JOY AND DANCING

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well and that all have had a meaningful Yom Kippur.

Wishing a refuah shleimah for Yechezkiel ben Ester.

As we are now moving towards Sukkot I saw an interesting article from Rabbi Butman explaining the transition from Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a time of awe, prayer and fasting, to Sukkot and Simchah Torah, a time of being joyful and DANCING.

According to Chasidut, all of the spiritual goals that we try and achieve on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, are equally attainable on Sukkot and Simchat Torah by simply being joyful!

On both Sukkot and Simchat Torah we are commanded to be happy.

But how are we supposed to just turn on our emotions(or off), and how are we supposed to be happy just because Torah tells us to?

There are 2 ways to arouse a feeling of joy

• Through the mind

We can meditate on things that make us happy, and the heart will follow. And really every Jew has what to be joyful about all the time. Just thinking about the enormous love that Hashem has for every Jew, to have given us a Jewish soul. This can make us appreciative and thankful, and when we are happy about this it expresses our trust and faith in G-d, that whatever happens, good or the opposite, are all for the good.

• Through action - Dancing (or other physical manifestations of joy)

If we get up and start to dance the joy of the heart will follow.

We will have many opportunities to dance on Sukkot at simchat bes hashoevah celebrations.

But more so, we will have the opportunity on Simchat Torah WHEN WE DANCE WITH THE SEFER TORAH!

This year especially, we should come out on Simchat Torah and join the millions who will be dancing with Sifrei Torah, at least in support of our brave Israeli soldiers, who are fighting those who tried to prevent us from celebrating Simchat Torah 2 years ago.

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos, and a Gut Yom Tov, with MUCH HAPPINESS