Kesher Talk

Silly rabbit Dept. I thought the Simchat Torah service would be about three hours long. It was six hours long. It was also hot and sweaty and loud and exhausting. And funny and musical and moving and engrossing. And it was shorter and less of a mob scene than the legendary Carlebach Shul all night hakafot of the night before (where I stayed till 2 AM). At both services I got to dance holding a Torah to my breast, surrounded by a frenzied circle, and even thrust it up in the air by its handles, so I feel I have discharged my obligation to be joyful this season. And now back to my regularly scheduled depression (well, I hope not).

I told my unsuspecting aunt (who is very secular and was facing saying kaddish on her husband's yahrzeit): "You don't want to spend Simchat Torah at your boring suburban shul that you never attend anyway. Come into New York and I'll take you to a fun service where people sing and dance a lot." She was a trooper - she didn't dance but she enjoyed the vibes and didn't complain about the fact that we were there till 3 in the afternoon.

Actually, the punchline is: "silly rabbi, kicks are for trids." But I forget how the joke goes.

To answer your question Avraham, the one time I did it, it sucked.

posted by Judith @ 10/19/2003 10:04:10 PM