What Happens in Synagogue on Simchat Torah
Special ceremonies for ending and beginning the Torah cycle.
How to Greet Someone on Simchat Torah
Traditional hellos for the holiday that celebrates the cycle of Torah reading.
Shehechiyanu: A Meditation on this Moment
This blessing, traditionally recited for firsts, can be said anytime — since every moment is new and unprecedented.
Birkat Hagomel, a Jewish Prayer of Gratitude
A prayer said after recovering from a serious illness or surviving a dangerous journey.
Shalom: Peace in Hebrew
Along with truth and justice, peace is among the most hallowed Jewish values.
Next Torah Portion
Summary
The first reading for Simchat Torah is taken from the very end of the Torah. In this portion. Known in Hebrew as “Ve-zot Ha-berachah,” “this is the blessing,” Moses offers a blessing to the tribes of Israel. After this he prepares for his death. The portion concludes with the people mourning the death of Moses, and short eulogy stressing the uniqueness of Moses as a prophet.
Simchat Torah
Torah Reading
Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12; Genesis 1:1-2:3; Numbers 29:35-30:1
Haftarah
Joshua 1:1-18
Featured Commentary
Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12: The Death of Moses
The first Torah reading for Simchat Torah
Kaddish Minyan With Rabbi Rachel Isaacs (Mondays)
Hosted by: My Jewish Learning
Daf Yomi
A global project of Talmud study, Daf Yomi covers the entire 2,711 pages of the Talmud in 7.5 years of daily study. Click below to join by signing up for our Daily Dose of Talmud newsletter and to see our most recent Daf Yomi essays.
STUDY RESOURCES
Recharge Now
Our weekly Shabbat newsletter, Recharge, features a thoughtful, timely essay to enrich your Shabbat. Here are a few of our recent pieces:
Shared Space Means Shared Responsibility
We can’t assume that someone else will fix what’s broken.
We Evolve. So Does God.
The mystics saw the days following Yom Kippur as a period when the crowning heights of the Day of Atonement descend to the earthly realm.
The Enemy Is Ourselves
The lesson of the one Jewish holiday commemorating a political assassination.
MORE from MY JEWISH LEARNING
Ask the Expert: Blue Strings On Tzitzit
Why do some Jews wear tzitzit woven with a blue string?
Conspiracy Theories and the Jews
From medieval blood libels to the attacks of September 11, Jews have been a favorite subject for conspiracists.
What Judaism Says About Reincarnation
The notion that souls can be reborn after death figures prominently in Jewish mysticism.
Shabbat Blessings for Friday Night
Lighting the candles, saying Kiddush and other Shabbat dinner rituals.
