“Now do it again, and this time, learn it even better and in more depth”
“After a long, difficult journey across rivers and mountains, children arrive at their father’s place and they rejoice together. As the visit nears its end, the children feel sad, knowing they must soon return to their lives. Seeing their sadness, the father surprises them, saying, ‘I’ve packed my bags. I’m coming with you. You came to be with me, and I will stay with you.’
“In the same way, through our commitment to Torah, we bring Hashem into our everyday lives, carrying His presence with us wherever we go. This is the essence of Simchas Torah — that the closeness we have felt doesn’t need to fade. Whenever we open a Gemara or a sefer, Hashem’s presence is with us.”
—Rav Asher Weiss
As the last of the Catskill enthusiasts head back to city life after an extended summer, Rav Mordechai Jungreis of the Woodbourne Shul wishes farewell to his shul’s mispallelim. In the tradition of the great chassidic courts, he wishes them — and the thousands who avail themselves to “Klal Yisrael’s shul” — a gezunte vinter (a healthy winter).
(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1034)
Create a free account to keep reading.
