Observance of Simchat Torah begins with the evening service. גם חבה יתירה חבב את השבטים. In the synagogue service, the weekly parshah is followed by a passage from the prophets, which is referred to as a haftarah. — [Sifrei 33:2] The praise with which Moses commenced, mentions the merit of Israel. On Simchat Torah, Jews complete their annual, public reading of the weekly Torah portion and subsequently start back up with Genesis 1. They circle the reading table, and worshippers take turns throughout the morning to allow as many people as possible to carry the scroll before the morning readings begin. 2b]. 1: Deuteronomy 33:1-7 2: Deuteronomy 33:8-12 3: Deuteronomy 33:13-17 4: Deuteronomy 33:18-21 5: Deuteronomy 33:22-26 . [Why did God then come from Paran?] 11 October, 2020. אשר צוה לנו משה מורשה היא לקהלת יעקב, אחזנוה ולא נעזבנה: And He was King in Jeshurun, whenever the sum total of the people were gathered, and the tribes of Israel were together. Simchat Torah (שמחת תורה) - This holiday marks the completion of the Torah reading cycle for the year. Torah Reading for Simchat Torah. Therefore, on Simchat Torah, the day on which we read of Moses’ physical passing, we should wholeheartedly rejoice in the eternity of his teachings, emblemized by one of the signature songs of Simchat Torah: “Moshe emet, v’Torato emet!” – “Moses is truth, and his Torah is truth!” It is a joyous time to celebrate the end and the beginning. בכל התאסף ראשי חשבון אסיפתם. After this he prepares for his death. The word תֻּכּוּ is in the passive conjugation, which has the meaning: הִתְוַכּוּ, “They [allowed themselves] to be placed right in the middle (תּוֹךְ)” [of the underside of the mountain], between Your feet. The event is marked with great rejoicing, especially _____ 85 Shavuot: The Harvest of Blessings — [see Sifrei 33:7]. Sim Shalom: 138-142. In One Breath. Simchat Torah (Day of Celebrating the Torah) for Hebrew Year 5781 began on Saturday, 10 October 2020 and ended on Sunday, 11 October 2020. ומפני מה לא ייחד לו ברכה בפני עצמו, שהיה בלבו עליו על מה שעשה בשטים, כן כתוב באגדת תהלים: Kabbalah, Chassidism and Jewish Mysticism. דבר אחר אש דת כתרגומו, שנתנה להם מתוך האש: Indeed, You showed love for peoples; all his holy ones are in Your hand, for they let themselves be centered at Your feet, bearing Your utterances. כל אחד ואחד קרוי עם, שהרי בנימין לבדו היה עתיד להוולד כשאמר הקב"ה ליעקב (בראשית לה, יא) גוי וקהל גוים יהיה ממך: [This refers to] the souls of the righteous, which are hidden away with God, as it is said, “But my lord’s soul shall be bound up in the bundle of life, with the Lord, your God” (. ועמו מקצת רבבות מלאכי קדש, ולא כולם ולא רובם, ולא כדרך בשר ודם שמראה כל כבוד עשרו ותפארתו ביום חופתו: It was originally written before God in [letters of] black fire upon [a background of] white fire. whenever the sum total of the people were gathered: At every gathering of רָאשֵׁי - meaning, whenever their number is gathered. טיי"ש פורפרלידורי"ש בלע"ז [דיבורך]. שהלך שם ופתח לבני ישמעאל שיקבלוה, ולא רצו: With God were only some of the myriads of His holy angels, but not all of them, nor [even] most of them. פתח תחלה בשבחו של מקום ואחר כך פתח בצרכיהם של ישראל. The reading is divided up into two parts. Uncover the deepest meanings of Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret. The portion concludes with the people mourning the death of Moses, and short eulogy stressing the uniqueness of Moses as a prophet. Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12: The Death of Moses, Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah Theology and Themes, History of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Tischri, dem ersten Monat des jüdischen Kalenders, im September oder Oktober gefeiert in Israel und in denjenigen Reformgemeinden, wo Schemini Azeret nur … ואונקלוס תרגם שהיו נוסעים על פי דבריך, והמ"ם בו שמוש משמשת לשון מן. What these holidays that follow Sukkot are about. This [matter, that the incident involving Bilhah should not exclude Reuben from being counted together with his brothers] is similar to what is said: “[And Reuben went] and lay with Bilhah… and Jacob’s sons were twelve” (. We complete the cycle, and immediately begin the new cycle, reading from the first Torah Portion – Bereshit. Simchat Torah is a celebratory Jewish holiday that marks the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle. וַיֹּאמַ֗ר יְהֹוָ֞ה מִסִּינַ֥י בָּא֙ וְזָרַ֤ח מִשֵּׂעִיר֙ לָ֔מוֹ הוֹפִ֨יעַ֙ מֵהַ֣ר פָּארָ֔ן וְאָתָ֖ה מֵרִֽבְבֹ֣ת קֹ֑דֶשׁ מִֽימִינ֕וֹ אֵ֥שׁ דָּ֖ת, Moses initiated his blessing by praising the Omnipresent, and then he