Cavorting with Confidence
I once participated in a hachnasat Sefer Torah in Morocco. As we were dancing toward the Beit Hakeneset where the Torah Scroll would be housed, I suddenly noticed a group of Jews who were wanted by the police. They had left their hiding place at great personal risk, in order to join the hachnasat Sefer Torah. These men sang and danced before the Sefer Torah, completely oblivious to the threat hanging over them. They accompanied it through the streets of Morocco, until it reached its destination at the Beit Hakeneset.
- A dance in honor of the Torah
I was taken aback by their brash attitude. “How do you have the boldness to be seen like this in public?” I asked. “Don’t you realize you are placing yourselves in danger?”
But they were full of self-confidence. “When we dance before the Sefer Torah, there is no threat hanging over us. Our joy with a Torah Scroll cannot prove perilous,” they answered in all innocence.
Seeing their stalwart faith, I gave them the following heartfelt blessing: “May you feel such a surge of elevation even in your hiding places. You should never have fears of the police.”
After leaving them, I reflected on their mesirut nefesh. It was indeed a moving sight to observe how people truly feel Hashem’s protection when they rejoice with the Torah, not fearing any harm.
Unfortunately, they had to continue living in hiding from the police. After escorting the Sefer Torah to its new home, they returned to living underground. The protection provided by the Sefer Torah left as soon as they finished rejoicing with it.
