Dear Friends,
As we discussed
in the previous
letter, we
offered seventy
bulls in the
Temple during
the Festival of
Succos on behalf
of the seventy
primary nations
of the world.
Following the
seven days of
Succos is an
eighth day,
which is a
separate
festival known
as “Shmini
Atzeres”;
moreover, only
one bull is
offered on this
day (Numbers
29:36). Why were
we given this
extra festival?
And what is the
significance of
the single bull?
One of the
answers given by
our sages can be
found in the
following
midrashic
teaching which
describes a
dialogue that
takes place
between our
people and the
Holy One
regarding the
seventy
offerings that
we bring during
the Festival of
Succos on behalf
of the seventy
nations:
Israel says
before the Holy
One, Blessed is
He: “Master of
the Universe! We
offer seventy
bulls for the
seventy nations.
They therefore
should love us;
however, not
only don’t they
love us; they
even hate us, as
it is written,
‘In return for
my love, they
hate me’ (Psalm
109:4). The Holy
One, Blessed is
He, responds:
“All the seven
days of the
Festival, when
you were
offering before
Me offerings on
behalf of the
nations of the
world, you were
offering seventy
bulls. But now
bring an
offering for
yourselves! (Midrash
Tanchuma,
Pinchas 16)
The Holy One
knew that during
our journey
through history,
we would often
feel lonely and
betrayed.
Although we
would seek the
welfare of the
other nations,
we would also
experience
rejection and
hatred from
these nations.
The Holy One
therefore gave
our universal
people the
Festival of
Shmini Atzeres
for renewing our
inner strength
and resolve.
After the
exhausting and
unappreciated
task of bringing
seventy
offerings during
Succos for the
welfare of all
the nations, we
are now to bring
to the Holy One
a single
offering for
ourselves on
Shmini Atzeres.
This offering
for ourselves
represents our
own inner
renewal.
After turning
outward to the
nations during
Succos, we begin
to turn inward
on Shmini
Atzeres. In this
way, we can
renew our
strength for the
universal
mission that the
Holy One
assigned to us
in the Land of
Zion: to serve
as an example of
the light-giving
Divine teachings
of the Torah. We
can then merit
the fulfillment
of the following
Divine promise
to the People of
Zion: “And
nations shall
walk by your
light” (Isaiah
60:3).
After the Temple
was destroyed,
we were no
longer able to
bring the
“renewal”
offering for
ourselves on the
Festival of
Shmini Atzeres.
The sages,
however,
instituted on
Shmini Atzeres a
special
celebration
known as
“Simchas Torah”
– the Joy of the
Torah. On this
day, we complete
the annual cycle
of reading the
Torah, and on
this day we
begin the cycle
again by reading
the opening
portion of the
Book of Genesis.
Before we read
the Torah, we
take out all the
Torahs from the
Ark, and as we
carry the Torahs
in our arms, we
march around the
central platform
of the synagogue
seven times.
Each of the
seven circuits
is accompanied
by much singing
and dancing;
thus, on Simchas
Torah, we renew
our strength
through the joy
of the Torah!
Through this
joyful renewal
of our strength,
we can
rededicate
ourselves to our
universal
mission. In this
spirit, we chant
the following
words from the
Book of Isaiah
just before we
remove all the
Torahs from the
Ark at the start
of the dancing:
“For from Zion
will come forth
Torah, and the
word of Hashem
from Jerusalem”
(Isaiah 2:3).
I would like to
offer another
perspective on
the above
Midrash which
can give us a
deeper
understanding of
our universal
role in the Land
of Zion. In the
above Midrash,
we complain to
the Holy One
about the hatred
directed against
us despite the
offerings that
we bring on
behalf of the
seventy nations.
The Holy One
responds by
giving us the
Festival of
Shmini Atzeres
when we are to
bring an
offering for
ourselves. I
would like to
suggest that the
addition of this
festival with
this special
offering for
ourselves is to
show us the way
to eventually
eliminate the
hatred which is
directed against
us. Our
experiences in
history have
demonstrated
that bringing
“offerings” on
behalf of the
nations does not
necessarily gain
us the respect
of the nations.
We therefore
need an offering
for ourselves –
for our own
spiritual
renewal, as when
we are true to
ourselves and
our mission, we
will gain the
respect of the
nations. As
Moshe Rebbeinu –
Moses, our
Teacher – told
us when we stood
at the border of
the Land:
“See! I have taught you statutes and social laws, as Hashem, my God, has commanded me, to do so in the midst of the Land to which you come, to possess it. You shall safeguard and fulfill them, for it is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples, who shall hear all these statutes and who shall say, ‘Surely a wise and understanding people is this great nation!’ ” (Deuteronomy 4:5,6)
Have a Chag Samayach,
Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen
P.S. Shimini Atzeres begins Monday night, October 20th.