|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
By Shlomo Riskin ONE of the most popular festivals is Simhat Torah, which marks the conclusion of our yearly reading of the Five Books of Moses. Strangely enough, our Sages linked this celebration with Shmini Atzeret, the eighth day from the beginning of Succot. Let's reveal the hidden origins of Simhat Torah by posing a question: What is the 612th commandment? A hint - it concerns Succot. Although most people are familiar with the basic commandments of Succot, not everyone knows that the festival of booths also plays host to the commandment of Hak'hel, the gathering of the nation once every seven years to attend a reading of Deuteronomy. A month ago, in Parashat Vayelech, we read: "At the end of every seven years, in the time of the year of release, in the feast of booths, when all of Israel appears before the Lord your God in the place which He shall choose, you shall read this Torah before all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and your stranger that is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this Torah." (Deut. 31:10-12) The obvious reason why the commandment fell into disuse is because it's linked to the Holy Temple and especially to the king of Israel. Nonetheless, hak'hel could be re- introduced if we rely on the opinion of Rav Avraham Yitzhak Kook that the leader of the State of Israel (prime minister or president) can function on such an occasion as the equivalent of king (Mishpat Kohen, responsa 248). I believe a case can be made showing how Simhat Torah is connected to hak'hel, especially since both hak'hel and atzeret mean "public gathering." First, several observations about the nature of the hak'hel commandment. The text does not specify the day of hak'hel. Second, although women are free from positive commandments determined by time, here we have a positive commandment linked to a specific time period, and yet women are explicitly commanded to participate. Third, children have an important role in hak'hel. Although too young to understand, they are included with the men, women, and strangers living among the Israelites. Of the four categories listed, only the children are given their own verse: "And the children, who do not know, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God..." (Deut. 31:13) Most startling of all is the Maimonidean explanation of the commandment: "And the converts who are not conversant must prepare their hearts to understand and their ears to comprehend -- with fear and awe and joy within their trembling -- as on the day in which the Torah was given at Sinai... This [commandment] was established by the Torah in order to strengthen the true religion and to enable us to see ourselves as if we were not merely being commanded [concerning] it, but as if we were actually hearing it from the mouth of the Great One." (Maimonides, Laws of Hagiga 3:6) Now let's examine Simhat Torah for a moment. What purpose does it serve? Don't we already have a day which recalls the giving of the Torah on Sinai - Shavuot! Why another day to recall this Sinaitic Revelation? But perhaps this is the point: Torah was given on Shavuot, and at that time the Jews declared "we shall do and we shall obey." But that is not sufficient. In every generation, in every single year, there must be a re-acceptance, an activity which reiterates the fact that we likewise accept for ourselves the Divine gift. What better way to demonstrate our worthiness for the Divine bounty of rain and crops than by renewing our dedication to Torah?! And precisely in the midst of our fear and trembling in the wake of the unknown character of the year to come we rejoice before the Torah scrolls, dance with them, and bring them out into the streets, clasping them to our bosoms even as we lift them towards the heavens. There is a famous Midrash which maintains that the Almighty refused to give His Torah to Israel until the Jews provided a guarantee that they would remain faithful to it. First they suggested the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, and then moved on to the Prophets - both groups being rejected by God because they were too few and far between. "Our children, then, will be our guarantors," the nation declared. This was accepted by God. The genius of any religion is to be found in its ability to exist over a long period. If we turn to the last mitzva, the commandment that every Jew write a Torah scroll for himself, at least the preservation of the text is guaranteed. To make certain, however, that the Torah not be treated as an archeological curiosity, it is necessary that succeeding generations continue to venerate it, rejoice in it, and conduct their lives by its words. This was the "guarantee" made by the Jews gathered at Sinai more than 4,000 years ago. It is no accident that the major custom of Simhat Torah is for every adult to carry a Torah Scroll in a dancing circuit around the bima, and for adults as well as children to be called up to the Torah. The blessing which is made confirms our thanksgiving to the Almighty, who "has chosen us from all other nations and has given us His Torah." In effect, every Jew reconfirms his dedication to Torah and his commitment to its teachings. In order to secure our future, that commitment must be made by men, women and children in joy. Shabbat Shalom and Hag Sameah (c) Jerusalem Post 1996
|
