If you open Rav Kook’s prayer book, Olat Re’iyah, and turn to the end of the celebratory Hakafot of Simchat Torah, you will encounter the verse:
הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ כִּי דַם עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם וְנָקָם יָשִׁיב לְצָרָיו וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ.
“O nations, sing out in praise of His people! For He will avenge the blood of His servants, inflict revenge upon His adversaries, and appease His land and His people.” (Deut. 32:43)
It seems out of place — what are these words doing here? What is the connection of this verse to the joy of Simchat Torah?
The Songs of the Jewish Soldiers
In B'kol HaNe'vuah, Rabbi David HaKohen, Rav Kook’s devoted disciple, offers a vivid portrayal of how Rav Kook would sing and rejoice on Simchat Torah. During Zman Simchateinu, “the time of our rejoicing,” he recalls, “our master would dance beautiful dances.”
Surrounded by students and visitors, Rav Kook would sing the songs of the Jewish soldiers conscripted by Tsar Nicholas — boys as young as twelve forced to serve twenty-five brutal years in the Russian army. Those songs of defiance and faith, embodying the eternal bond between Israel and God, were part of the celebration of Simchat Torah. Rav Kook intertwined the suffering and steadfast loyalty of the Jewish soldiers with the joy of Simchat Torah, the joy of Netzach Yisrael.
After the dancing, Rav Kook would ascend the platform of the holy ark and deliver lofty discourses on the inner meaning of the holiday.
Simchat Torah, 1929
But it wasn’t just the pain of past sufferings he brought into that sacred celebration. He also incorporated more recent tragedies.
A terrible sadness marked the holiday of Simchat Torah after 1929. The air was thick with grief following the horrific Arab riots and the massacre in Hebron that year, tragedies that shook the land to its core.
How could anyone sing? How could anyone dance?
When Rav Kook entered the circle of the first Hakafah that Simchat Torah, he began singing with holy fervor: “O nations, sing out in praise of His people!”
Why will the nations of the world sing out Israel’s praise?
This verse appears at the conclusion of the Song of Ha’azinu, the song that speaks of the unfolding drama of Jewish history. When God will bring justice upon those who oppressed and subjugated His people, the nations will stand in awe. They will look upon Israel with amazement, marveling at a people who, despite centuries of persecution and unimaginable trials, never wavered in their devotion.
Rashi writes that the nations will proclaim: “See how praiseworthy this nation is! See how they clung to the Holy One, even in the face of suffering. They did not abandon Him, aware of God’s protection and justice.”
The verse concludes that God “will avenge the blood of His servants... and appease His land and His people.” As Rashi explains, “He will appease His people for the suffering they endured, for the wrongs their enemies inflicted upon them.”
Hearing Rav Kook sing “Harninu goyim,” streams of tears flowed from the eyes of the crowd. Immediately a mighty circle formed. With hearts bleeding and eyes shedding tears, the melody caught on, sweeping up the entire congregation. The circle that formed was a gathering of souls, bound together in shared grief and hope.
In that dance, Rav Kook showed that our joy is not naïve. It acknowledges our suffering, yet transcends it, drawing on our faith that the Eternal One of Israel, who has carried His people through the trials of history, will bring us healing and redemption.
(Adapted from Moadei HaRe’iyah, pp. 124-125)
