The Juggling Rabbi

Before I became the ‘Traveling Rabbi’ I was known as the Juggling Rabbi. I used my juggling skills to perform at Simchat Beit Hashoeva on Sukkot.

“When sacrifices were offered in the Holy Temple, there was also a special pouring of wine and oil at the altar. On Sukkot there was also a special ceremony entailing the pouring of water.

The water was drawn the night beforehand from the Shiloach spring, and this was done with great joy and happiness, with singing and dancing. This was called “Simchat Beit Hashoeva” — the “joy of the drawing.” Today’s Simchat Beit Hashoeva is a commemoration of that one, and a fulfillment of the Mitzvah to rejoice on the holiday of Sukkot.” (From ask Moses.com)

My fire spinning and juggling also came in handy on Lag B’omer:

We celebrate Lag B’Omer by having bonfires for family and friends, while some Jewish people may choose to get married on this day. This is because mourning practices that occur during the Omer period are lifted on this date. Some children play with bows, which represent rainbows. Some people eat carobs on this day in memory of a story about a carob tree that miraculously grew to provide sustenance for a rabbi known as Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai (whose teacher was Rabbi Akiba) and his son Elazar…

And of course at weddings. It is a great mitzvah to cause joy to the chatan and kalah.

Some Talmud Kiddushim… Rav would juggle R Yehuda bar Ilui would throw torches in the air at weddings..

These were very holy Tanaim, that were capable of being mechayeh mesim (resurrecting the dead)… who stopped from their Torah study just to dance for the the new couple…

So I guess it is good sometimes to juggle!