Simchat Torah celebration

Dear friends, Simchat Torah (Celebrating the Torah) is the last holiday of our holiest season of the year. The period from Sukkot through to Simchat Torah is called “Z’man Simchateinu” (Season of our joy) and begins four days after Yom Kippur, which ended the Ten Days of Teahuvah (return) beginning with Rosh Hashanah. During the season of our joy we are actually commanded in the Torah to be happy and to celebrate the holiday with gladness (v’samachta, v’hagecha, v’haita ach sameach). On simchat Torah we celebrate both the completion of the yearly Torah reading cycle and the beginning. The cyclical aspect of the holiday is  common to Rosh Hashanah which celebrates the New Year. Cyclical occurrences have very important meaning in Judaism as they represent the ongoing cycle of life, and the ongoing presence of the Holy One, as we sing in Adon Olam, “v’hu hayah, v’hu hoveh, v’hu yih’ye” (God was, is, and always will be) On this  joyous holiday the Torah scrolls are carried around the congregation seven times (Hakafot) amid joyous singing, followed by the reading of the last few lines of the Torah, and then the first few lines at the beginning. I will offer further explanations of the holiday. Please join us at Burquest in celebrating this joyous finale of our holy day season Tuesday evening 7:30pm-9pm.  Covid protocol will be followed. Wishing all of you a happy, healthy, and safe new year filled with hope and inspiration. Chag sameach! Cantor Steve Levin