addressed the needs of Israel. The first Torah reading for Simchat Torah. — [Sifrei 33:2]. WHAT IS SIMCHAT TORAH. Torah Reading for Simchat Torah. וְזֹ֣את לִֽיהוּדָה֘ וַיֹּאמַר֒ שְׁמַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ ק֣וֹל יְהוּדָ֔ה וְאֶל־עַמּ֖וֹ תְּבִיאֶ֑נּוּ יָדָיו֙ רָ֣ב ל֔וֹ וְעֵ֥זֶר מִצָּרָ֖יו תִּֽהְיֶֽה: He juxtaposed Judah to Reuben, because they both confessed to the wrong they had done, as it is said, “that wise men have told… to them alone… and no stranger passed between them” (. Sukkot, Hoshana Rabba, and Shemini Atzeret Torah readings are from Leviticus 22-23, Numbers 29, and Deuteronomy 14-16. רָאשֵׁי as in the verse,“When you take the count (רֹאשׁ) of the children of Israel” (. Simchat Torah Reading. וַיְהִ֥י בִֽישֻׁר֖וּן מֶ֑לֶךְ בְּהִתְאַסֵּף֙ רָ֣אשֵׁי עָ֔ם יַ֖חַד שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: i.e., the yoke of God’s sovereignty was always upon them. 1st Portion: (Deuteronomy 33:1-7) Show content in: English Both Hebrew. נמנין במנין שאר אחיו, דוגמא היא זו כענין שנאמר (בראשית לה, כב) וישכב את בלהה ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר, שלא יצא מן המנין: May this [also be] for Judah." When the ark is opened to take out the Torah for the Torah reading, all the scrolls are again removed from the ark and the congregation again starts the seven hakafot just like in the evening. Simchat Torah is a time of much rejoicing in Jewish synagogues. Latest Rituals. Simchat Torah is time of mystical, transcendent fun. Simchat Torah is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the end of the annual cycle of Torah readings, and marks the beginning of a new annual cycle. Create. Known in Hebrew as “Ve-zot Ha-berachah,” “this is the blessing,” Moses offers a blessing to the tribes of Israel. על יהושפט התפלל על מלחמת רמות גלעד, (דה"ב יח, לא) _If you stop trying, you might fail yourself in life. Erev Simchat Torah – ערב שמחת תורה TORAH Portion: Deuteronomy 33:1 – 33:26. Simchat Torah (lit. Kabbalat Shabbat Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbat (Psalm 92) Tzadik KaTamar (Psalm 92) Od Yenuvun B'Seivah (Psalm 92) Adonai Malakh Gei'ut Laveish (Psalm 93) MiKolot Mayim Rabim (Psalm … SHALOM! On Simchat Torah (שמחת תורה, “Joyous celebration of the Torah”), the order of weekly readings is completed, and the day is celebrated with various customs involving the Torah. Copyright © 2002-2021 My Jewish Learning. The first reading for Simchat Torah is taken from the very end of the Torah. However you interpret our sacred text, celebrating the Torah’s centrality to the evolving civilization of the Jewish people is important. ועוד פירשו רבותינו, שכל ארבעים שנה שהיו ישראל במדבר היו עצמות יהודה מתגלגלים בארון מפני נדוי שקבל עליו, שנאמר (בראשית מד, לב) וחטאתי לאבי כל הימים, אמר משה מי גרם לראובן שיודה יהודה וכו': [I.e., Also, hear the prayer of Judah’s descendants:] The prayer of David and Solomon, and the prayer of Asa because of the Ethiopians, and that of Jehoshaphat on account of the Ammonites, and that of Hezekiah because of Sennacherib. — [see Tanchuma 5] And these were their words: מקבלים גזרותיך ודתותיך בשמחה. ובשבח שפתח בו יש בו הזכרת זכות לישראל וכל זה דרך ריצוי הוא, כלומר כדאי הם אלו שתחול עליהם ברכה: He came out toward them when they came to stand at the foot of the mountain, as a bridegroom goes forth to greet his bride, as it is said, “[And Moses brought the people forth] toward God” (. סמך יהודה לראובן, מפני ששניהם הודו על קלקול שבידם, שנאמר (איוב טו, יח - יט) אשר חכמים יגידו וגו' להם לבדם וגו' ולא עבר זר בתוכם. Page References: Koren Sacks: 161-163. כל צדיקיהם וטוביהם דבקו בך ולא משו מאחריך ואתה שומרם: for they let themselves be centered at your feet: And they placed themselves right in the middle of, and entered beneath Your [protective] shadow; And they gladly accepted Your decrees and Your laws. Enumeration of the children of Israel ” ( תכו עצמן לתוך תחתית ההר לרגלך בסיני והמ ם. Observance of Simchat Torah people of the congregation leap and shout as they dance in procession behind carrying! Der Diaspora wird er als zweiter Tag des Schemini Azeret-Festes am 23 leap and as!, Hoshana Rabba, and short eulogy stressing the uniqueness of Moses, Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah Theology and Themes History... Communities have hakafot without subsequently reading the Torah reading cycle for the year verses. Is begun again from the prophets, which is referred to as a prophet dance hakafot! שמוש משמשת לשון מן which he sees the Promised Land and takes his final breath part read. 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