Parashat HaShavua - Simchat Torah 5785

Tomorrow night we celebrate Shemini Atzeret followed by Simchat Torah and Shabbat Bereishit. On the one hand, the weekend ahead encourages us to think about Creation, creativity, newness and possibility. And on the other hand, on the Jewish calendar, this Thursday marks the anniversary of the Shabbat ha-Shechorah (The Black Shabbat), Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah in Israel which last year fell on October 7th. 

I have been reading poetry in a new collection of poems recently published by Rachel Korazim, Michael Bohnen and Heather Silverman. The collection is titled Shiva - Poems of October 7 and contains beautiful and emotional poetry written by Israeli poets and translated by Korazim, Bohnen and Silverman. 

One such poem I encountered, written by Elchanan Nir, is titled עכשיו אנחנו צריכים תורה חדשה - We Need a New Torah Now. Just as the title suggests, the poet argues that at this time, just as we need a breath of fresh air, we need a new Torah. The poet continues, that not only do we need a new Torah, but we need a new Mishnah and Gemarah, new Kabbalah, and new Chasidut, and even a new Zionism. We are in need of new poets, new music, new artists, new literature, and new love.

As you read the poem, it seems quite clear that Elchanan Nir is longing for a tradition to offer him (and others) guidance and relevant theology. Nothing in his past, in his upbringing, in his learning and heritage prepared him to cope and to process the horrors of October 7th/Simchat Torah in Israel. 

And yet, he prepares for the end of his poem with the following transition:  

… וּמִלִּים חַדְתִּין-עֲתִיקִין
וּנְשָׁמוֹת חֲדָשׁוֹת-עַתִּיקוֹת מֵהָאוֹצָר,
וְאַהֲבָה חֲדָשָׁה מִתּוֹךְ הַבְּכִיָּה הַנּוֹרָאָה.

And new-ancient words
New ancient souls from the treasury
And a new love out of the terrible weeping. 

I refer to this as Nir’s preparation for the ending of his poem because in these words I see Nir transitioning from purely saying we need something new to acknowledging that we need something that is new but it needs to be new-old. Something new needs to emerge and it needs to emerge from the pain, the suffering, from the souls that were lost.  It needs to connect us to our past and help us build a future. 

This is how the Torah ends (and specifically the closing chapter that we will read on Simchat Torah when we conclude reading the five books of Humash). Moshe climbs Mt. Nebo and looks into the land he has been leading the Israelites towards. God reminds Moshe that he will not enter this land. Moshe dies, the Israelites weep, and a new leader, Joshua, is appointed. 

We have hope that this leader will be successful because Moshe laid his hands upon him. The text says that Joshua was filled with רוח חכמה the spirit of wisdom. Of all of Moshe’s qualities (which are listed in the next two and final verses of the Torah), the one chosen to emphasize here is spirit of wisdom. There is an acknowledgement of loss, change, and need for new teaching. This teaching will be grounded in what/who came before him - but ultimately, Joshua will need to be his own leader for a new generation, with new challenges and a new relationship with God. Perhaps this is why in the first chapter of the book of Yehoshua, God blesses Joshua three times: חזק ואמץ - with courage and with strength.

Elchanan Nir ends his poem:

כִּי נִשְׁטַפְנוּ כֻּלָּנוּ בִּנְהָרוֹת רֵעִים וּבְאֵרִי
וְאֵין בָּנוּ הַר וְאֵין עוֹד לוּחוֹת
וְאֵין לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאֵין בָּנוּ כּוֹחוֹת
וּבְיָדֵינוּ עַכְשָׁו הַכֹּל
נִתָּן

For we were all washed in the rivers of Rei’m and Be’eri
And we have no mountain within us
Nor another ten commandments
No Moses and no strength
And - from this moment, everything in our hands
Is given. 

While it may at this moment feel impossible, may the year ahead offer us a (re)new(ed) understanding of Torah so that this can be a year of comfort and of healing. And, a year of physical safety and peace.

Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Dahlia Kronish
High School Associate Head