Page 34 - Jewish News_October-2020

34 October 2020 JEWISH INTEREST

K’zohar Ha-Ivrit

Sim-cha – Joy

By Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin
he new year 5781 has begun. bration in which He-Chag to the Lord rabbinic sources, on Chol Ha-Moed, tion added to this period of joy at the
The sounds of the Shofar res- reached bacchanalian proportions (Jud. ‘the intermediate days’ of Sukkot, this end of the festivities of Sukkot, where
Tonating on Rosh Ha-Shannah 21:19-25). The writers of the Torah celebration reverberated in the court we celebrate the yearly cycle of read-
and Yom Kippur are behind us and encouraged these festivities saying: of the Temple. The flutes played, can- ing the Torah.
hopes for a blessed year fill the air. And U’smach-tem, ‘rejoice before the Lord, dles were lit, and the people danced I wish all our readers a holiday
so, according to your God’ (Lev. 23:40), and ve-ha-yi-ta and sang jubilantly in the Temple court filled with sim-cha, or as we say in
biblical tradition, akh sa-me-ach, ‘you shall have nothing (Suk. 5:2-4). The rabbis added that Hebrew: chag sa-me-ach.
this is the time but joy’ (Dt.16:15). whoever had not seen the joy of Bait Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin is a professor
to celebrate the It becomes clear that sim-cha is Ha-sho-e-vah, had not witnessed real of biblical literature at Spertus Col-
festival of Suk- at the center of the Sukkot narratives. joy in his life (Suk. 5:1). lege in Chicago, and a retired adjunct
kot (Lev. 23:34), In honor of the holiday, let us briefly Another holiday we should men- professor of Hebrew and Bible at New
a festival of sim- examine the meaning of the word sim- tion here is Sim-chat Torah, namely College in Sarasota.
cha, a festival of cha. The noun sim-cha is derived from ‘the joy of Torah,’ a rabbinic celebra-
‘joy’ (Dt.16:14). the verb sa-mach, meaning ‘rejoice,’
Sukkot was a ‘be joyful,’ ‘be glad’ and ‘be happy.’
Dr. Rachel Dulin major festival in It is related to the Akka verb sha-ma-
biblical times. We know this because chat olam means ‘boundless joy,’ and FED
hu, meaning ‘to sprout’ or ‘to flour-
the holiday received several names in ish.’ Hence, sim-cha means ‘gladness,’ Rabbi Barbara Aiello
the text, names like: Chag Ha-Asif, ‘merriment’ and ‘festivity.’ It is not we are
literally ‘the holiday of ingathering’ surprising that over the years many idi-
(Ex. 23:16), Chag Sukkot, ‘holiday of oms and phrases were formed based on
booths’ (Dt. 16:13), and Chag Adonai, the word sim-cha. For example, sim-
‘the Holiday of the Lord’ (Lev. 23:34).
Also, Sukkot was designated as He- be-sim-cha means ‘with pleasure.’ One Enriching Jewish Hearts
Chag, ‘The Festival’ (I Kigs. 8:65), that interesting idiom is the one that states:
is to say, the most prominent festival of ain me-ar-be-vin simcha be-sim-cha,
the year. It is not surprising that King literally, ‘one festive occasion should
Solomon chose to dedicate the Temple not be mixed with another.’ Figurative-
in Yerushalaim during the festivities of ly, it implies that in an argument, for
Sukkot (I Kigs. 8:2). example, one should stick to the point our Federation strives to enrich Jewish hearts in our Sarasota-Manatee
As the Bible attests, autumn was ‘as different matters should not be min- Ycommunity — from life-changing trips to Israel for teens, community
a season of joy, a time of celebration gled.’ leaders and mothers and fathers to our Shapiro Teen Engagement Program
of the harvest and the ingathering of And since we are celebrating Suk- (STEP) to Gulf Coast Hillel and much more.
grapes. During that time, dances to kot, we should mention the ceremony
music and voices of laughter echoed Simchat Bet Ha-Sho-e’vah, ‘the re- jfedsrq.org • 941.371.4546
from the fields and the vineyards. The joicing of the place of the water draw-
Book of Judges described the cele- ing’ (based on Isa.12:3). According to