Weekly On-line Rabbi's D'var-Torah
October 23, 2024
21 Tishri 5785
Breisheet
If you ever wondered why the Jewish people are sometimes referred to as “The People of the Book,” then you need look no further than tonight. That is when we will come together as a congregation to celebrate Simchat Torah—the joy of the Torah.
However, the concept of Simchat Torah is really rather remarkable, and it emphasizes our uniqueness as a people. We dance and sing together rejoicing in the words of our tradition as they are recorded on a scroll.
Why do we do this?
We are celebrating the fact that we have gone through each of the 54 Torah portions over the course of the past year beginning at the very first verse of Genesis and going through the final verse of Deuteronomy. We are celebrating the fact that we infuse every aspect of our communal living with the teaching of Torah.
When children are born, we talk about the portion of the week at their birth ceremonies. When children become B Mitzvah, they declare their readiness to be adults in the community by chanting a passage from the weekly portion. When couples are married, when individuals are buried, when people choose to become Jewish, we discuss the Torah portion—known in Hebrew as the Parashah. When faced with the horrors of war or antisemitism, we turn to the words of the Torah for guidance and comfort.
The synagogue calendar is based upon the weekly portion. Traditionally, we read from the Torah four separate times each week (Shabbat morning, Shabbat afternoon, Monday morning, and Thursday morning). Meetings held in the synagogue usually begin with a brief discussion of the Torah portion and our children come to learn Torah here each week. Just this morning, I unrolled the Torah for the youngest learners in our community.
When we celebrate the Torah, we are celebrating our Jewish lives and the values that guide our lives. So, please join us tonight to dance with the Torah. And then think about how you can make the joy of Torah a bigger part of your life.
Shalom,
RAF.
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