Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah

An interesting feature of Simchat Torah is that it is late festival developed in the Diaspora and meant for the second day Yom Tov of Shemini Atzeret. When transposed to Israel it thus needs to be held on the only day of Shemini Atzeret, the day in the Diaspora reserved for the prayer for rain. We thus have, in Israel, a quite different day to that in the Diaspora. Outside Israel the day sometimes become somewhat raucous, a second Purim, with the custom being not to say the priestly blessing, as the cohanim might be drunk. In Israel however, the fact that the Torah reading is followed by Yizkor and the prayer for rain, somewhat moderates the levity, though not the dancing. These two rituals, the rejoicing over the Torah and the prayer for rain are in fact intimately connected and combine the two themes of Succot: faith and unity. Through our desire for rain we discover that we are dependent for our most basic needs on G-d and that our very existence depends on His goodness. Through the rejoicing on Simchat Torah we learn that we are all united in our connection to G-d, the Torah and the Jewish people. We circle the synagogue with the Torah, symbolising completeness and unity, while everyone gets an aliyah, teaching us that we all have a stake in the Torah. These two ideas also reinforce each other. Human togetherness teaches us the value of trust, the same value so important in our service of G-d. Our dependence on G-d for rain teaches us that we are not self-sufficient and that we can only exist in co-operation with others. It is for this reason that the three agricultural festivals: Pesach-spring, Shavuot-reaping and Succot-harvest, are also pilgrim festivals, an obligation to appear before G-d together. We are to learn that faith in G-d and trust between men are two sides of the same coin. We cannot have one without the other and both are vital for not only our spiritual and emotional wellbeing but also our physical survival. This has never been more apparent than during this holiday season. We have learnt day upon day the cost of both human greed and materialism and lack of trust and co-operation. The solution to our problems is both a less materialistic approach to life but also greater co-operation among individuals and nations. These are the lessons of this double-barrelled festival and as we approach a dark and uncertain winter, lessons well worth learning.

                     ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS

Sidra Statistics

Parshat Bereishit

·               is the  1st  in Genesis,  1st  in the Torah

·               5th longest in Genesis,  7th  longest  in the Torah  

·                has  no mitzvot