Wednesday 19 October 2011

Dancing On Simchat Torah

The Rema says that one may cry on Shabbat if that relieves his melancholy mood

We may forgo eating fish or meat on Shabbat when we don't enjoy eating it

And so my fellow Jews "Ask not if we MAY dance on Simchat Torah; ask if we MUST dance on Simchat Torah?!"

What if we just enjoy singing w/o tripping over our own 2 left feet? What if we are drained from S'lichot, Yamim Noraim and Yamim Tovim and we're too tired to prance around?

Are we still on the hook to dance? Can't we still have "simchah" w/o dancing?

For those who ENJOY intense dancing - G-d Bless them. Let them express their joy and enthusiasm. For the rest - why bother?

see

http://link.Chabad.org/go.asp?li=FDB3AF7E0C27A5DDFFF5775A20B05E36&ui=691BBE02AFC8D893DA7C8D4FE6D7955F


Curmudgeonly Yours


Shalom,
RRW

1 comment:

micha said...

Can it be argued that the message of Shemini Atzeres / Simchas Torah compells one's participation in what the community is doing?

This isn't the happiness of redemption or acknowledgment of Hashem's contribution to our physical successes. Those can be understood on personal terms.

This is Hashem's "stay one last day together with Me" of the holiday season. And we turned this day of covenant into celebrating being the nation which is the "parchment" of the Torah.

Can one truly celebrate that while standing apart from the congregation?