Dear Friend,
We all know the proverbial “once-a-year-Jews” who sit through several hours of prayers and a sermon or two every year during the High Holidays simply because “that’s what Jews do.”
Now, I’m not suggesting that they stop coming. Heaven forbid. Hearing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah and observing Yom Kippur are certainly biggies. I just wish I could invite them to come back to shul one more time for Simchat Torah, when the synagogue is alive with singing, dancing and joyous celebration of our precious heritage.
The Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—would often emphasize that the joy of Simchat Torah is the top rung of the ladder of the month of Tishrei. Each holiday brings us one step closer, and they culminate with Simchat Torah, when we reach the greatest point of spirituality. So if you attended Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services—and even if you didn’t—you owe it to yourself to find a Simchat Torah celebration and tie it all up on a high note.
Eliezer Zalmanov,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
