Still reeling from the horrors of violent fascism and extreme nationalism, humanity has grown enamored of a universal self-conception that denies meaningful differences of race, religion, or culture.
Simchat Torah was never a festival of polarity. Happiness was never its sole emotion. Between death and creation, there is commemoration.
Which messages of Torah are we meant to celebrate and honor as our legacy on Simchat Torah?
This, I think, is the message of Simchat Torah: to hold firmly in one’s imagination the joyful possibility of a year made truly new.
The structures may be temporary, but creating them with attention to these minute details allows God’s presence to dwell among us.
The word yizkor means 'He shall remember.'
Should Torah exist apart from society or be fully integrated within it?
The great secret of the Jewish people has always been the ability to join tear to tear, soul to soul, until together they form a whole garment once again.
As you step into the sukkah, or pause anywhere in your day, may you discover that joy is not distant or elusive. It is here, waiting, in the present moment.
The sukkah reminds us that we are not so powerful. We must be humble and remember that everything we eat, everything we own, and our military successes all depend on God.
From the groves of Corfu and Cephalonia to the orchards of Tiberias and Jaffa, the saga of the etrog under Ottoman rule reveals how a fruit became entangled in struggles of faith and trade.
