Besamachta Bechagecha!

 

Start with this:

Hebrew-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUbOLu3Up_o

not just online...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5Ad1gW2i_4A

Simchat Torah according to . . . Blair Bleichman?!?

 

Blair Bleichman is a Senior in High School at Francis Parker.  Blair stopped learning about Judaism the second her Bat Mitzvah was over with, and hasn’t bothered with learning Torah since.  Consequently, she can’t get important details of Judaism right anymore, and has mixed-up almost everything she learned in Religious School.  Even the fun of Simchat Torah is something she has trouble with.  You will be helping review her two (2)  page report she made for her Social Studies teacher at Parker High School. It’s due this week and it doesn’t look good at all.  If she hands this work in as it is, she’s heading for a D on her report, which she will explain by saying “Judaism is stupid and makes no sense.” Can you underline any factual mistakes she made, and if possible correct them for her so that Blair doesn’t flunk her assignment and then blame her people’s faith?

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT BLAIR SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN:

When the seven days of Sukkot end, the Bible decrees yet another holiday, Shemini Atzeret—the eight  Day of Assembly. This Shemini Atzeret holiday  is in fact mentioned in the Torah. It marks the beginning of the rainy season in Israel and, therefore includes the year’s first prayer for rain.

 

Unlike like the seven days of Sukkot, the observance of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are mostly in the synagogue. On Shemini Atzeret, some still eat meals in the sukkah  (the outdoor  shack Jews make for the holiday), but in contrast to Sukkot no blessings are made for eating inside of it.

 

It is traditional to include the Yizkor, or memorial service, as part of the prayers for this eighth day. The final portion of the Book of  Devarim is read in the synagogue followed by the beginning of the Book of Genesis. In this manner, the annual cycle of Torah readings continues unbroken. Although Shemini Atzeret is a one-day holiday in the Torah, among Jews outside of Israel, Shemini Atzeret is a two-day festival. However, during the medieval period/ the second day of Shemini Atzeret began to develop a unique character.

 

The second day of Shemini Atzeret became the day on which the last Torah portion of the year would be read and the very first Torah portion begun, all over again. Therefore, this day became an Occasion for joy and an opportunity for demonstrating the Jewish community’s love  of God for giving us the torah. The day itself took on an additional name, Simchat Torah, meaning the day of “being joyful with the Torah.” Simchat Torah is celebrated by joyful dancing with Torah.

Since the whole day is so exciting, special honors are given to honor people who volunteer for the synagogue.  Anyone who wants an aliyah on Simchat Torah is given one, even little kids. Flags with large apples  are often given to children to help celebrate having the Torah. The majority/many adults will carry the Torah Scrolls and  the synagogue dancing and singing. They will make these Hakafot seven times so that Jews show they are happy to have the Torah.

What you need to know about . . . Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah

 

Things about Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

·       Shemini Atzeret is a holiday commanded by the Torah.  The name roughly means “The Eighth Get-together-day.”

·        It’s sort of the end of Sukkot, but sort of its own holiday.

·       Shmini Atzeret is two days long outside of Israel.  The second day is called Simchat Torah.

·       There is no more lulav and etrog waving once the holiday begins.

·        Though we can  eat in the Sukkah, we no longer say the blessing for sitting in the sukkah.

·       Both days are celebrated with lighting of candles at sundown.

·       Both days are celebrated with festive meals with family and friends.

·       The Torah says we should not work on this festival.

The first day is Shemini Atzeret, when in synagogue…

·       Yizor, the special prayers remembering those who have died are said. This includes Kaddish Yatom, the Mourners Kaddish.

·       There is a special prayer for rain (Geshem) said during Musaf. When a cantor chants Geshem, they often wear a white robe called a Kittel (just like on Yom Kippur) because this prayer is so serious and so important.

·       We Say Hallel.

·       We read Torah and Haftorah.

·       From now through Pesach, there will be a short line in the Amidah every day, asking God to provide rain: Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hagashem. We wait until this day to say this prayer because we don’t want it to rain until we’re done sitting in the sukkah.

 

The second day is Simchat Torah when in synagogue….

·       The atmosphere is one of fun and celebration, and things get a little silly.  Prayers are often sung  to pop music tunes (Think the Beatles, music from “Frozen”, etc)

·       The end of the Torah is read, as is the start.

·       There is food and drink  (but usually not in the Sanctuary itself)

·       People play (simple) pranks on each other.

·       Every Torah scroll is taken from the ark. People dance with the scrolls and around the scrolls in a series of seven processions known as Hakafot.  At least one usually breaks out into the halls or even outside.

·       Everyone of Bnei Mitzvah age gets an aliyah.

·       Young Children are given flags to wave, and all kids under BM age get an aliyah together under a Chuppah.

·       A special honor is to be  a Chattan/Kallah  (Groom or Bride) Torah at Night  and a Chattan/Kallat Beresheet  during the day.  Anshe Emet gives this honor people who have been active and helpful in the community in numerous ways.\