Simchat Torahשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה

Simchat Torah has no biblical basis. The Talmud attests that in the Land of Israel the Torah was completed in a longer (roughly three-year) cycle, while in Babylonia in an annual one; concluding the annual cycle on Shemini Atzeret became established in Babylonian practice.¹

The name “Simchat Torah” and the festive character of the day developed in the Geonic period and the Middle Ages; dancing with the scrolls (hakafot) is attested later, in the early modern period, and spread from the kabbalistic circle in Safed.

In the 1960s thousands of young Soviet Jews gathered outside the Moscow Choral Synagogue on Simchat Torah; the festival became a symbol of the movement for their rights.

Joining the end directly to the beginning expresses that the study of Torah never ends. Dancing with a closed scroll shows that joy in the Torah is open even to those who cannot read or study.

The festival brings the reading of Moses’ last blessing and his death – and immediately afterwards the creation of the world.^2,3

In the evening and the morning hakafot are held: seven circuits with all the scrolls, with dancing and singing, often outside in the street as well.

All adult men (in liberal congregations women too) are called up to the Torah. Children are called up together under an outspread tallit (kol ha-ne’arim).

The honor of being called up to the last portion goes to the chatan Torah (“bridegroom of the Torah”), and to the first portion of Genesis the chatan Bereshit. In some congregations today there is also a kallat Torah (“bride of the Torah”).

Exceptionally, in many congregations the Torah is also read in the evening during hakafot, and the calling up to the Torah is repeated until everyone has been called.

The reading is Ve-zot ha-berakhah (Deuteronomy 33–34), then the beginning of Genesis, the maftir from the passage on the offerings of the eighth day, and the haftarah from the Book of Joshua.^2,3,4,5

During hakafot the verses Atah hor’eta and the petitions Ana Adonai hoshia na are sung; the melodies are highly varied.⁶

Sefer Torah – all the scrolls are taken out of the aron ha-kodesh.

In Orthodox congregations men dance with the Torah while women watch or dance in their own circle; in some Modern Orthodox congregations women dance with a scroll separately. In liberal congregations everyone dances together.

Simchat Torah is a day of dancing. Everyone dances with the Torah scrolls, and children wave flags and get sweets.

When the last word of the Torah has been read, the reading starts again right away from the first sentence – just like finishing a favorite book and opening it again from the beginning.