<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<title>I excerpted the following from Perceptions by Rabbi Pinchas Winston</title>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
panose-1:2 11 6 3 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Lucida Sans";
panose-1:2 11 6 2 3 5 4 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS";}
p.MsoEnvelopeAddress, li.MsoEnvelopeAddress, div.MsoEnvelopeAddress
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:2.0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-element:frame;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Lucida Sans";
color:windowtext;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.1in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-style:italic'>I excerpted the following from Perceptions by Rabbi Pinchas
Winston...</span></font></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>As most
people know, the holidays of Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah are on the same
day in Eretz Yisroel. Now, normally we say, "One should not combine joyous
events" (Moed Katan 8b), but in this case the reason is simple: it is all
ONE simchah! <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>For,
Shemini Atzeres celebrates the special relationship the Jewish people have with
God (see Rashi on Vayikra 23:36); Simchas Torah celebrates the special
relationship the Jewish people have with Torah. And, the Zohar ties it all up
rather nicely by stating: The Holy One, Blessed is He, and Torah are one; one
who merits a portion of Torah merits the Name of The Holy One, Blessed is He
(Zohar 90b). Elsewhere, the Zohar says, "there is no Torah except for The
Holy One, Blessed is He." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Thus, the
day on which both Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah are celebrated is the time
that both relationships ought to dovetail into one, where the grasping and
cherishing of Torah is also the cherishing of one's relationship with God. The
feeling of love of God is the fulfillment of the holiday of Shemini Atzeres;
the feeling of love of Torah is the fulfillment of the holiday of Simchas
Torah. The feeling of both at the same time is the fulfillment of what it means
to be part of the Jewish people in totality. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Richard
Wolberg <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Lucida Sans"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Lucida Sans"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>