Pepys and Simchas Torah

There's a famous passage from Samuel Pepys' memoirs describing his visit to a shul on Simchas Torah.  This took place in 1663, not long after Cromwell allowed Jews to openly live in Britain, a process which began in 1653.

(For the benefit of readers that might want to talk about this, please note that the name is pronounced Peeps. Pepys was a prominent Parliamentarian and very successful Chief of the Royal Navy. His enduring fame is based on the diary he wrote as a young man.) 

In this passage, Pepys derisively, mockingly, describes what he saw. 

Wednesday 14 October 1663

Up and to my office, where all the morning, and part of it Sir J. Minnes spent, as he do every thing else, like a fool, reading the Anatomy of the body to me, but so sillily as to the making of me understand any thing that I was weary of him, and so I toward the ‘Change and met with Mr. Grant, and he and I to the Coffee-house, where I understand by him that Sir W. Petty and his vessel are coming, and the King intends to go to Portsmouth to meet it. Thence home and after dinner my wife and I, by Mr. Rawlinson’s conduct, to the Jewish Synagogue: where the men and boys in their vayles, and the women behind a lattice out of sight; and some things stand up, which I believe is their Law, in a press to which all coming in do bow; and at the putting on their vayles do say something, to which others that hear him do cry Amen, and the party do kiss his vayle. Their service all in a singing way, and in Hebrew. And anon their Laws that they take out of the press are carried by several men, four or five several burthens in all, and they do relieve one another; and whether it is that every one desires to have the carrying of it, I cannot tell, thus they carried it round about the room while such a service is singing. And in the end they had a prayer for the King, which they pronounced his name in Portugall; but the prayer, like the rest, in Hebrew. But, Lord! to see the disorder, laughing, sporting, and no attention, but confusion in all their service, more like brutes than people knowing the true God, would make a man forswear ever seeing them more and indeed I never did see so much, or could have imagined there had been any religion in the whole world so absurdly performed as this. Away thence with my mind strongly disturbed with them, by coach and set down my wife in Westminster Hall, and I to White Hall, and there the Tangier Committee met, but the Duke and the Africa Committee meeting in our room, Sir G. Carteret; Sir W. Compton, Mr. Coventry, Sir W. Rider, Cuttance and myself met in another room, with chairs set in form but no table, and there we had very fine discourses of the business of the fitness to keep Sally, and also of the terms of our King’s paying the Portugees that deserted their house at Tangier, which did much please me, and so to fetch my wife, and so to the New Exchange about her things, and called at Thomas Pepys the turner’s and bought something there, and so home to supper and to bed, after I had been a good while with Sir W. Pen, railing and speaking freely our minds against Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes, but no more than the folly of one and the knavery of the other do deserve.

I don't criticize Pepys for his insulting description of the Simchas Torah celebration. Jews were exotic and foreign, and he would be predisposed to view them as essentially incompatible with British culture. He had a sharp tongue, and his religious experience was one of silent decorum. He did not know that he was visiting on Simchas Torah, and that a visit on Rosh HaShannah might have left a very different impression.  What matters to me is that when I read this to my friends at the Kiddush, a good friend pointed out that in the Breuer's kehilla in the old days, the only people to "dance" were Rav Breuer and the president, Dr. Moller. Their dance was, and I'm not making this up, a Minuet. (Here's an example.) I find that hard to believe, but I'm only reporting what I was told. Even if it wasn't exactly a Minuet, the term conveys that it was an antique, deliberate, and rigidly formal dance.

Simchas Torah in Washington Heights has changed. The family is so offended by the decline in manners that they refuse to attend the Simchas Torah dancing in their shul.

The person that mentioned this strongly implied that he agreed with Pepys, and that the dancing and celebration that we know is foolish and not respectful. Of course, this led to a frank and forthright "discussion" about how Jewish Kehillos are influenced by their milieu, and whether the reserve of the Yekkes or Polish/Hungarian enthusiasm is a better and more "pure" exemplar of "True Jewish Culture."  I don't care for this kind of speculation, and I believe that you should do as your community does, and not hold yourself off to the side and look down your nose at everyone else. As long as it is not outside the Halacha, it's healthier to be like everyone else in the community, whether you approve of what they do or not.

More interesting is the obvious echo of the episode of Dovid Hamelech and Michal when the Aron was brought back. 

This is from Sefaria, Shmuel II 6:20.

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דָוִ֛ד מְכַרְכֵּ֥ר בְּכָל־עֹ֖ז לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְדָוִ֕ד חָג֖וּר אֵפ֥וֹד בָּֽד׃

David whirled with all his might before the LORD; David was girt with a linen ephod.

15

וְדָוִד֙ וְכָל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מַעֲלִ֖ים אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֑ה בִּתְרוּעָ֖ה וּבְק֥וֹל שׁוֹפָֽר׃

Thus David and all the House of Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD with shouts and with blasts of the horn.

16

וְהָיָה֙ אֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֔ה בָּ֖א עִ֣יר דָּוִ֑ד וּמִיכַ֨ל בַּת־שָׁא֜וּל נִשְׁקְפָ֣ה ׀ בְּעַ֣ד הַחַלּ֗וֹן וַתֵּ֨רֶא אֶת־הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ דָּוִד֙ מְפַזֵּ֤ז וּמְכַרְכֵּר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַתִּ֥בֶז ל֖וֹ בְּלִבָּֽהּ׃

As the Ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him for it.

