[Avodah] Cancel Simchas Torah!

[Saul Guberman via Avodah]

On Thu, Oct 8, 2015 at 4:28 PM, Prof. Levine <llevine at stevens.edu> wrote:


> One more time,  I did not write the email that you are referring to, and I
> personally never advocated cancelling the 7th HaKafa.   However, if I
> recall correctly, there were places that made only 3 Hakafos and some 5,
> so what is the big deal?
>
> The entire ST has evolved and IIRC correctly 7 hakafos is not in stone.
>
> YL
>

I did not say that having 7 hakafos is written in stone.  You mentioned the
minhagim of Germany.  It is not the only place that has minhagim.  To
deminish the Chag is a serious issue.  Below is an excerpt of what happened
on Shemini Atzeres in Neriya, the town that the Henkins' HYD lived in.


http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/simchat-torah-in-the-henkins-hometown

A few weeks ago, Naama Henkin HY”D expressed to another friend that she
would like to have a shiur (Torah class) while the men were dancing the
traditional *hakafot* with the Torah, instead of just watching the men
dance (although we do have women’s dancing as well – including a few women,
our youth, and always our rabbanit of Neriya). That friend spread the word
and we held a shiur in her memory and in her merit during the *hakafot*.
When Rabbanit Henkin walked in during the Torah class and was told what it
was about, she decided to contribute a few words as well. She gathered all
her strength, and, as difficult as it was, she bravely added that the last
verse of the Torah says: “And G-d said unto him (Moses): This is the land
which I swore unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob saying: Unto thy descendants
will I give it, I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but over to
there shalt thou not pass” (Deuteronomy 34: 4). Rashi explains the deep
significance of this for the whole mission of Moses, that it’s not that you
die now and hence you rest, but rather, look, now your mission is to pray
and advocate for the nation as they will go onto the next step in their
entrance to the land. So too, Rabbanit Henkin continued, Eitam and Naama
HY”D are not relived of their duties. They are not resting in peace. They
have a mission. And they need to advocate for us at our next step towards
redemption. The final circle of dancing went on longer than ever. It could
not be stopped, and culminated with the song, “Am Yisrael Chai.”
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