We reproduce here the full text of the letter circulated to all members of Beit Knesset Hanassi ahead of Simchat Torah 5785 (2024), the date in the Jewish calendar that marks the first anniversary of the October 7 massacre, in which nearly 1,300 souls were slain and over 250 hostages seized. This letter, sent out by Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg and Jeremy Phillips, addresses the need to strike a balance between the mitzvah of celebrating the renewal of the Torah and the immense sadness felt by all Israel on the anniversary of a major tragedy.
Simchat Torah this year presents us with a unique challenge.
On the one hand it is clear to us all that this cannot be a
Chag just like any other. We cannot ignore the unspeakable pain Am Yisrael
has endured over the past year and that so many continue to endure even now.
Yet at the same time, this season remains our eternal zman
simchateinu. Simchat Torah is a day when we rejoice in the completion and
renewal of the Torah, a day that represents the unbreakable spirit of Am
Yisrael throughout history. Over the past year we have witnessed that
spirit again – with unwavering strength, resilience and unity in the face of
such tremendous challenges. We have a responsibility to celebrate the light
that has shone amongst the darkness, and to show hakarat hatov for the
good we have experienced – notwithstanding the pain, anxiety and grief that
still abounds.
Even in their darkest moments, our ancestors danced and
celebrated the gift of the Torah. And so must we. While we remain sensitive to
the deep sorrow in our hearts and in the hearts of so many, we cannot cancel or
erase the eternal meaning of our Chagim.
To that end, our Hakafot this year will aim to strike a
balance between our enduring joy in the Torah and the respectful remembrance of
those we’ve lost and yearning for those still in captivity. We will do our
utmost to give space to the two conflicting emotions that will accompany this
day. We will celebrate, for that is our victory. We will raise our
voices in song, for that is our legacy. But we will also pause, reflect, and
pray, for that is our duty.
As Rav Yosef Tzvi Rimon writes:
“The war is not only on the
battlefield. The war is also on the home front. The enemies are trying in every
way to disrupt our lives, to sow fear and panic among us, to cause division in
our people and to shut down all joy in our country. We will not let them win!
We will continue to live in our
country with high spirits. Although, at all times, we will remember the
soldiers, the wounded, the martyrs who were killed and murdered, the hostages,
the bereaved families and the families from the North and the South. We will
remember them, think about them and pray for them. We will also pray for unity
within Israel, and we will remember that our strength is in our unity.”
This Simchat Torah will be, as Shlomo HaMelech writes in
Kohelet (3:4), both an “et
sefod” and an “et rekod” – a time to grieve and a time to dance.
Indeed, we will dance with tears in our eyes.
The Sefer
Torah leading Hakafot (both in the night and in the morning) will bear a
special me’il dedicated to the memory of Sergeant David Mittelman HY”D along
with all those who were murdered and fell defending our people. This me’il
is part of the global Simchat Torah Project, bringing a spirit of achdut
and connecting us with over 500 other communities worldwide who will be
using identical me’ilim. each dedicated to the memory of a different kadosh,
in their Hakafot.
Additionally:
- While
the mood of the Hakafot will be upbeat, we will at times switch to slower
songs in recognition of, solidarity with, and prayer for those in mourning
and captivity. Certain Hakafot will be dedicated for the success of our
soldiers, the return of the hostages, the healing of the wounded and the
return of those displaced.
- We will
be joined by students from Yeshivat HaKotel who will help bring energy and
ruach to our Hakafot. Israeli flags will be handed out to the
children as a symbol of the strength and unity of Am Yisrael.
- Before
the Aliya of Kol HaNe’arim we will recite the Misheberachs for
our soldiers and for the speedy return of the hostages and together we
will sing Acheinu.
- We
ask that even those who normally exit for Yizkor should remain inside for
the communal Yizkor for all those killed in the war.
In 1973, in the wake of the Yom Kippur war, Rabbi Norman
Lamm delivered a sermon entitled “How can we be happy on this Simchat Torah?”. He
concluded thus:
“So we shall be happy... We shall
be happy because it is an act of emunah - faith. We shall be happy
because it is an expression of bitachon - confidence in things to come.
We shall be happy because our happiness issues not from childish and naive
simplicity but from a recognition that life is complicated and complex and
paradoxical. We shall be happy because our joy itself will overcome enmity and
adversity, animosity and hostility. We shall try to restrain the sobs and sing
out. And if a tear falls, we shall wipe it away and continue to dance. Because
when we hold the Torah, we know that no defeat is permanent, and that victory
will surely come.”
Simchat Torah reminds us of the eternal strength of the
Jewish people — the ability to hold joy and grief together, to dance with tears
in our eyes, and to continue forward as a nation bound by Torah, resilience,
and faith.
May this Simchat Torah be a time of true simcha and may we know only besorot tovot for Am Yisrael in the coming year.
