Now it is time for “Jacob” to take all the spiritual treasures he has amassed in these few weeks, and “go on his way” back into the mundane world. On Simchat Torah, the day on which we literally celebrate the Torah, we read the very end of Deuteronomy and the very beginning of Genesis. When the reader reads the story of creation, he pauses before the conclusion of each of the six days of creation for the congregation to chant, “There was evening and there was morning, the (number) day!” after which the reader reads those words from the Torah. . Just as God is eternal, the Torah is also eternal. . The Torah is read. In many communities it is customary for a tallit to be spread over the heads of the Chatan Torah and Chatan Bereishit during the course of their aliyot (such is not the Chabad custom). There are different customs regarding eating in the Sukkah on Shmini Atzeret. “Although it focuses on the Torah (the five books of Moses), Simchat Torah is, ironically, not a holiday found in Scripture itself,” says Rabbi Levi Welton. She is also an integral part of CBN News’ award-winning show, Jerusalem Dateline, a weekly news program providing a biblical and prophetic perspective to what is happening in Israel and the Middle East. 2) After reading and learning the whole Torah during the past year, and completing it on Simchat Torah, a “new radiance” is added to the Torah; it is renewed. Service Zoom. In other synagogues, the congregation will divide into smaller groups, and several Torah readings will take place concurrently. Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East. The next two aliyot will conclude the Torah (Deuteronomy 33:27–34:12), and then (from the second Torah scroll) begin the new cycle of the reading from the beginning of Genesis. Friday, October 9 at 8:00p.m. Throughout the year, a set portion of the Torah is read each week. that God gave His people on Mount Sinai.. . "I suggest that ability and willingness to pay large sums should not on their own be appropriate criteria, unless allied with other worthy qualities of character, and I suggest you should make this clear. See this link for information regarding when exactly the holiday candles should be lit. With covid restrictions in place, the Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah . Three Torahs are then taken out for the Torah reading. We are permitted to cook (using a pre-existing flame) and to carry outdoors (except on Shabbat). Simchat Torah is observed on the 22nd day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Jewish Calendar. She is also an integral part of CBN News’ award-winning show. On Simchat Torah that cycle is finished when the last verses of Deuteronomy are read. This is a major holiday (yom tov), when most forms of work are prohibited. Canada, Australia, United kingdom, United states This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day” (Leviticus 23:36 NLT. In yet other—larger—congregations, several people together will be called up to the Torah to share an aliyah. 16:15).We celebrate the completion of the Torah by … , a weekly news program providing a biblical and prophetic perspective to what is happening in Israel and the Middle East. Borovitz said Simchat Torah – which, according to Reform custom, will be celebrated next Sunday night – draws nearly 400 people to the shul. After the hakafot, everyone goes home and enjoys a traditional holiday meal. Friday, 9 October 2020 | Once a year, Israel sets aside a day devoted specifically to delight in God’s Word. The problem is, there are only eight aliyot available (the five standard holiday aliyot, Chatan Torah, Chatan Bereishit, and maftir), and at least ten men—and usually more. another holy book. (It is acceptable for these aliyot, too, to be shared by several individuals. Rabbinic tradition teaches that Shemini Atzeret is the day when the world is judged for water, or rainfall, in the upcoming year. Instead, it’s blended with Shemini Atzeret (“the eighth day of assembly”). These two occasions are also observed as two separate days among many Jewish com… After dark, all women and girls (or if there is no adult woman in the house, the head of the household) light candles to usher in the holiday. The Leshev baSukkah blessing is not recited though.For more on this topic, see A Deeper Look at Shemini Atzeret. Simchat Torah is generally celebrated on the same day as Shemini Atzeret in Israel and among Reform Jewish groups. It is a joyous time to celebrate the end and the beginning. A Hebrew speaker, she has been covering news in Israel full-time for more than 20 years. In most Jewish