Simchat Torah
Sep. 27th, 2002 02:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioTonight/tomorrow is Simchat Torah for congregations that follow the Israeli calendar. [1] The name of the holiday means "rejoicing [with? in?] the Torah". It is when we finish the annual Torah-reading cycle and then immediately start again at the beginning. It's supposed to involve lots of singing and dancing and just plain fun. Generally, all the torah scrolls (sefri torah) come out and people carry them around the room and dance around them and stuff.
That's the theory, anyway; I have yet to witness a complete implementation. I wonder if I have to go to Chabad [2] for that -- but being (1) an outsider (to them) and (2) a woman, I've never dared.
My congregation makes this a very family-centered holiday. That's great for the families with kids, but it kind of leaves younger adults, single people, and people without kids kind of out in the cold. I have never felt "simcha" at my congregation's celebration of Simchat Torah. After three years (six services) I decided I'd had enough of that.
Last year I went to my "auxilliary" congregation for this holiday, and that was better. No one danced, per se (so I would have felt silly doing so), but it was inclusive and it was fun -- and yes, it still remained friendly to kids too, but without excluding those of us who don't have kids. I'll be going back there tonight.
I had hoped to check out New Light, the shul a block from my house, for this holiday. I visited there once for Shabbat and they were very friendly. But alas, they do not follow the Israeli calendar, so they won't be observing Simchat Torah until tomorrow night/Sunday morning. Tomorrow I will be at an SCA event; I suspect I won't go on Sunday, but who knows? (It feels weird to attend holiday services on what I believe is the "wrong" day, though.)
[1] Almost [3] all holidays have an extra day outside of Israel -- so, for example, Pesach is biblically-specified as seven days, but it's eight outside Israel. The original reason for this extra day (called "yom tov sheini", or "second day of holiday") is that the calendar was based on witnessing the new moon -- so someone saw the new moon, reported it to a rabbinical court, was cross-examined, and when the court believed that he had really seen the new moon, they sent out messages that the new month had begun. This can take a while, so distant communities were at risk of being a day late with holidays, so they added another day just to be safe. (To me this raises serious halachic issues about taking God's name in vain, but I will save that for another time unless someone asks.) Traditional communities still hold to this extra day even though the reason has gone away (we all know exactly when the new month begins); liberal communities tend to do away with it.
[2] Chabad is a Chassidic movement. Chassidism was founded by the Baal Shem Tov in the 17th century and was very much focused on the joy in worship and mitzvot as opposed to deep scholarship. In other words, to the Baal Shem Tov, it was more important that you do things in the proper mindset and with joy than it was to make sure you did things exactly correctly. A lot about Chassidism has changed since then, but -- from the outside -- it appears that they still maintain a focus on this joyful aspect of observance. I would like to experience this. But Chassidism is also an Orthodox movement, and the role of women in Orthodox communities is rather diminished from that of men, and I need a native guide, which I lack.
[3] Rosh Hashana has a second day even in Israel because it is on the first day of the month. And we don't double Yom Kippur even though we do double Rosh Hashana (its "bookend"), which is just as well -- no one's really going to fast for 48+ hours.
That's the theory, anyway; I have yet to witness a complete implementation. I wonder if I have to go to Chabad [2] for that -- but being (1) an outsider (to them) and (2) a woman, I've never dared.
My congregation makes this a very family-centered holiday. That's great for the families with kids, but it kind of leaves younger adults, single people, and people without kids kind of out in the cold. I have never felt "simcha" at my congregation's celebration of Simchat Torah. After three years (six services) I decided I'd had enough of that.
Last year I went to my "auxilliary" congregation for this holiday, and that was better. No one danced, per se (so I would have felt silly doing so), but it was inclusive and it was fun -- and yes, it still remained friendly to kids too, but without excluding those of us who don't have kids. I'll be going back there tonight.
I had hoped to check out New Light, the shul a block from my house, for this holiday. I visited there once for Shabbat and they were very friendly. But alas, they do not follow the Israeli calendar, so they won't be observing Simchat Torah until tomorrow night/Sunday morning. Tomorrow I will be at an SCA event; I suspect I won't go on Sunday, but who knows? (It feels weird to attend holiday services on what I believe is the "wrong" day, though.)