17

וַיָּבִ֜אוּ אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֗ה וַיַּצִּ֤גוּ אֹתוֹ֙ בִּמְקוֹמ֔וֹ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָאֹ֔הֶל אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָטָה־ל֖וֹ דָּוִ֑ד וַיַּ֨עַל דָּוִ֥ד עֹל֛וֹת לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וּשְׁלָמִֽים׃

They brought in the Ark of the LORD and set it up in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the LORD.

18

וַיְכַ֣ל דָּוִ֔ד מֵהַעֲל֥וֹת הָעוֹלָ֖ה וְהַשְּׁלָמִ֑ים וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם בְּשֵׁ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃

When David finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Hosts.

19

וַיְחַלֵּ֨ק לְכָל־הָעָ֜ם לְכָל־הֲמ֣וֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לְמֵאִ֣ישׁ וְעַד־אִשָּׁה֒ לְאִ֗ישׁ חַלַּ֥ת לֶ֙חֶם֙ אַחַ֔ת וְאֶשְׁפָּ֣ר אֶחָ֔ד וַאֲשִׁישָׁ֖ה אֶחָ֑ת וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אִ֥ישׁ לְבֵיתֽוֹ׃

And he distributed among all the people—the entire multitude of Israel, man and woman alike—to each a loaf of bread, a cake made in a pan, and a raisin cake. Then all the people left for their homes.

20

וַיָּ֥שָׁב דָּוִ֖ד לְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ וַתֵּצֵ֞א מִיכַ֤ל בַּת־שָׁאוּל֙ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֔ד וַתֹּ֗אמֶר מַה־נִּכְבַּ֨ד הַיּ֜וֹם מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִגְלָ֤ה הַיּוֹם֙ לְעֵינֵ֨י אַמְה֣וֹת עֲבָדָ֔יו כְּהִגָּל֥וֹת נִגְל֖וֹת אַחַ֥ד הָרֵקִֽים׃

David went home to greet his household. And Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “Didn’t the king of Israel do himself honor today—exposing himself today in the sight of the slavegirls of his subjects, as one of the riffraff might expose himself!”

21

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִד֮ אֶל־מִיכַל֒ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּֽחַר־בִּ֤י מֵֽאָבִיךְ֙ וּמִכָּל־בֵּית֔וֹ לְצַוֺּ֨ת אֹתִ֥י נָגִ֛יד עַל־עַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְשִׂחַקְתִּ֖י לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

David answered Michal, “It was before the LORD who chose me instead of your father and all his family and appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel! I will dance before the LORD

22

וּנְקַלֹּ֤תִי עוֹד֙ מִזֹּ֔את וְהָיִ֥יתִי שָׁפָ֖ל בְּעֵינָ֑י וְעִם־הָֽאֲמָהוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְתְּ עִמָּ֖ם אִכָּבֵֽדָה׃

and dishonor myself even more, and be low in my own esteem; but among the slavegirls that you speak of I will be honored.”

23

וּלְמִיכַל֙ בַּת־שָׁא֔וּל לֹֽא־הָ֥יָה לָ֖הּ יָ֑לֶד עַ֖ד י֥וֹם מוֹתָֽהּ׃ (פ)

So to her dying day Michal daughter of Saul had no children.

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Also, let us remember the Rambam's description of the Simchas Beis HaShoeiva in the Beis HaMikdash:

Based on the Mishna in Sukkah 51a, that

 חסידים ואנשי מעשה היו מרקדין בפניהם באבוקות של אור שבידיהן ואומרים לפניהם דברי שירות ותושבחות, 

the Rambam in Lulav 8:14 says

מצוה להרבות בשמחה זו. ולא היו עושין אותה עמי הארץ וכל מי שירצה. אלא גדולי חכמי ישראל וראשי הישיבות והסנהדרין והחסידים והזקנים ואנשי מעשה הם שהיו מרקדין ומספקין ומנגנין ומשמחין במקדש בימי חג הסוכות. אבל כל העם האנשים והנשים כולן באין לראות ולשמוע:

Davka, like in Breuer's, the leaders of the Kahal, not everyone.  

On the other hand, the dancing, the juggling of torches, the excitement, the jumping and the celebration described in the Gemara in Sukkah is absolutely not "the Minuet."

So, back to Pepys, the Yekkes, my friend, and Simchas Torah, who was "right?"  Rav Rudderman told me that in Slabodkeh, the Alter would give his talmidim a tablespoon of Vodka to celebrate Purim, and in Volozhin there was no singing at all, even on Shabbos. (Rabbi Bukspan says that the nusach the Alter used when offering a spoonful of mashke was "Reb so-and-so is mechubed mit a leffel.... ")  There is no right or wrong. You do what your community does, and you sincerely follow your path to Dveikus. But I certainly do insist that whatever you do, do it with all your heart, and remember that there might be more important things than proudly maintaining the detachment and aloofness (really, the painful self consciousness,) of the pure rationalist.