Chag Sameach! Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah Starts Sunday Night
Arutz Sheva wishes you a festive end of holiday season, with Shmini
Atzeret prayers and lots of Simchat Torah dancing.By Arutz Sheva Staff
First Publish: 10/7/2012, 12:32 PM
Simchat Torah-Flash 90
The Simchat Torah final holiday marks the conclusion - and starting again - of the annual public weekly readings of the Five Books of Moses, and commemorates the supreme Jewish idea of Torah study in general. Hours-long dancing with the Torah (known as hakafot) in synagogues, yeshivot, and even in the streets marks the day in Jewish communities around the world.Every male in the synagogue gets called to the Torah, necessitating, in large congregations, using several scrolls and repeating the reading several times. The young children are called up together at the end of the reading, standing - or held - under a prayer shawl while the congregation recites Jacob's blessing to his grandsons.It has become customary of late for large groups of youths to spend the holiday in towns where the Jewish community is in need of "strengthening," to extend the Simchat Torah joy as far and wide as possible.In Israel, once the holiday is over, tens of thousands of people attend Hakafot Shniyot, another round of dancing and singing, at celebrations with live music in honor of the Torah that take place all over the country, indoors and outdoors.Two of the most well known are the outdoor Hakafot Shniyot honoring the different Jewish "edot" [customs of Jews in different parts of the Diaspora] in Jerusalem's Liberty Bell Park sponsored by philanthropist Eugen Gluck and the Hakafot Shniyot at Beit HaRav, the Jerusalem home of Israel's first Cheif Rabbi , Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook.Chag Sameach from Arutz Sheva! For in depth reading on the holiday, see Arutz Sheva's Judaism section.
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
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Significance: A follow-up to Sukkot; the completion of the annual cycle of Torah readings
Length: 2 days (Some: 1 day) Customs: Limited "dwelling" in the sukkah; dancing and rejoicing with Torah scrolls |
...On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Sukkot, seven days for the L-RD... on the eighth day, there shall be a holy convocation for you. -Leviticus 23:34Tishri 22, the day after the seventh day of Sukkot, is the holiday Shemini Atzeret. In Israel, Shemini Atzeret is also the holiday of Simchat Torah. Outside of Israel, where extra days of holidays are held, only the second day of Shemini Atzeret is Simchat Torah: Shemini Atzeret is Tishri 22 and 23, while Simchat Torah is Tishri 23.These two holidays are commonly thought of as part of Sukkot, but that is technically incorrect; Shemini Atzeret is a holiday in its own right and does not involve some of the special observances of Sukkot. We do not take up the lulav and etrog on these days, and our dwelling in the sukkah is more limited, and performed without reciting a blessing.Shemini Atzeret literally means "the assembly of the eighth (day)." Rabbinic literature explains the holiday this way: our Creator is like a host, who invites us as visitors for a limited time, but when the time comes for us to leave, He has enjoyed himself so much that He asks us to stay another day. Another related explanation: Sukkot is a holiday intended for all of mankind, but when Sukkot is over, the Creator invites the Jewish people to stay for an extra day, for a more intimate celebration.
Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah." This holiday marks the completion of the annual cycle of weekly Torah readings. Each week in synagogue we publicly read a few chapters from the Torah, starting with Genesis Ch. 1 and working our way around to Deuteronomy 34. On Simchat Torah, we read the last Torah portion, then proceed immediately to the first chapter of Genesis, reminding us that the Torah is a circle, and never ends.This completion of the readings is a time of great celebration. There are processions around the synagogue carrying Torah scrolls and plenty of high-spirited singing and dancing in the synagogue with the Torahs. Drinking is also common during this time; in fact, a traditional source recommends performing the priestly blessing earlier than usual in the service, to make sure the kohanim are not drunk when the time comes! As many people as possible are given the honor of an aliyah (reciting a blessing over the Torah reading); in fact, even children are called for an aliyah blessing on Simchat Torah. In addition, as many people as possible are given the honor of carrying a Torah scroll in these processions. Children do not carry the scrolls (they are much too heavy!), but often follow the procession around the synagogue, sometimes carrying small toy Torahs (stuffed plush toys or paper scrolls).In some synagogues, confirmation ceremonies or ceremonies marking the beginning of a child's Jewish education are held at this time.
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are holidays on which work is not permitted.
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday6.htm
List of Dates
Shemini Atzeret will occur on the following days of the secular calendar:- Jewish Year 5772: sunset October 19, 2011 - nightfall October 20, 2011
- Jewish Year 5773: sunset October 7, 2012 - nightfall October 8, 2012
- Jewish Year 5774: sunset September 25, 2013 - nightfall September 26, 2013
- Jewish Year 5775: sunset October 15, 2014 - nightfall October 16, 2014
- Jewish Year 5776: sunset October 4, 2015 - nightfall October 5, 2015
- Jewish Year 5772: sunset October 20, 2011 - nightfall October 21, 2011
- Jewish Year 5773: sunset October 8, 2012 - nightfall October 9, 2012
- Jewish Year 5774: sunset September 26, 2013 - nightfall September 27, 2013
- Jewish Year 5775: sunset October 16, 2014 - nightfall October 17, 2014
- Jewish Year 5776: sunset October 5, 2015 - nightfall October 6, 2015
