שמחה ﬨוﬧה
Simchah Torah
When you see the words, "Simchah Torah", what comes to your mind? Is it a "Torah Scroll" that you see in the Jewish Synagogues this time of the year or even at other times when they take it out of a curtain and walk it around the room? What is the deeper meaning? Could there be a deeper meaning that fills our hearts with gratitude?
If all we do is to purchase a "Torah Scroll" and use it and not know what it means, we are wasting precious time. There must be a deeper meaning. When you look at the word, "Simchah", just what are you thinking? The word, "Simchah", carries the following definitions:
As a verb:
rejoice
be glad
take pleasure in
rejoice arrogantly
rejoice religiously
As an adverb:
glad
joyful
merry
showing joy
in thankfulness to
As a feminine noun:
joy
gladness
mirth
in festivity
joy of heart
gaiety
pleasure
malicious joy
make a sacred festivity
glad result
happy issue
inward joy
By looking at the definitions above, we can see that "Simchah" carries with it definitions that portray a thankful heart that is full of joy. But why have joy over the Torah? Haven't we been taught that the Torah is just a bunch of rules and meanings that are no longer valid? Yet, when we look at a Jewish Calendar, we see a day set aside for "Simchah Torah". Isn't there a contradiction?
The answer is "Yes". We have been taught through seventeen hundred years that the Torah is no longer in effect. Who came up with such an idea? The truth of the matter is those that formulated and started the Roman Catholic Church did not honor nor respect the God/YAHWEH of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were people with devilish ideas about how people should live their lives by following a set of made-up rules and regulations. In other words, they violated God's/YAHWEH's teachings concerning adding or taking from the Torah. Not all men are righteous or have righteous agendas. Through the years this has compounded. Consider the state of the world during the times in which we live.
What is God's/YAHWEH's heart? He is calling us to make teshuvah which means to return to that which has been lost, i.e., the Torah.
The Torah of God/YAHWEH is perfect, restoring the soul.
The Testimony of God/YAHWEH is trustworthy, making the simple one wise;
The Orders of God/YAHWEH are upright, gladdening the heart.
The Command of God/YAHWEH is clear, enlightening the eyes;
The Fear of God/YAHWEH is pure, enduring forever.
The Judgments of God/YAHWEH are true, altogether righteous.
They are more desirable than gold, than even much fine gold, and sweeter than honey, and drippings from the combs.
Also, when your servant is scrupulous in them, in observing them, there is great reward. (Psalm 19:8-13)
Man has two choices: either he follows Torah or he doesn't. The Torah is ordained by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If you want a relationship with God/YAHWEH, you have to follow Torah. If on the other hand, you want to follow the teachings of the world, you are free to do as you please.
Jesus/YAHSHUAH taught about the wise man and the foolish man. The wise man built his house on the Rock. When the winds came it stood like a fortress. It didn't budge. This is what happens when the man, woman, or child build their lives on the words of the Torah. You don't budge when the storms of testing come.
The foolish man built his house on sand, literally, the teachings of rebellious men and women. When the winds of judgment came, his house collapsed. Why? There was no firm foundation as his house was not built on the Rock. Nothing to anchor his building to. No Rock. Just sand. This is for anyone who fails to build his or her house on the right foundation.
Jesus/YAHSHUAH said, "I AM the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father (ABBA) except through Me. Jesus/YAHSHUAH is the Torah. As He hung on the tree at the time of the crucifixion, the blood that spilled out...guess what? The Living Eternal Torah spilled His blood (which should have split the earth) for sinners like you and I.
For the joy/Simchah that was set before Him. Because He willingly gave His life for us, we can rejoice in the Torah which points us to a right relationship. If we are faithful to follow Torah, not in a cold and empty religious way, but with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, we will find ourselves in the proper alignment with the living Torah. I once saw a groundskeeper at a roadside park. His wheelbarrow had a wheel that was perfectly straight while the other one was bent and wobbled. The straight wheel is a picture of the man that follows the Torah, while the crooked and bent tire is a picture of the man that follows the ways of the world. Either one or the other, but not both.
Are we rejoicing in the Torah/Jesus/YAHSHUAH? Or, have we replaced Him with something else?