Rabbi Howard Morrison

SIMCHA DAY

Dear Congregational Family,

When I first moved to Toronto twenty years ago this Summer, I misheard the name of this long weekend. I heard it as Simcha instead of Simcoe.

As we know, Simcha means joy. Maybe there was a lesson in what I thought I heard. This past Shabbat, we moved past Tisha B'Av, the saddest day of the year, to Shabbat Nachamu, the Sabbath of comfort.

Interestingly, six days after Tisha B'Av is one of the two happiest days of the year, each emphasizing the fullness of Simcha-joy. In antiquity, Tu B'Av, the fifteenth day of Av and the afternoon of Yom Kippur were matchmaking festivals. Eligible young men and women would meet by a vineyard and be paired up. The women would reach out to the men by reciting excerpts of the well known passage called, Eshet Chayil - The woman of valour. These were considered the happiest days of the year.

Ironically, this past Sunday morning, I made mention of Tu B'Av at a home-based Simchat Bat, a naming ceremony for a newborn daughter. The parents mentioned that their union was the result of a shiduch, being matched together.

In contemporary times, this is also a joyous week for Beth Emeth. Taking one step at a time, we will reopen for services with the daily Mincha - Maariv at 6:30pm (note the time), beginning on Tuesday evening. Attendees must pre-register and be approved. Internet on line participation will continue as well.

As we begin to enumerate weeks of comfort surrounded by joy, I hope and pray that we will find new optimism moving forward during these last weeks of Summer.

Rabbi Howard Morrison