This means, for example, that weddings are proscribed during chol hamoed, so as not to eclipse the joy of the festival. And yet, Simchat Torah, which is not mentioned anywhere in … Continue reading “THE SECRET OF SIMCHAT TORAH REVEALED”
It is all a matter of perspective. To some, Christopher Columbus is the heroic explorer who discovered the New World. To others, he is the man who “played a pivotal role in the worst genocide humankind has ever known,” as was stated by Kshama Sawant, a city council member in Seattle, where this week it … Continue reading “A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE”
