Happy Simchat Torah/Shmini Atzeret (Reverse That)
Not sure what compels and propels me to write as I watch the shutting door, right before the sun sets. I get it in my head that I need to share, though I don't know who cares. A lot of it is for me - and then it's also here for you (who?) (you- hoo!) to see:
The Chernobyler Maggid said that each of the 3 main holidays has an attribute - and that zman does not just mean the time of - rather it means the preparation station for X. Sukkot launches the simchah of the year. Perhaps the reason why we have one day extra at the end of Sukkos is because happiness is of great import, and is often neglected in terms of the work it needs to set inside us. So we take one more day to work on out attitude of happiness.
Have a great Yom Tov and a happy new year!
posted by rabbi neil fleischmann @ 6:08 PM
4 Comments:
absolutely beautiful tribute to carving out time for HAPPINESS. and for the record, i'm glad that compelled you to write right. then. :)
thanks - your comment means a lot to me!
Succot is the antimaterialist holiday, a temporary hut instead of our homes, and then we're rewarded with Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
I like that a lot. I have a twist to add. I'd like to reframe the idea that we're rewarded for the antimaterialistic days in the hut with a more materialistic celebration in the house (not exactly your words - but how I heard it).
It reminds me too much of people that lose weight and then celebrate by eating a few cinnamon rolls (sigh - I don't want to go there again).
Maybe it's not that we are rewarded with the more physical celebrations of Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah, but that we mature and organically segue in to these end days which form a bridge toward being spiritual while functioning throughout our regular post RH/YK?Sukkot lives the year round.
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