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October 8, 2004
The delight of the Torah
DVORA WAYSMAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
"Turn the Torah again and again, for everything is in it.
Reflect on it and grow with it, for nothing is better than it."
(Pirkei Avot 5:22)
Sukkot, a seven-day holiday, was always followed by an eighth day,
called Shemini Atzeret, a Solemn Assembly. Initially it was
just a closing day on which we prayed for rain. Then the Babylonian
rabbis added a Torah reading cycle to the agricultural one –
54 parashot beginning with Creation and finishing the year with
the death of Moses. This holiday became Simchat Torah, the Joy of
the Torah. All the scrolls are removed from the ark, and there is
a joyful procession with them around the synagogue. Where I live,
in Jerusalem's Beit Hakerem neighborhood, at a certain time, all
the local synagogues meet in a square called Kikar Denya, and the
dancing continues with passers-by (even secular ones) invited to
join the merriment.
The circling of the synagogue with the sifrei Torah is called hakafot,
and it is necessary to make seven such circles. There is no record
of Simchat Torah before the 11th century and the origin seems to
have been in Western Europe. It is a mystical imitation of a wedding,
symbolizing the marriage of Israel to the law. It even has a bridegroom
of the law (chatan Torah) and a bridegroom of the first portion
(chatan Bereishit). They hold the sacred scrolls in their
arms until they are summoned to read their portions. The processions
with the scrolls resembles the wedding custom of walking seven times
around the bridal couple to form a closed circle (possibly to prevent
the assault of evil spirits).
A special feature of the service is calling all children under 13
years to the reading of the law. The final verses are read while
the children stand under a large prayer shawl (tallit) spread
above them like a canopy. The children are blessed with the words
Jacob used to bless Ephraim and Manasseh: "The angel who hath
redeemed me from all evil, bless these children." (Genesis
48:16)
The prayer for rain in Israel is an important part of the Simchat
Torah liturgy. Tishrei, the seventh month, is linked to the start
of Israel's winter rains, and crops will fail without it. We plead
for rain in the merit of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, Aaron
and the 12 tribes.... "For a blessing and not a curse; for
life and not for death; for plenty and not for famine."
The Mishnah tells us that "the world is judged through water."
Jews believe in one God who controls all the forces of nature, the
fate of all crops and the destiny of all nations. With Tefillat
Geshem (the prayer for rain), we pray for good winter rains
to ensure fertility in Israel's agricultural lands.
Dvora Waysman is an Australian-born journalist living
in Jerusalem. She is the author of nine books, including Woman
of Jerusalem, Esther and The Pomegranate Pendant.
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