Simcha Torah – 5783
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites
Following the seven days of Sukkot, the Jewish calendar year comes to another holiday with two names: Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. In Israel, this holiday lasts for one day on which we do not sit in the sukkah. Outside of Israel, it is two days. The first is Shemini Atzeret on which people eat in the sukkah, and the second day is Simchat Torah on which people eat in their homes.
The name Shemini Atzeret appears in the Torah. It expresses the fact that it is the eighth (shemini) day of Sukkot, and it is different from the intermediate days of the holiday (chol hamoed) in that we “otzrim” (stop) doing melacha. In contrast, the name Simchat Torah has no source in the bible. Its source is, apparently, in the Middle Ages and it is hinted at in the Zohar. The name stems from the custom to complete the annual cycle of reading the Torah on this day. In honor of completing the cycle, there are dances – hakafot – with the Torah scrolls in the synagogue, along with special customs of rejoicin