Reflections from Rabbi Ellis

Simchat Torah is different from other Chagim in many ways: Its name does not appear in the Torah, Yizkor is held on the first and not second day of the Chag and most importantly its Torah reading is unique to Simchat Torah. Every Holiday was assigned a special section from the Torah that we read during the morning prayer service. The section of the Torah that we read for every other holiday besides Simchat Torah is read at some other point in the year as part of the weekly cycle of Torah reading. The reading for Simchat Torah is only ever read once a year and it is on Simchat Torah. As such I want to address the unique section that we will be reading this Sunday morning for the first and last time this year.

The special section of the Torah we read on Simchat Torah is the final of the fifty-four sections the Torah was divided into. It is called Vezot Habracha - This is the blessing. It contains the final blessing that Moshe blesses the Children of Israel of Israel with and then his death. In the end the whole thing is pretty anti-climatic. For the last two months we have been preparing for Moshe’s death and in the end, it passes without ceremony.

The blessings that Moshe gives us are remarkable in their clarity and simplicity. Moshe blesses the Children of Israel together, and he gives them each a unique blessing. Moshe’s blessing parallels the blessing that Yakov gave to his sons. In both cases the blessings are exclusive and specific. Every blessing is limited and as such it relies on the other blessings to produce its full effect. Moshe’s blessings for the tribes make it clear that each tribe has a unique gift to offer the nation of Israel as a whole, that each tribe is an essential part of the nation. Further Moshe’s blessing for each tribe is only beneficial in conjunction with the other blessings to the rest of the tribes. Not only is each tribe a necessary part of the nation of Israel, but the whole project of our bringing blessing to Israel and the whole world falls apart when Israel is not united. When our blessings don’t work together, they turn into curses. This is one of the secrets our holiday’s special Parsha. The greatest blessing turns into a curse if we don’t know how to accept and share it with others. The more we can share blessings the greater they will be.

The second secret that Moshe shares with us is through his death. If it’s true that each one of us is essential and brings a special blessing into this world, then that means that we are irreplaceable. Moshe walked to his death willingly and with a calm heart, knowing that though no other human would ever know G!d the way that he did, that Yehoshua would take his place and others after that. We are all essential, but none of us is irreplaceable. G!d can work miracles through anything he wants, and when we are no longer able to be the tool through which G!d’s will is done in this world other people will be able to do it. The secret of Simchat Torah and the source of the joy in this holiday is knowing that while each of us is essential we are not the only ones who can do this work.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!

Rabbi Yehoshua Ellis