Joodse traditie als permanent leren

213.

of Jacob¹ (Deut. 33:4); and the child lisped the letters as he ate the

honey, the cakes, and the other delicacies, that the words of the Law

might be sweet in his lips. The child was then handed over to the arms

149

of his mother, who had stood by during this delightful scene'.

VOORBEELD 6 : De viering van het beëindigen van een studieperiode in het leerhuis (19e eeuw).

Het hieronder geciteerde feest vond een kleine anderhalve eeuw geleden plaats in het Russische Bosk ter gelegenheid van het beëindigen van een bepaald studieonderdeel en het beginnen met een ander onderdeel van het studieprogramma van het leerhuis. Ik citeer uit Goldman (1975), p. x i x:

'On Tuesday, the fifth of Nisan 5603 ((1843)) there was held a great feast by the Hevrah Aggadata. It was both a feast and a festival, and we rejoiced at the simhah shel mitzvah ((vreugde van de mitzvah)) that God had aided us to study and to complete the Aggadata. May God further help us to study and to teach, to observe and to do. We celebrated for two whole days. On Tuesday we finished the Aggadata, and we made a party and a festive day. We invited 123 guests, not counting the musicians and the fifteen beadles. Four different and elaborate courses were served. The food was so plentiful that it was left over on the plates. If a man had not eaten in three days, he had more than enough to eat. The musicians were stationed in the women's gallery of the synagogue. Our joy was exceedingly great. Wine poured like water - some pouring it into their throats and others on the floor. On Wednesday we began anew the study of the Aggadata, and we obligated ourselves to study the Ein Yaakov. On that day, too, we made a great feast. The people made merry with trumpets and violins until it seemed the earth would split with the noise. The people who stood outside envied us our joy and our simhah shel mitzvah'.

De hier beschreven feestelijke afsluiting, meteen gevolgd door de aanzet tot een nieuw begin (permanent leren I), heet syum^Dit zelfde verschijnsel van feestelijk afsluiten en meteen weer beginnen, maar dan in het groot, treffen we aan bij het Simhat Torah-feest ('Vreugde