Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah

Shemini Atzeret is in many ways the parallel festival to Shavuot. Both are regarded as the concluding festival of a longer period, Shemini Atzeret relating to Succot in the way Shavuot relates to Pesach and the Omer. Neither has a particular mitzvah associated with it and both celebrate the Torah. Indeed there is even a Halakhic connection between them, with Shemini Atzeret being the end of the optimal period for bring First Fruits to the Temple, that began on Shavuot. Yet there are important differences in their celebration. On Shavuot we celebrate by staying up all night and studying, something limited to those who can study; while on Shemini Atzeret we dance round with closed scrolls, a celebration everyone, even children, can take part in. The reason for this lies in a fundamental difference between our celebration of the Torah on these two festivals. The connection of Shavuot with the Torah is historical, it is then we received it. We did not chose to celebrate our connection to the Torah on that day, like other festival commemorations, that was a choice made by G-d. The celebration of Simchat Torah on Shemini Atzeret is fundamentally different. It is not something mandated by the Torah but something we chose to do. Simchat Torah as a festival has its origins in the fact that the Babylonian custom of Torah readings, which became universal, ends the cycle of Torah readings on Shemini Atzeret. The Jewish people then decided to also begin again with Bereishit on the same day, and turn the whole occasion into a celebration of the Torah. Thus Simchat Torah is a festival created by us. Unlike Shavuot whose celebration was given to us by the Torah, Simchat Torah is our initiative. If Shavuot shows G-d’s love for us in His giving us His Torah, on Simchat Torah we demonstrate our love for the Torah by celebrating with it. Unlike the receiving of the Torah that needs a certain intellectual ability, the celebration of our connection to our Jewish heritage is something that everyone can take part in. This is an important lesson to take with us as we begin again the Torah from the beginning. Unlike other books, Genesis has only three mitzvot, commands of G-d to us. Yet it contains invaluable stories of how people interacted with G-d, using their own initiative to change history and occasionally G-d’s own decisions. Both Simchat Torah and the book of Genesis teach us that Judaism is not only about what G-d gives us but what we can give back to G-d.

TORAH PREVIEW

SHEMINI ATZERET: 118-123 HAFTORAH: 123-124
The Torah Reading from Deuteronomy deals with the three Pilgrim Festivals.
The Haftorah from Kings describes the Succot of the dedication of Solomon’s Temple.

SIMCHAT TORAH: 190-197 HAFTORAH: 197-198
The Torah Reading from Deuteronomy is the last portion of the Torah and consists of Moses’ final blessing and death.
The second reading from Genesis is the first portion of the Torah and consists of Creation chapter.
The Haftorah from Joshua describes Joshua taking over from Moses.

Sidra Statistics

Parshiot Vezot Habracha

·               has 41 verses;

·               is the 11th in Deuteronomy, 54th in the Torah.

·               9th longest in Deuteronomy, 52nd longest in the Torah.  

·               Vezot Habracha has no mitzvot.

Deuteronomy:

·               has 955 verses; 11 Parshiot,

·               77 pos + 123 neg = 200 mitzvot.


ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS

Rishon

The creation of light and day; sky, sea land and vegetation.

Sheni

The creation of the sun, moon, birds and fish.

Shelishi

The creation of animals and man and Shabbat.

Revi’i

G-d places Adam in the Garden of Eden and forms Eve as his counterpart.
They sin by eating of the Tree of Knowledge and are exiled from Eden.

Chamishi

They have two sons Cain and Abel. Cain kills Abel and is made to wander.
They have another son: Seth.

Shishi

The record of Adam and Eve’s descendants.

Shevi’i

Mankind becomes corrupt and G-d resolves to destroy them.

Haftorah

Isaiah: 42;5-43;10: G-d, the Creator of the world will redeem Israel.

 

Sidra Statistics

Parshiot Bereishit

·               has 146 verses;

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

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

·               Bereishit has 1 pos mitzvah.