A Piece of the Rock

This Thursday and Friday are a time to dance.

It’s the Holiday of Simchat Torah, when Jews throughout the world dance with the Torah.

The question is: Why?

We can understand Torah scholars, who reap the Torah’s intellectual rewards and feel a deep gratitude for this gift, dancing; it’s a natural expression of their appreciation.

But most people aren’t Torah scholars, and don’t necessarily appreciate the depth of Torah’s wisdom. Why should they be dancing? Practically speaking, what gift have they received?  What appreciation can they express?

The fact is that the Torah is much more than a gift. Scripture (in a verse we’ll be reading this coming Friday) refers to the Torah as our ‘inheritance’, and that is fundamentally different than a gift.

A gift is something that one person gives to another, as an expression of the benefactor’s positive feeling.

An inheritance is also a transfer from benefactor to recipient, but on a very different wavelength.  

According to Torah law, a deceased person’s assets automatically transfer to his heirs; even if there is no expression of will, even if we have no indication of the deceased’s wishes. It just happens (unless the decedent acts to stop or shape this natural transfer).

The Torah respects the natural flow from generation to generation. Conceptually speaking, one generation immediately moves in to fill the shoes of the departed one. Just like that.

In fact, the Hebrew word for ‘inheritance’ (nachala) is the same as ‘river’ (nachal), indicating the natural transition from one generation to the next.

This is why the Torah is called an ‘inheritance’. It’s ours, irrespective of whether we’ve taken actions to claim or deserve it. It passes from generation to generation, some appreciating it more than others. But it belongs to us all. Equally.

And, if you think about it, this IS something to celebrate. No matter how close you feel to the Torah right now, it’s your inheritance, so it’s yours.

Yours to claim, yours to study, yours to appreciate.

And no one can ever deny your fundamental right to it.

In a world of shifting sands and uncertainty, in a world where we’re looking for stability and permanence, you – believe it or  not - have a ‘piece of the Rock’.

Enough said. It’s time to dance!