Simchas Torah is a joyous time. In Israel it combines with
Shemini Atzres. So that all the dancing takes place on that day. There is not
second day in Israel - unless you are a visitor from outside the country. As I am.
I’m not much of a dancer. To say the least. The phrase ‘two
left feet’ could have been coined because of me. Fortunately, Simchas Torah
does not require one to be any kind of talented
dancer. That’s because what passes for dancing is really not dancing. It
is stomping your feet as you go around in circles with a Sefer Torah. Which for
me just isn’t all that exiting, again – to say the least. This may sound sacrilegious. But it really
isn’t. Dancing the way it has evolved on this day is a relatively new
phenomenon.
SimchasTorah celebrates the competition of the annual Torah reading
cycle… and the commencement of the new one. Why should that be a cause for dancing your
heart out? I don’t really think that this is what all that extended dancing is
really all about.
The basic custom is to do Hakafos. And even that is a relatively recent custom
dating back at most about 500 years or so. We take out the Sefrei Torah and
walk around in a circle 7 times with a Chazan leading it while chanting a series
of 7 prayers related to one of the themes of this particular Yom Tov – Hoshanos.
Today, that ‘foot stomping’ has evolved into a huge ‘dance’
marathon that can go on for hours before it ends. What was once at most a 20
minute custom now seems to take forever to conclude. So if this was not part of
the original custom, why is it so strongy observed now? As noted above – none
of the dancers are thinking ‘Wow!’ We just finished the annual Torah reading
cycle.
For the truly Ehrlich, they are celebrating the Torah itself. This is
the only time of year where they can dance while holding and hugging Sifre
Torah. It is quite inspiring to see that, even if I can’t dance that way myself.
But there are some - mostly young Yeshiva
students - that take this too far and insist on violating protocol by continuing to pound their feet and sing at the top of their lungs – overpowering the Gabbai who asked them to stop! And when they succeed they smile as though they pulled off a fast
one.
Those that insist on doing that might want to think of themselves
as zealous Bnei Torah showing their devotion to God by wanting to dance and hug the Torah for as long as
possible. That may be true in some cases. But I think there are a fair amount of them that are just self centered and want to have
fun at everyone else’s expense. Most older people do not like the prolonging. They are
tired, want to go home and have their Yom Tov Seudah (meal) But they often stick it out and just sit out the later Hakafos.
They continue waiting while others continue to stomp their feet endlessly to the same song. Most of those sitting are good sports, though. So they just let it happen. Thinking, ‘How could they possibly complain about these young people
that so exuberantly celebrate the Torah?’ But some of them eventually leave early because
it just becomes too boring for them.
I am one of those that just leaves early. I take my two left
feet and go home. But I also take with me the knowledge that there are just too many young Yeshiva students that are way too self centered. What is a
great and joyous time of Simcha for some is not so
enjoyable for others. Especially those a bit more elderly then them. That is not the feeling that should be left with at the end of Yom Tov. And because I am in Israel, I get to experience it twice.
Chag Sameach
