[Avodah] Cancel Simchas Torah!

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Thu, Oct 08, 2015 at 03:42:04PM -0400, Prof. Levine via Avodah wrote:
: I merely sent out an email that I received.  It is not necessarily my opinion.

But you do state your opinion when you reposted the email:
> I like the sentiment. Not sure about the actual suggestion.

: That being said,  IMO  I think that much of what goes on in shuls on
: ST is not appropriate.  Drunkenness,  eating large quantities of
: food,  silliness, etc.  are,  IMO,  not appropriate for ST...

I have not been in a shul that tolerated silliness (kids tying the men's
talleisim together, sprinkling water on the bal tefillah when he says
"umorid hageshem" etc...) in decades.

There are also major halachic problems discussed here in the past with the
evening hakafos. And other pro forma issues with standard ST observance.

But what does that have to do with an email advocating reducing dancing
and hakafos, which were not on your list, in light of tragic current events?
How does your dislike for other ST practices relate to a call for aveilus
betzibur on Shemini Atzeres?

...
: We finished everything by 10:25 am.  At least 75 men and boys showed
: up for this davening.  (We cannot accommodate many more.)

Most of whom then eat brunch and join the main dancing, but without a
long shleppy wait for aliyos and mussaf taking up much of the afternoon.

: I see no need to cancel this kind of ST davening and hence ST can
: proceed in this fashion IMO.

Vesamachta bechagekha vehayisa akh sameiach is inconsistant with
calls for minimizing activities that evoke simach in the majority of
people who do not share your proclivities.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             When you come to a place of darkness,
micha at aishdas.org        you don't chase out the darkness with a broom.
http://www.aishdas.org   You light a candle.
Fax: (270) 514-1507        - R' Yekusiel Halberstam of Klausenberg zt"l