Rejoicing in the Festival

In our tradition, the pilgrimage festivals have long been associated with rejoicing. The festival kiddush as well as the Amidah contain the phrase: z’man simchateinu (זמן שמחתינו), “the time of our rejoicing.” God, in the Torah, explicitly commands us: v’samachta b’chagecha (ושמחת בחגיך והיית אך שמח), “You shall rejoice on your festivals. You shall be joyous!” What is all this happiness about?

Think personally for a moment about a significant social gathering that you cherish. For me, I can remember (hazily?) more than a few Dead shows that drew me and my fellow dead-heads to various venues. Yes, we soaked in the great music, but, as you may know, it was a scene, people catching up with each other, sharing the vibe, you get the picture… For some of you, it’s tailgating and cheering on your team, reveling with your buddies; it’s even good when (Heaven forbid!) your team loses. We find our pilgrimages in concert venues, theaters, stadiums, galleries…

It’s about community. One of my favorite Buddhist words is ‘muditta,’ which translates roughly into ‘sympathetic joy.’ It’s the joy you express as you celebrate someone else’s good fortune. This word beautifully captures what the Torah’s command is about. Celebrating a pilgrimage festival in ancient Jerusalem must have been an amazing scene, an oceanic throng of our people
visiting the Temple, admiring the city’s beauty.

How do we express this joy? We visit each other in the sukkah (Macon, Milledgeville, Warner Robins/Shul, Koplin, Rubinstein, Vickie, Wengier) – and we catch up with each other. I repeatedly note that Chag (חג) is a sibling to Haj ; both words refer to pilgrimage. Jews recharged their spiritual batteries in Jerusalem; Catholics – in Rome; Muslims – in Mecca. These events — and the tailgating and the Dead Shows and various music festivals — are transformative for the same reason: we catch up with fellow travelers. We are energized by the event. Community is a beacon which lifts our spirits.