communities, the Torah is read on Simchat Torah night—actually the only occasion when the Torah is read at night. In 2020, Simchat Torah (which comes on the heels Shemini Atzeret) begins at nightfall on Oct. 10 and ends the following night. . The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the, . year. The holiday of Simchat Torah is a great invention of the Jewish People in their Exile. In Orthodox and Conservative communities outside Israel, Shemini Atzeret is a two-day holiday and the Simchat Torah festivities are observed on the second day. Holding the ceremonial cup of wine for Kiddush or, © Copyright, all rights reserved. For this reason, Simchat Torah is a joyous holiday celebrating the completion of the study of God's word and … Are you permitted to eat in the Sukkah on the erev of these holidays ( or lunches too)? Some eat the night meal in the home and the day meal in the sukkah; some don't eat at all in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeret, and yet others make kiddush in the Sukkah and eat some baked goods there, and finish the meal in the house. Celebrate Simhat Torah 5781/2020. After dark, all... Evening Prayers, Hakafot & Holiday Meal. We hope everyone stays safe and we will be able to be together next year. . There are several solutions for this issue. Simchat Torah is celebrated in the synagogue with specific rituals and readings from the Torah in the evening and morning. So, this Simchat Torah, join the Jewish people around the world and take a moment to thank God for His Word. In Israel, both Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret are celebrated on the same day, while outside of Israel in the Diaspora, they are celebrated as two days—first Shemini Atzeret, followed by Simchat Torah. Photo: Melanie Boisvert (none of the photos were taken on Simchat Torah). If Simchat Torah is on a Friday, this proclamation waits until after the evening services of Saturday night. "Because these aliyot are in such demand, they are often given to individuals who pledge to donate substantial sums of money to charity. The highlight of this holiday (which means “The Joy of the Torah”) is the hakafot, held on both the eve and the morning of Simchat Torah, in which we march and dance with the Torah scrolls around the reading table in the synagogue. This, however, is not Chabad custom. With the final verse, everyone rises to their feet, and at its conclusion all proclaim, “Chazak chazak venit’chazek!” (“Be strong! Hakafot on the night of Shmini Atzeret is a custom in some communites, including Chabad. Outside of Israel it is celebrarted on the day after Shmini Atzeret, the 9th day since the inception of Sukkot. Our vision is to change the global conversation about Israel and build bridges of hope and healing between Jews and Christians worldwide. However, when we read in Leviticus 23 concerning Sukkot, we find we are commanded to observe Sukkot for seven days, followed by a celebration of the eighth day. The first day is referred to as "Shemini Atzeret" and the second day as "Simchat Torah", although both days are officially Shemini Atzeret according to Halakha, and this is refle… Reply, simachat torah and shmini atzeret For we never, heaven forbid, finish the Torah; as soon as we conclude studying the Torah—G‑d’s infinite wisdom—on one level, we immediately start again, this time to discover new and loftier interpretations. The candles should be lit from an existing flame (such as a pilot flame or a yahrtzeit candle). Ahron Prober, ultra-Orthodox Israeli man celebrating Simchat Torah “In Simchat Torah, we celebrate our connection and longing to the Torah,” Prober says. . Newly invigorated and spiritually recharged, he can be assured that in the coming year he will have the strength and fortitude to unflinchingly confront all the challenges that life presents, and bring meaning and holiness to every area and situation that divine providence will send in his direction. Though only seven circles are required, the dancing and celebrating usually goes on much longer. The name "Shmini Atzeret" refers to the eighth day, or the extra day, that brings the seven-day Sukkot period to its state of perfection. Until this point, the Torah, we can not carry the Torah in public in the and. Shabbat ) sanctuary in seven circles called hakafot is followed by an independent holiday called Shemini.... Atzeret is the day continues with the permission of the entire nation once every seven years Sukkot. Celebrate Simchat Torah means “ rejoicing with the Torah and all it symbolizes, it ’ s of... 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