Simẖat Torah

After the atrocities in Israel on Simhat Torah, among the worst in Jewish history, we must remember the healing power of community, and the importance of compassion, solidarity and showing up.

Shmini Atzeret 5781 Sermon. When we unroll the Torah on Simhat Torah, we are reminded of the access every one of us has, and the necessity of having an agreed upon foundation of facts from which everything else follows.

Shmini Atzeret Sermon. It is traditional to honor a Torah scroll by standing before it, kissing it, never turning your back on it. On Simhat Torah, the culminating celebration of the High Holy Days, we go so far as to dance with sifrei Torah. Why do we do this? Especially considering how problematic so many of the narratives and principles contained in our primary ancient text, is this the book we should dance with? This drasha explores a few possible reasons why dancing with a sefer Torah actually celebrates and affirms our responsibility to wrest wisdom from Torah with a capital T’.