[1] Almost [3] all holidays have an extra day outside of Israel -- so, for example, Pesach is biblically-specified as seven days, but it's eight outside Israel. The original reason for this extra day (called "yom tov sheini", or "second day of holiday") is that the calendar was based on witnessing the new moon -- so someone saw the new moon, reported it to a rabbinical court, was cross-examined, and when the court believed that he had really seen the new moon, they sent out messages that the new month had begun. This can take a while, so distant communities were at risk of being a day late with holidays, so they added another day just to be safe. (To me this raises serious halachic issues about taking God's name in vain, but I will save that for another time unless someone asks.) Traditional communities still hold to this extra day even though the reason has gone away (we all know exactly when the new month begins); liberal communities tend to do away with it.
[2] Chabad is a Chassidic movement. Chassidism was founded by the Baal Shem Tov in the 17th century and was very much focused on the joy in worship and mitzvot as opposed to deep scholarship. In other words, to the Baal Shem Tov, it was more important that you do things in the proper mindset and with joy than it was to make sure you did things exactly correctly. A lot about Chassidism has changed since then, but -- from the outside -- it appears that they still maintain a focus on this joyful aspect of observance. I would like to experience this. But Chassidism is also an Orthodox movement, and the role of women in Orthodox communities is rather diminished from that of men, and I need a native guide, which I lack.
[3] Rosh Hashana has a second day even in Israel because it is on the first day of the month. And we don't double Yom Kippur even though we do double Rosh Hashana (its "bookend"), which is just as well -- no one's really going to fast for 48+ hours.
Lady, clear your calendar for next year
Date: 2002-09-27 12:36 pm (UTC)Last year the Rabbi double dutched jumprope holding a Torah. Even if I didn't agree with a single word that came out of his mouth, he would have my respect for that.
I'm kinda annoyed at myself now. Simchat Torah is something I usually do. I love holding the Torah and dancing with my faith in my arms. I totally forgot it this year.
Next year, if you dont' have somewhere to go, and If I am still living her, you and your husband are welcome to come visit us in NJ for Simchat Torah.
Re: Lady, clear your calendar for next year
Date: 2002-09-27 02:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2002-09-27 01:44 pm (UTC)Oh, and this is actually a vaguely related minor question, that I just reembered now because of your comment about taking God's name in vain: :)
If you eat a meal that does not include bread, do you need to say all N blessings for each component, or is there a generic blessing for non-bread meals? Would this lead to people eating a roll at every meal, if they were lazy about doing this?
It seems to be really common that people understate or moderate the sorrow and more often joy parts of worship. They never do dancing at any church I've been to, though the practice supposedly does exist somewhere. It's always a little weird to see people during services speaking the sections that are supposed to be rejoicing, especially the psalms, with these really serious and solemn expressions on their faces. That happens a lot during Easter. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2002-09-27 02:06 pm (UTC)The extra day is tacked onto the end. The part I inadvertantly left out is that Simchat Torah is defined as "the day after Sukkot" (reference) [1]. So if Sukkot has an extra day, Simchat Torah gets pushed.
[1] I'm over-simplifying, folks, ok? :-)
If you eat a meal that does not include bread, do you need to say all N blessings for each component, or is there a generic blessing for non-bread meals?
There is an "everything else" catch-all. Basically, you say the most specific blessing that applies to your meal, or motzi if you're having bread. So if you're eating fruit you say the blessing for fruit, but if you're having a salad with fruit in it you say the blessing for things that grow (of which fruit is a subset), and if you're having meat with that you just give up and say shehakol (foods in general).
I am told that until fairly recently bread with every meal was pretty much a given, but I don't know if that's really true.
It's always a little weird to see people during services speaking the sections that are supposed to be rejoicing, especially the psalms, with these really serious and solemn expressions on their faces.
