Let Us Dance Even More: The First Anniversary of the Hamas Slaughter

October 25, 2024
Jewish men dance with Torah scrolls on Simchat Torah in Jerusalem (Shutterstock.com)
Jewish men dance with Torah scrolls on Simchat Torah in Jerusalem (Shutterstock.com)

For most people, the Hamas massacre of over 1,200 innocent Israelis one year ago is known simply as “October 7th.” And so, a few weeks ago, thousands of Jews, Christians and other good people gathered together at ceremonies across the world to mark the day and memorialize the victims of Hamas’ brutal assault. 

But for traditional Jews, the true anniversary of this attack is today – the festival of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah that marks the end of the Sukkot festival. October 7th is the secular anniversary of the attack, but according to the traditional biblical calendar, today is the “yahrzeit,” the anniversary of the attack. Hamas did not choose a random day to overrun the border. They chose to attack and slaughter Jews on the very day of Simchat Torah, the day of “The Joy of the Torah,” when we traditionally dance for hours while holding Torah scrolls and celebrate the completion of another year of reading the Five Books of Moses.

For months, traditional Jews have asked themselves: can we possibly dance on Simchat Torah this year? Is it possible, or even appropriate, to joyously hold the Torah scroll in our arms as thousands of families observe the first anniversary of their loved ones’ deaths?

The answer, I believe, is a resounding YES.

The Hamas attack on October 7th was not only an act of unbelievably evil physical cruelty. It was also an attempt to destroy Jewish identity – Judaism itself. Hamas immediately named their war against Israel the “Al Aqsa Flood.” Al-Aqsa is the name of the mosque that sits atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem – the holiest site of the Jewish people – about 50 miles away from the Gaza border. Though Israel liberated the Old City of Jerusalem after Jordan invaded the Jewish state in 1967, Israel allowed Jordan to maintain control over the day-to-day administration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Jordanian Waqf, a branch of Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf Islamic Affairs and Holy Places. 

After its brutal attack, Hamas leaders issued a document listing its many grievances against Israel and justifying the October 7 slaughter. The first reason listed is “The Israeli Judaization plans to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, its temporal and spatial division attempts, as well as the intensification of the Israeli settlers’ incursions into the holy mosque.” In other words, Hamas’ goal is to prevent the Judaization of the Temple Mount and all of Israel. They wish to wipe not only the Jews, but Judaism itself, off the face of this earth.

But if their goal was to destroy the Jewish spirit and Jewish identity, they have failed – and failed miserably! Hamas attacked us on the day we celebrate the Torah, with the goal of destroying the Torah itself. But the opposite has occurred. In defiance of our enemies, Jews across Israel and throughout the world are returning to the Torah, the Hebrew Bible. Assimilated Jews who know little about their heritage are awakening and embracing their Jewish identity. Our enemies awakened the sleeping lion within – and God’s people are fighting back.

Today, we will not cry in despair. We will not stop dancing. No – we will dance with more passion and fire than we have ever danced before! This year, more Jews than ever before will gather together to hug and hold the Torah scrolls that are the secret to our strength and which guarantee our victory. There is no better way to observe this day than to dance with joy while holding tightly the Torah scrolls that have preserved us through all the generations.

On August 24, 1929, Arab mobs attacked the Jewish community of Hebron, slaughtering 69 Jews while raping and wounding many others. Many Jews were also murdered in other parts of the country. Understandably, the Jews of Israel were deeply traumatized by these events and many sank into despair. One month later, the Jewish community of Jerusalem, still in mourning, celebrated Simchat Torah together with their illustrious leader, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. Even as they began dancing together with the Torah, the sadness was evident and their hearts weren’t in it. 

Suddenly, Rabbi Kook began singing, loudly, over and over again, the following words:

For over an hour, Rabbi Kook and the congregation sang these words with great intensity, calling out to God to destroy the evil doers who had murdered His people. With every step, their sadness was transformed to resolve, and ultimately to joy. For they knew that if they hold onto God’s Torah, the Jewish people cannot be defeated. Days are coming. God will avenge His people and bring joy and peace back to His land.

Please, join us today – not in mourning, but in dance. God is with us, and He will avenge the blood of His servants. Our victory is assured!

After Hamas terrorists slaughtered over 1,200 Israelis on October 7, an unholy alliance of Islamic jihadists and progressive activists joined together to fight an unholy war against the Bible. In The War Against the Bible, Rabbi Mischel offers a prophetic perspective on these dramatic events through the words of the Hebrew Bible itself. If you yearn for spiritual clarity amid today’s turbulence, let the power of the Hebrew Bible’s prophecies and call to action strengthen your faith. Click here to get your copy of The War Against the Bible: Ishmael, Esau and Israel at the End Times now!

Rabbi Elie Mischel

Rabbi Elie Mischel is the Director of Education at Israel365. Before making Aliyah in 2021, he served as the Rabbi of Congregation Suburban Torah in Livingston, NJ. He also worked for several years as a corporate attorney at Day Pitney, LLP. Rabbi Mischel received rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. Rabbi Mischel also holds a J.D. from the Cardozo School of Law and an M.A. in Modern Jewish History from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. He is also the editor of HaMizrachi Magazine.

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