Happy Holidays

Don't Worry,
Be Happy!

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GIFTS!

Why it's great to cele orate on
Simchat Torah.

Elizabeth Applebaum
AppleTree Editor

oon after he became king,
Solomon had an extraordi-
nary dream: God wanted to
know his most fervent wish, and
promised He would grant it.
Solomon, who had just turned
12, didn't wish for the most power-
ful kingdom or eternal life, but
rather "an
understand-
ing heart
with which
to judge
Your peo-
ple, to dis-
cern
between
good and
evil."
I Kings 3:9-23 recounts that God

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ow, we are completing our
reading of this same Torah that
Solomon loved as we celebrate
Simchat Torah, which begins the
23rd of Tishrei, this year on Satur-
day night, Oct. 21.
Interestingly, Simchat Torah is not
mentioned in the Torah, but rather is
completely rabbinic in origin. It also
is the only time during the year

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when we read from the Torah at
night (and then again the next
morning.)

was impressed by Solomon's humili
ty, and responded: "Behold, I have
During the service, each sefer
fulfilled your words; behold, I have
Torah is removed from the ark, then
given you a wise and discerning
held by one who dances around
heart so that there has never been
the synagogue or temple, joined by
your equal before you, nor will you
congregants. It's traditional to
equal arise after you. And I have
dance seven times (called hakafot)
even given you what you did not
about the sanctuary, with every
request, even wealth and even
completed round followed by a lot
glory, so that no man will be your
of singing, dancing and merriment.
equal among kings all your days."
On Simchat Torah, we read the
After awakening the next day,
last Torah portion, VeZot HaBer-
Solomon prepared a feast for his
achah, and will begin again the
:subjects and expressed his thanks to
1 next week with the first one, Parshat
God. The Midrash comments on
Bereshit.
this, saying, "From here we derive
Observing this holiday is like
that we should make a banquet
renewing our vow to God. We
upon completion of the Torah."

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GSBOO

10/13
2000

105