I agree with you. When I lead services I try to inject a little happiness into these things. It's been commented on, even, so I know it's not just in my own head. :-)
Extra Day
Date: 2002-10-01 06:52 am (UTC)Regarding the extra day: Simchat Torah doesn't get "pushed" because there really isn't a holiday of "Simchat Torah" as different from Shmini Atzeret (the eight day add on). What happened is that we give the second day of Shmini Atzeret its own special meaning.
I know She'era was simplifying, but I can't help but be pedantic and avoid work. Here's how it works. According to the Bible, "Succot" is seven days and the first day is a holiday. Then the eighth day is a special and seperate holiday where we don't sit in Succot. This is done in Israel and by most Reform congregations.
Outside Israel, the "extra-day" concept kicks in so that the first day holiday of Succot lasts 2 days. That means you have one less day of "chol hamoed" (the days that are succot but not a holiday where work is prohibitted). We all hit the last day succot
(Hoshanna Rabbah) at the same time. Then comes Shmini Atzeret. Again, this is just one day in Israel, but outside of Israel is an extra day.
So, faced with this extra day, the rabbis infused it with its own meaning and decreed that we would finish the annual cycle of reading the Torah on Simchat Torah. This is a post-Talmudic development. In Mishnaic times, the torah was read on a tri-ennial cycle (i.e., it took three years to finish) and there was no "Simchat Torah").
Yaakov
Re: Extra Day
Date: 2002-10-01 07:02 am (UTC)You can get a free LJ account (so you can have a user name and friends list even if you never post in your own journal). Because they're trying to keep growth in check, creating an account requires that an existing user give you a "code" (a referral, effectively). I have plenty of these available and would be happy to give you one; send me email if you're interested.
Another advantage of accounts
Date: 2002-10-01 07:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2002-09-27 02:43 pm (UTC)It feels weird to attend holiday services on what I believe is the "wrong" day, though.
This would eliminate the places I was thinking of (Tremont St. Shul in Boston, Minyan Shaleim in Boston (well, the Boston area), or half a dozen places on the Upper West side of Manhattan.
On the other hand, you could go to Jerusalem... it was pretty great there in '97 when I was there for Simchat Torah. (Since I was going to be there for the full cycle of holidays, I only celebrated one day.)
(no subject)
Date: 2002-09-27 03:51 pm (UTC)I would like to visit Israel. I am unsure whether the first trip should be as a "mere tourist", which is what I would get if I go with my husband, or a more religious experience, which is what I would get if I go with my rabbi. I want both: the religion part and the husband part. But he'd never go on a congregational trip with me.
Israel Trips...
Date: 2002-09-29 05:26 pm (UTC)That's a tough situation. You might be able to combine the religious/tourist stuff, simply by planning out your schedule so you end up in Jerusalem on shabbat, and tell your husband that it's a 'free day', one where he can do whatever he likes, while you go to shul. He might not go along with that, especially as "whatever he likes", in Jersualem, on shabbat, is basically "whatever he likes in the hotel room", because the city basically shuts down on Shabbat. (Driving a rental car around is not a good idea; in the arab sections of town it might not be safe; in the haredi[1] sections of town it would not be safe.) Other than shabbat, though, if your husband has any interest in archeology, it's easy to do 'touristy' stuff which has biblical echos. (One really cool thing to do, especially in the heat of the summer, is to go through Hezikiah's tunnel. This is a really cool water tunnel which is mentioned in the bible (Kings II 20:20, Chronicles II 32, esp. v. 30); archeologists found not only the tunnel but an inscription inside it which indicates that it's the same thing. So it's archeology, but can be a moving religious experience if you go about it the right way.) On the other hand, if you spend all your time in places like Tel Aviv, you might have a nice time, but have much less religious content.
I hope you had a good Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah.
(no subject)
Date: 2002-09-29 05:34 pm (UTC)[1] Haredi: The far right of Orthodoxy; also known as "ultra-orthodox". They tend to be big on conformity, and there are some groups of haredi who are more than happy to throw rocks at cars on shabbat. It seems wacky to me, too, but then again I'm not haredi. (Some haredi have been known to throw rocks at ambulances driving by on shabbat, which seems to me to be totally forbidden by torah.)
(no subject)
Date: 2002-09-27 04:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2002-09-29 02:18 pm (UTC)