Dear Friends:
Tonight and tomorrow is the yahrzeit of approximately 1200 Israelis massacred by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The events of that day are mostly known as the “Simchat Torah Massacre” in Israel because while in the Diaspora Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are consecutive days, in Israel they occur on the same day.
How can we have simcha, joy, on the first anniversary of the deadliest day in the history of our people since the Shoah? It’s not a question which is easily answered.
On Monday night at our synagogue board meeting I taught a section of a text from the Tosefta dealing with our ancestors' reaction to the destruction of the Temple. After the destruction, many Jews, known as perushim or ascetics, felt it was no longer appropriate to eat meat or drink wine. Rabbi Yehoshua asked these ascetics why they were abstaining and they told him that meat reminds us of the animal sacrifices and wine of the libations which can no longer be offered since the Temple is no more. Rabbi Yehoshua agreed with their reasoning but added that according to this logic bread should also be forbidden because twelve loaves of bread were placed on a table in front of the Ark and bread was also used as part of the daily offering. Additionally, we should no longer drink water because there was a water libation ceremony during Sukkot which was considered one of the most joyful events of the year. Rabbi Yehoshua concluded that “it is impossible to mourn excessively, and it is impossible not to mourn at all.”
Rabbi Yehoshua’s ruling was the origin of the custom to leave a part of our house unfinished as a remembrance of the Temple, and similar symbolic actions we take. We mourn now in the midst of our rejoicing in hopes that in the world to come we may rejoice fully.
In the spirit of Rabbi Yehoshua, my sermon during tomorrow morning’s service will focus on what we have lost in the past year. Tomorrow night we will celebrate with the Torah but as we did last year, we will subdue our celebration in memory of those who were killed and wounded.
Since our Simchat Torah morning services is on Zoom, we will not read from the Torah scroll that morning. Instead, it will be an opportunity to share our thoughts and reflections on the events of the past year.
As a reminder, I am having drop-in hours on Thursday afternoons from 2 to 4 at the shul. For my drop-in hours, you do not need to make an appointment -- that would negate the whole point of drop-in hours -- but I’d urge you to check and make sure I am there regardless as sometimes there are unavoidable pastoral or other emergencies which might take me away from the building.There are no drop-in hours tomorrow 10/24 (Shemini Atzeret).
Our Adult Education classes will resume on Thursday Nov. 7 -- more information to come next week.
As always, if I can do anything for you or you need to talk, please contact me at rabbi@kehilatshalom.org or 301-977-0768 rather than through the synagogue office. I am happy to meet you at the synagogue by appointment; if you want to speak with me it’s best to make an appointment rather than assuming I will be there when you stop by.
Additionally, if you know of a Kehilat Shalom congregant or another member of our Jewish community who could use a phone call, please let me know.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Charles L. Arian
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