How Can We Dance?

How can we possibly dance and celebrate on this day? A day marked for millennia as the most joyous in the Jewish calendar has now become the anniversary of the most tragic event in our lifetimes! 

How can we celebrate our Jewish identity when the massacre of 1,200 innocent men, women, and children of our brethren has fueled a surge in antisemitism across the free world?

How can we maintain faith in humanity when so many of our colleagues and friends have turned against us?

The first Lubavitcher Rebbe uses the metaphor of a father and son to explain the sequence of festivals in this month.

First, with the High Holidays, comes a phase of introspection, where the child reflects on behavior and attitude, seeking to heal the relationship with the father.

Then comes the climactic moment with Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, when the deepest dimension of the relationship is revealed - one that transcends performance. It is expressed in the warm embrace of a father to his son, a gesture of unconditional love.

There is no explanation for the pain and suffering the Jewish people have endured this year, or throughout history. Yet our response, despite the trauma, must be, not to resist the warm embrace of our Father in Heaven.

We have every reason to be skeptical that anyone loves us simply because we are Jewish. Yet, we must not define ourselves by those who hate us, but by those who love us. This timeless, unconditional love lies at the core of our identity.

Let us dance as one this year, celebrating the warm and complete embrace of our Father in Heaven!