On Friday, everything starts fresh. Will we also be able to? Yes, yes, my dear ladies and gentlemen, completely anew. On the morning of Simchat Torah, we will read the 54th and final weekly Torah portion, V'Zot HaBerachah ("and this is the blessing"), immediately after which we will read the beginning of the Torah -- Bereshit ("Genesis").
We must also take the deepest of breaths, inhale the new air, and try starting fresh. To shake off the fatigue of the recent period, the lockdown, and rally together in the common cause of fighting the pandemic. We are well aware that our existence, as a nation and culture, also hinges on the deep-rooted ties to our traditions, historical heritage, the path of our forefathers, and the vision of the prophets.
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The Simchat Torah holiday is a reminder that the bond between the people of Israel and the Torah -- the simple yet profound, honest joy of a people's connection to their most fundamental values – cannot be broken. This year, we cannot rejoice with the Torah as in years past. Instead of dancing in our crowded, happy circles, with our children on our shoulders, we will have to pray in limited gatherings in accordance with the directives meant to save our lives. It is very sad, but to ensure that next year we can return to dancing with our loved ones and Torah scrolls, I know we have no other choice.
If we don't fight together, shoulder to shoulder, in the battle for the public's wellbeing, we will fail. We must celebrate the holiday in adherence to the safety protocols, in the spirit of mutual guarantee for our fellow man, in solemn prayer that this scourge will be driven from our land.
I visit the hospitals, the clinics, and I see how hard people are working to stop the pandemic in its tracks. The nurses and doctors, the paramedics, the soldiers and officers, the scientists and the volunteers; I see from up close their unwavering dedication and sacrifice on behalf of us all against the raging virus − they are the embodiment of our mutual guarantee to one another in times of crisis. We must fight with the same strength and vigor to sever the chain of infection − to prevent the disease from spreading.
Now is the time to protect our lives, in no uncertain terms, in accordance with the biblical command. We must all protect ourselves, and our loved ones. We must rejoice with the Torah in the bosom of our nuclear families, read and study it intimately together.
We are strong enough as a people and country to overcome this crisis if we do it together. Follow the social distancing guidelines and avoid large gatherings. We will read Genesis on Simchat Torah a little differently this year; yet in the joy of welcoming a new beginning regardless. My prayer is for us to meet this pandemic head-on and defeat it − together, too seek improvement in unison, and in doing so return to celebrating this holiday, as we have in the past, as soon as possible.
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