Simchat Torah - Joy of the Torah

Tishrei is a month jammed-packed with holidays, from the spirituality and solemnity of the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to the joy of Sukkot. The final holiday in Tishrei is Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah, which is observed on the 22nd and 23rd of Tishrei. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated for two days outside of Israel and are celebrated on a single day, the 22nd of Tishrei in Israel.

Shemini Atzeret is also referred to as the Eighth Day of Assembly. Although it is quite common to think of Shemini Atzeret as the end of Sukkot, it is, in fact, an independent holiday. It is mentioned in Leviticus chapter 23rd along with the other holidays of the Jewish year. Outside of Israel, some people have the custom of eating their meals on Shemini Atzeret in the sukkah, as a farewell to the sukkah of sorts. Indeed, Shemini Atzeret is, in many ways is a farewell of sorts—we are lingering in the last bit of the holiday season before returning to the normal, mundane rhythms of daily living.

Shemini Atzeret is a major Jewish holiday on which observant Jews refrain from work, much like on Shabbat. It is marked by lengthy synagogue services during which Hallel is recited just as it is on Sukkot, the Torah is read and Yizkor, the memorial service is recited immediately following the Torah reading. Although Shemini Atzeret is most often called simply the Eighth Day of Assembly, it is referred to in the liturgy as Zman Simchateinu—the time of our rejoicing—just as is Sukkot.

Shemini Atzeret also carries with it a great deal of agricultural significance, marking as it does the first day of the rainy season in Israel. Owing to this, during the repetition of the Musaf Amidah in the synagogue, Geshem, the prayer for rain is included. Musaf is the additional service which is said on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh) the beginning of the new lunar month) and Jewish holidays owing to the additional sacrifice that was brought in the Temple on those days.

The second day of Shemini Atzeret is Simchat Torah (literally, joy of the Torah) on which we complete the annual Torah reading cycle by reading the last Parsha or Torah portion in the Book of Deuteronomy and begin the reading of the Torah again with the reading of the first part of Bereishit, the first Parsha in the Book of Genesis. Simchat Torah is a very joyous and festive day. Services on Simchat Torah are very similar to those on Shemini Atzeret. Hallel is once again recited as is Musaf.

During both the evening and morning services, all of the Torah Scrolls are removed from the Ark and people dance with them, making a total of seven circuits or hakafot around the synagogue. Each hakafah is proceeded by the reading of some verses from the Tanakh—Hebrew Bible. Dancing can go far into the night in many places. In larger Jewish communities, people will often go from synagogue to synagogue to enjoy the festivities and dancing. In some places, people will even dance with the Torah Scrolls through the streets.

During the morning service, after the hakafot have been completed, the final portion of the Book of Deuteronomy is read, followed immediately by the beginning of the first portion in Genesis, which is meant to symbolize that just as we end our yearly Torah reading cycle, we begin it again immediately. In many congregations, the Torah is read in the evening of Simchat Torah as well, immediately following the seventh hakafah. It is customary for every eligible individual to receive an aliyah to the Torah on Simchat Torah. In Orthodox and a small number of Conservative synagogues, only men are called for aliyot while in many Conservative, as well as all Reform and Reconstructionist synagogues, as well as in independent minyanim—congregations which are largely traditional and unaffiliated with established Jewish denominations—both men and women are eligible for aliyot. It is also customary for the children of the congregation to have a special aliyah. Due to the large numbers of people present at any given synagogue on Simchat Torah, it is common for their to be several readings of the Torah happening simultaneously so that people need not wait as long for their aliyot.

In addition to the aliyot that people get individually, there are two special aliyot, and the people who have the honor of receiving these Aliyot are either called Kalah/Chatan Torah (bride or groom of the Torah) and Kalah/Chatan Bereishit (bride or groom of Genesis). These aliyot are the last in the Torah and the first, respectively, and are generally given to people who have played a significant role in the community. It is considered one of the highest honors to receive one of these aliyot and the procedure for calling someone for either of these aliyot is very elaborate.