A story is told about the Seer of Lublin, whose followers danced joyously on Rosh Hashanah. How could they behave in such a manner on this most solemn and serious day? According to the Rebbe, his hasidim were rejoicing in the knowledge that they had already been inscribed in the Book of Life. And what of those who were not quite so confident? They, too, were dancing, relying on their feet to carry their prayers into Heaven. At first glance, this story seems childish, even fantastic. Upon closer examination, however, the story conveys a strong message about the power of joy in our tradition.

Simhat Torah -- which this year will be celebrated on Wednesday evening, September 27, and Thursday, September 28 -- is a day for unbounded rejoicing. Like the hasidim of Lublin, we can demonstrate our confidence that our prayers have been heard and that we have been inscribed in the Book of Life. In addition, while we are still in this optimistic frame of mind, we come to the end of the yearly cycle of Torah reading and immediately begin the cycle anew. This, too, is a reason to celebrate. Overwhelmed by the richness of our Jewish tradition, we have a unique opportunity to dance around the Torah and raise our voices in song.

Two compelling reasons to rejoice. Yet, surprisingly, in many of our synagogues today, we find that it is only the children who dance and sing.

When our children look at their parents, what do they see? If the parents are there at all, they are standing on the side, watching their children engage in joyous (sometimes raucous) activities. Even when the adults take turns carrying the Torah around the synagogue, they are often unsmiling, fulfilling an obligation rather than savoring this choice moment when they may express pride and pleasure in their heritage.

How unfortunate -- not only for the children and for our collective Jewish future but for ourselves, as well. Simhat Torah is more than the end of the Fall holiday season; and it does more than simply mark the end and beginning of the annual cycle of Torah reading. Simhat Torah is, according to Jewish mystical tradition, a wedding. It celebrates the marriage between God (the hattan, or groom) and the kallah (or bride), the Jewish people.

The seven hakafot (circuits) we make around the synagogue with the Torah are reminiscent of the circles traced by the bride around the groom during the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony. The use of a huppah is also a common element of the traditional Simhat Torah celebration, further reminding us of a wedding. The Torah itself, of course, is the ketubah, the wedding contract, marking the covenant between God and the Jewish people.

How can we help but dance and sing at so special a simhah as the wedding between God and the Jewish people? When children attend a traditional Jewish wedding, they see their parents smile and laugh, sing and dance. On Simhat Torah, however, they quickly come to realize that the adults have attended simply to accompany their children. Worse (but inevitably) they may infer that this is a "children only" holiday -- one that they, too, will lay aside as they grow older.

A wedding, on the other hand, is perceived as a celebration for all the guests, and when we receive an invitation, we make every effort to attend. Chances are, our children will remember the wedding festivities for a long time and will look forward to attending another one. Indeed, they will probably want a wedding just like the one they attended. So it is with Simhat Torah. So it is with all of Jewish tradition.

The converse, unfortunately, is also true. When children see their parents unmoved by emotion, they too will fail to dance and sing. Like their parents, they will not appreciate the sheer joy of the Jewish tradition, the simhah of Torah. What does this mean for Jewish observance? It means that if Shabbat is acknowledged grudgingly, rather than joyously, our children will not choose Shabbat observance as something they wish to emulate. If synagogue attendance and holiday celebrations are not marked by a full measure of joy, we will not experience them fully and our children may not see any reason to celebrate them at all.

Jewish tradition has a variety of distinct components, many of which we treat with "benign neglect." How many of us -- outside of Israel -- have truly mastered Hebrew, the classical language of our people? How many North American Jews are frequent travelers to the Jewish State? How many modern Jews have incorporated Torah study into our otherwise busy schedules? Yet, even those who minimally fulfill these obligations and derive a certain amount of intellectual satisfaction from these pursuits may find their emotional needs unsatisfied.

In the words of a modern commercial, singing and dancing may offer "immediate relief." No special training is required, only a desire to let oneself go, to allow oneself to become fully immersed in the joy of the moment. And as we joyously celebrate our Jewishness, so too will our children, and their children, and their children. Simhat Torah marks a beginning. Once again, we have a chance to recommit ourselves to God, as a community and as individuals. The cycle starts anew. Have a good time at the wedding.

The author is the Executive Vice-President of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the association of Conservative congregations in North America. Some two million Jews identify with Conservative Judaism, making it the largest branch of the Jewish faith.

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