SIMCHAT
TORAH 5767-2006
"The Evolving Holiday"
Rabbi
Ephraim Buchwald
The
festival of Simchat Torah is one of the most joyous
of the Jewish calendar. In Israel, following the conclusion
of the festival of Sukkot, Simchat Torah and Shemini
Atzeret are celebrated together on a single day. Outside
of Israel, Shemini Atzeret is celebrated for two days,
with the second day known as Simchat Torah.
Simchat
Torah, as it is celebrated today, is a relatively new
holiday that did not become popular until the 14th century.
In the diaspora, Simchat Torah is the day on which the
reading of the Five Books of Moses is completed. It
is a day of hakafot–where the Torah scrolls
are carried around the synagogue in circuits, and a
day of great celebration, with feasts of eating and
drinking. It is hard to believe that this festival of
dancing with the Torahs and the many celebratory rituals
of Simchat Torah are of relatively recent vintage.
Classical
Jewish sources (Talmud Shabbat 118 and Kohellet
Rabbah, beginning of Chapter 1) speak of the joy
of completing the reading of the Torah and the study
of a Mishnaic or Talmudic tractate. Residents of ancient
Israel would complete the reading of the Torah only
once every three years (Talmud Megillah 29b).
Outside of Israel, however, the Torah was completed
annually, and the 54 weekly Torah portions were calendared
into the number of Shabbatot of the annual lunar year.
The reading of the final portion always took place on
Simchat Torah.
Maimonides
(the Rambam, the great Jewish philosopher, codifier
and physician, 1135-1204) records in the Laws of Prayer
13:1 that in his time there were still communities that
read the Torah on a tri-annual basis.
In
Talmudic times, what we refer to today as Simchat Torah
was known as Yom Tov Acharon--simply, the last
day of the holiday (Megillah 31a). Only at the
end of the Gaonic period (approximately the year 1000)
was the last day of the festival occasionally referred
to as Simchat Torah. Even during the Middle Ages the
name Simchat Torah was not universally adopted. The
last day of the holiday was either called Yom Shaynee--meaning
the second day of Shemini Atzeret, or simply Yom
Tov Shaynee--the second day of the holiday.
Why
and how did the custom develop to start reading the
book of Genesis on Simchat Torah? The Code of Jewish
Law authored by the Tur (R. Yaakov ben Asher, 1270ca-1340,
Germany and Spain, author of the Arbah Turim,
one of the early codes of Jewish law) notes that the
custom to read the beginning of the Torah, parashat
Bereishith, Genesis, was instituted so that the "negative
forces" would not be able to accuse the Jews of
having concluded the Torah reading cycle, and not being
interested in reading anymore. This new practice beginning
the Torah from Genesis, resulted in a double celebration
on Simchat Torah--the completion of the Five Books of
Moses and celebrating the start of a new Torah reading
cycle.
Among
the various affectionate names for the Torah is the
appellation kallah--bride. In fact, the Jewish
people are regarded as betrothed to the Torah (Jerusalem
Talmud, Taanit chapter 3), a betrothal that took
place at Mount Sinai when the Torah was given. Therefore,
the day when the Torah reading is completed is regarded
as equivalent to a wedding celebration. Because of the
Jewish legal principle that one who completes a mitzvah
gets all the credit for the mitzvah, the person who
is called up for the final reading of the Torah is known
as a chattan--a groom, or Chattan HaTorah--the
groom of the Torah.
In
ancient times there was a custom not to take two Torah
scrolls out from the ark to read at the same service,
so as not to leave the incorrect impression that the
first Torah scroll was invalid. Therefore, the Chattan
HaTorah read the last portion of Deuteronomy from
a Torah scroll, while the first portion of Genesis was
recited by heart or read from another kind of book.
Eventually, the format of the celebration was changed
and a second person was honored to read from the Book
of Genesis. This second honoree became known as the
Chattan Bereishith--the groom of Genesis. Normally,
great scholars were selected to serve as the grooms.
However, eventually, honors were sold to the highest
bidder. Jewish communities around the world still contend
over this seemingly mercenary practice, which appears
to be losing popularity as synagogues frequently choose
to honor those who provide exceptional service and not
only those who provide financial support.
In
many communities, the grooms were accorded extraordinary
honor. A chuppah or bridal canopy was held over the
heads of the grooms and they were accompanied to and
from the synagogue by torch-bearing attendants. In some
instances, non-Jewish musicians were hired to accompany
the retinue. Candy was thrown before them, and their
wives were honored as kallot--brides of the Torah.
On occasion, huge banquets were thrown in honor of the
Chattanim, which led to not infrequent decrees
from local rabbis to protest the unseemly opulence.
Of
recent vintage is the celebration in more modern synagogues
of the Chattan Maftir--the groom who is honored
with reading the final portion of the Torah reading.
The maftir reading on Simchat Torah records the
special sacrificial offerings that were brought on the
final day of the holiday. The Chattan Maftir is
also given the honor of publicly chanting the prophetic
message that parallels the Torah portion.
While
today we often blame lavish Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations
on the skillful marketing of caterers, we see that even
in the Middle Ages there was no paucity of sumptuous
celebration with food, wine and drink. Is this a reflection
of an attempt by those who were often terribly impoverished
and subject to arbitrary attacks by their enemies to
add a little extra joy and happiness to their lives?
Or were the great Simchat Torah celebrations due to
the fervent and abiding love that the Jewish people
have for their Torah? With no way of knowing the full
truth, it is quite likely that elements of both these
factors account for the popularity of Simchat Torah.
It
is nice to think that at least today, when most Jewish
communities live in relatively affluence and security,
it can be assumed that the festival of Simchat Torah
is celebrated purely lishmah--for the sake of
heaven. After all, we know only too well the words of
the great psalmist, who wrote (Psalm 119:92): "Loo'lay
Torat'cha sha'ah'shoo'ai, ahz ah'vad'tee b'ahn'yee,"
Had Your Torah not been my delight, I would have perished
in my affliction. Let us hope it is so!
This
year, the joyous festivals of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat
Torah are celebrated on Friday evening, October 13,
through Sunday night, October 15, 2006. Chag Samayach!
May
you be blessed.
