Moadim L’Simcha! Thursday at sundown begins Shavuot, the celebration of the gift of Torah at Mt. Sinai. It is a time of learning, of dedication to study and the consumption of cheesecake! Shavuot is also inextricably tied to another holiday- Simchat Torah. Why two Torah-centric holidays? Both are seasons of Joy, but the manner of celebration for each is different.The explanation is simple, really. Shavuot celebrates receiving the Torah, and anxious with anticipation, we can’t sleep and relieve the tension through text study. Like appetizers to the main course, we tempt our minds, breeding intellectual familiarity with Torah and openning our minds to its teachings. On Simchat Torah, we’ve just concluded a year reciting the most exciting book ever written, and the world’s oldest book club throws a collective bash! We’ve finished the meal, and now its time to dance- literally! The excitement is not just for having completed the Torah, but at the prospect of starting all over again!

Both Holidays are filled with joy, just different aspects of it. To put it another way, Shavuot is happiness expressed through intellectual curiousity, like falling in love at the begining of a relationship and wanting to learn everything about the person. Simchat Torah is the point in that relationship when you’ve realized that this is “the one” and its time for a very real, get-up-and-boogie-engagement party. Yes, the one with the Kool and the Gang song. Either time is a reason to celebrate, a time of joy.

Simcha (joy) is an important part of Judaism, and this time of joy in the calendar, plus the popularity of Matisyahu, are good excuse to talk about Hasidism, and specifically, the Breslover Hasidic sect, whose core concept is, you guessed it, “Simcha!” Best known for the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, its emphasis on “being happy” are a welcome breath of fresh air. That’s the guiding principal behind the sect’s best known musical ambassadors, Simply Tsfat

Simply Tsfat are three Breslov Chassidim, 2 Americans and one Israeli, 2 guitars and one violin whose aim is to spread the joy and inspiration of Breslov Chassidim. They bring a breath of fresh air from their home, the mystical city of Tsfat, where Kabbalah was born and tales of their famous Reebe, Nachman M’Uman.The trio’s fresh approach to Chassidic folk music applies violin virtuosity and a dash of flamenco guitar to melodies from the Breslover and other Chassidic tradition with a healthy dose of Chassidic storytelling. And in the tradition of their Rebbe, these holy brothers bring a sense of Simcha, joy, to every performance. They’ve become a highly popular performing group among Orthodox and Liberal audiences alike.

Simply Tsfat is planning three North American tours for the coming year:

  • September 10-17
  • November/December 2006
  • February 2007

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Shabbos Kodsheinu

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Lcha Dodi

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Melech Rachaman