Guide to the Jewish Year
or to Lazer's
Talmud Torah
The eighth day of the holiday of Sukkos is actually a separate holiday called Shmini Atzeres. We are not required to live in the sukkah or to take the lulav and esrog on Shmini Atzeres. However, outside the land of Israel the general custom is to eat in the Sukkah on the first day of Shmini Atzeres without the blessing. Shmini Atzeres is one day long in Israel and two days long outside of Israel.
On the second day of Shmini Atzeres we celebrate Simchas Torah. Simchas Torah, which (loosely translated) means 'Celebration of the Torah', is a day of rejoicing on the completion of the cycle of Torah readings. Every Shabbos a section from the Torah is read. The entirety of the Torah, the Five Books of Moshe (Moses), is completed and restarted on Simchas Torah. The congregation dances with the Torah scrolls and performs seven hakafos. Hakafos, or Revolutions, are performed as follows:
All the Torah scrolls are removed from the Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark) and distributed to members of the congregation.
One member leads the other Torah-bearing members in a circuit around the synagogue while the congregation kisses the scrolls. The leader leads the congregation in reciting special prayers.
When the circuit is completed the congregation sings and dances until it is time to start the next hakafa.
This is done seven times.
Hakafos are performed on both the night and the day of Simchas Torah. Some communities celebrate hakafos on the first night of Shmini Atzeres as well.
On the day of Simchas Torah it is customary for every man to receive an aliyah (to be called up to the Torah).
© Eliezer C. Abrahamson