The festivals of the Jewish year all have their own theme and connection to various aspects of our emotional and spiritual life. Pesach celebrates freedom, Shavuot – law, Rosh Hashanah – truth, Yom Kippur – forgiveness and Succot – trust. The last festival in the cycle, Shemini Atzeret, seems to celebrate the cyclic nature of life itself. On this day we not only finish the yearly reading of the Torah, and begin again; but also start a new agricultural year with the request for the basic ingredient of all food production: water. The Torah readings for these days also connect to the cyclic nature of our existence. We read of the death of Moses and the creation of Adam, as well as, in the Haftorah, the continuation of Moses’ role by Joshua. Shemini Atzeret itself, concludes the festival cycle begun with Pesach, ushering in the long months of winter. All this commemoration of the ebb and flow of time, contains within it a profound message. We have two possible attitudes we can adopt towards the passage of time. We can bemoan it, trying to impede its march by artificial means; whether solariums or plastic surgery. Or we can celebrate and enjoy the passing of the seasons, and even of the years, as part of the wondrous mystery and variety of being. Shemini Atzeret teaches us to do just that. We do not regret the conclusion of the yearly Torah cycle, but look forward to a new year of insights into our sacred text. We do not seek endless summer but rejoice in the first reviving and invigorating rainfall. We are even glad after the round of festivals to embrace the renewed cycle of full work week and Shabbat. And we do not mourn Moses’ death at the end of his mission but see it as paving the way for a new generation to take up new challenges. All this we do while still celebrating, as on Succot, ‘the season of our joy’. While the joy of Succot comes from a sense in trust in G-d, symbolised by the Succah, the joy of Shemini Atzeret comes from an even deeper place. On this day we accept and rejoice in the world as G-d created it. Summer and winter, joy and sorrow and even life and death are but part of the great mystery of being; and what makes it a joy to be alive. 

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:

Parshat Vezot Habracha

has 41 verses ;

is the  11th  in   Deuteronomy,  

54th   in  the Torah

9th  longest in Deuteronomy,

52nd   longest  in the Torah;

 has   no  mitzvot

Deuteronomy:

has 955 verses ; 11 Parshiot

77 pos + 123 neg = 200 mitzvot.

The Torah

has 5845 verses ; 54  Parshiot

248 pos + 365 neg = 613 mitzvot. 

ECCLESIASTICAL RIDDLES

1. The Preacher who is in…?

2. A time to refrain from…?

3. Not one in a thousand…?

4. Who saved the city?

5. Man goes to…?