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.
List of Dates
Shemini Atzeret will occur on the following days of the secular calendar:- 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 5777: sunset October 23, 2016 - nightfall October 24, 2016
- 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
- Jewish Year 5777: sunset October 24, 2016 - nightfall October 25, 2016
First Reading:
Deuteronomy 14
22. You shall tithe all the seed crop that the field gives forth, year by year.23. And you shall eat before the Lord, your God, in the place He chooses to establish His Name therein, the tithes of your grain, your wine, and your oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and of your sheep, so that you may learn to fear the Lord, your God, all the days.
24. And if the way be too long for you, that you are unable to carry it, for the place which the Lord, your God, will choose to establish His Name therein, is too far from you, for the Lord, your God, will bless you.
25. Then you shall turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and you shall go to the place the Lord, your God, will choose.
26. And you shall turn that money into whatever your soul desires; cattle, sheep, new wine or old wine, or whatever your soul desires, and you shall eat there before the Lord, your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
27. And [as for] the Levite who is in your cities you shall not forsake him, for he has neither portion nor inheritance with you.
28. At the end of three years, you shall take out all the tithe of your crop in that year and place it in your cities.
29. And the Levite because he has no portion or inheritance with you and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are in your cities, will come and eat and be satisfied; so that the Lord, your God, will bless you in all the work of your hand that you will do.
(On Shabbat, Second Reading begins here:)
Deuteronomy 15
1. At the end of seven years you will make a release.2. And this is the manner of the release; to release the hand of every creditor from what he lent his friend; he shall not exact from his friend or his brother, because time of the release for the Lord has arrived.
3. From the foreigner you may exact; but what is yours with your brother, your hand shall release.
4. However, there will be no needy among you, for the Lord will surely bless you in the land the Lord, your God, is giving you for an inheritance to possess.
5. However, if you hearken to the voice of the Lord, your God, to be careful to do all this commandment, which I am commanding you today.
6. For the Lord, your God, has blessed you, as He spoke to you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
7. If there will be among you a needy person, from one of your brothers in one of your cities, in your land the Lord, your God, is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, and you shall not close your hand from your needy brother.
8. Rather, you shall open your hand to him, and you shall lend him sufficient for his needs, which he is lacking.
9. Beware, lest there be in your heart an unfaithful thought, saying, "The seventh year, the year of release has approached," and you will begrudge your needy brother and not give him, and he will cry out to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin to you.
10. You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; for because of this thing the Lord, your God, will bless you in all your work and in all your endeavors.
11. For there will never cease to be needy within the land. Therefore, I command you, saying, you shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your poor one, and to your needy one in your land.
12. If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you for six years, and in the seventh year you shall send him forth free from you.
13. And when you send him forth free from you, you shall not send him forth empty-handed.
14. You shall surely provide him from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your vat, you shall give him from what the Lord, your God, has blessed you.
15. And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord, your God, redeemed you; therefore, I am commanding you this thing today.
16. And it will be, if he says to you, "I will not leave you," because he loves you and your household, for it is good for him with you,
17. Then you shall take an awl and put it through his ear and into the door, and he shall be a servant to you forever; and also to your maidservant you shall do likewise.
18. You shall not be troubled when you send him free from you, for twice as much as a hired servant, he has served you six years, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in all that you shall do.
(On Shabbat, Third Reading begins here:):
19. Every firstborn male that is born of your cattle or of your flock you shall sanctify to the Lord, your God. You shall neither work with the firstborn of your ox, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.
20. You shall eat it before the Lord, your God, year by year, in the place the Lord chooses-you and your household.
21. And if there be any blemish in it, whether it be lame, or blind, or any ill blemish, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord, your God.
22. You shall eat it within your cities, the unclean and the clean together, as the deer, and as the gazelle.
23. However, you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground, as water.
Second Reading:
(On Shabbat, Fourth Reading)
Deuteronomy 16
1. Keep the month of spring, and make the Passover offering to the Lord, your God, for in the month of spring, the Lord, your God, brought you out of Egypt at night.2. You shall slaughter the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, your God, [of the] flock, and [the Festival sacrifices of the] cattle, in the place which the Lord will choose to establish His Name therein.
3. You shall not eat leaven with it; for seven days you shall eat with it matzoth, the bread of affliction, for in haste you went out of the land of Egypt, so that you shall remember the day when you went out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.
Third Reading:
(On Shabbat, Fifth Reading)4. And no leaven shall be seen with you within all your border for seven days; neither shall any of the flesh you slaughter on the preceding day in the afternoon, remain all night until the morning.
5. You shall not sacrifice the Passover offering within any of your cities, which the Lord, your God, is giving you.
6. Except at the place which the Lord, your God, will choose to establish His Name-there you shall slaughter the Passover offering in the afternoon, as the sun sets, at the appointed time that you went out of Egypt.
7. And you shall roast [it] and eat [it] in the place which the Lord, your God, will choose, and you shall turn away in the morning and go to your dwellings.
8. For six days you shall eat matzoth, and on the seventh day there shall be a halt to the Lord, your God. You shall not do any work [on it].
Fourth Reading:
(On Shabbat, Sixth Reading)9. You shall count seven weeks for yourself; from[the time] the sickle is first put to the standing crop, you shall begin to count seven weeks.
10. And you shall perform the Festival of Weeks to the Lord, your God, the donation you can afford to give, according to how the Lord, your God, shall bless you.
11. And you shall rejoice before the Lord, your God, -you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite who is within your cities, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are among you, in the place which the Lord, your God, will choose to establish His Name therein.
12. And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall keep and perform these statutes.
Fifth Reading:
(On Shabbat, Seventh Reading)13. You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.
14. And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities.
15. Seven days you shall celebrate the Festival to the Lord, your God, in the place which the Lord shall choose, because the Lord, your God, will bless you in all your produce, and in all the work of your hands, and you will only be happy.
16. Three times in the year, every one of your males shall appear before the Lord, your God, in the place He will choose: on the Festival of Matzoth and on the Festival of Weeks, and on the Festival of Sukkoth, and he shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.
17. [Every] man [shall bring] as much as he can afford, according to the blessing of the Lord, your God, which He has given you.
Maftir:
Numbers 29
35. The eighth day shall be a time of restriction for you; you shall not perform any mundane work.36. You shall offer up a burnt offering, a fire offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: one bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.
37. Their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.
38. And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering and its libation.
39. These you shall offer up for the Lord on your festivals, besides your vows and voluntary offerings, for your burnt offerings, for your meal offerings, for your libations, and for your peace offerings.
