Simchat Torah: Celebration vs. Mourning

As the day of Simchat Torah approaches, the dilemma is clear: should we celebrate it as we do every year, or should we change course and mark it as a day of remembrance for the horrific tragedy that occurred the previous year? Many have different ideas and approaches, with some advocating for one perspective over the other, while others suggest observing both—celebrating the day while acknowledging the sadness. We will try to clarify the Torah approach on this matter.

The halacha addresses a few cases that we can relate to our matter. Let's consider what a person who lost a parent on a holiday should do regarding celebrating the chag on the yahrzeit, and whether the yahrzeit takes precedence. The halacha permits such a person to celebrate the holiday regularly and even listen to music on Chol Hamoed.

Another example, one whose relative passed away on the holiday may not begin avelut (mourning), even though the obligation of avelut is from the Torah on the first day. The joy of the holiday overrides it (O.H. 548).

Now, there is a distinction between a person who lost a relative, which is stricter, and a national catastrophic event, which is treated more leniently as it’s not personal. Accordingly, one may surely celebrate the holiday, even though sad events occurred the year before.

We also need to acknowledge that, unfortunately, during the difficult galut, our nation has experienced many tragedies, many of which occurred during holidays. Still, we celebrate those days regularly and do not allow that sadness to override or overtake the day. For that reason, we set aside a special day, Tisha B'Av, to remember and mark all the tragedies of Am Yisrael.

Another important point is that the celebration of Simchat Torah is considered avodah; it is not done for our own happiness or joy, but one must be happy for the sake of the mitzvah and Hashem. The Vilna Gaon once said that the mitzvah to be happy on the chag is one of the hardest mitzvot, as it requires one to control their emotions and feel happy even at times when they do not naturally feel that way.

Still, it is important to mention the loss we experienced, either during the tefilah or Torah reading, just like many recite Yizkoron holidays and do not consider it an interruption of the celebration.

This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel