Have you ever wanted a party to never end, for time to stand still, to savor the ecstasy of the moment? If only the inspiration, joy and serenity could be bottled up and preserved even after the cleaning crew arrives to prepare for a new day.
That’s usually the lingering feeling I get on Simchat Torah day, the final celebration of a month-long marathon of Jewish festivals packed with inspiration and celebration to last a year. Even for someone who attends synagogue daily, there is something unique and uplifting about the rapid succession of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
On Simchat Torah morning during synagogue services we read from three Torah scrolls. Usually one or two are sufficient but on Simchat Torah we conclude reading the Torah at the very end in the first Torah, we start reading from the beginning from the second Torah and we read about the sacrifices that were offered in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem on that day, somewhere in the middle, from the third. We need three Torahs for a technical reason, but the ceremony of taking out three Torahs from the Holy Ark serves as a grand finale for the month-long inspirational journey we’ve just had.
While Simchat Torah is the only day on the Jewish calendar that we read from three Torahs every year, there are some other times that we do so if the calendar works out that way.
This year Shabbat coincides with Rosh Chodesh (first day of the Jewish month) Adar and we will therefore read from three Torahs! The first to read the weekly parsha of Mishpatim, the second to read about the sacrifices offered in the Holy Temple in honor of Rosh Chodesh and the final reading known as “Shekalim'' historically served as a reminder to all Jews to prepare their annual half shekel tax for the communal sacrifices in the Holy Temple, in the third Torah. It’s a déjà vu of Simchat Torah smack in the middle of the year and serves as a powerful lesson in Jewish living.
Last week’s Torah reading was about the dramatic and sensational event of “Mattan Torah” - the Revelation at Sinai. This week’ parsha Mishpatim opens with a lengthy and detailed discussion of mundane and workaday types of laws. Civil litigation, farm animal damages, bribery and the like. The types of rules that would bore you in the classroom but are the nitty gritty bolts and nuts that ensure a functional society. A disappointing wake up from the lightning and thunder drama at Sinai.
But then the Torah narrative abruptly returns to the events at Sinai with even more vivid descriptions of the divine visions and interactions the Jews experienced on that special day.
The message is clear. Jewish inspiration and spiritual experience must be immediately anchored with down-to-earth, day-to-day Jewish behavior. And specifically that workaday, consistent Jewish living will bring you to even greater inspiration and celebration down the line.
Don’t wait for a special occasion to add another Mitzvah to your routine or another Torah session to your schedule. Do it now and you can be sure that the next special Jewish experience you have will be beyond your wildest expectations.
Because Judaism is a party that never ends.