Simchat Torah is one of the most festive occasions in our yearly cycle, when we demonstrate the importance of Torah to us by beginning the re-reading of Bereshit immediately after concluding the final verses of D’varim.
During the evening service (as well as during the morning service) the Torah scrolls are removed from the Ark and we engage in hakafot (parades around the congregation) accompanied by song and dance.
The final parasha of the Torah, V’zot HaBracha (Deut. 33:1-34:12) is read only on Simchat Torah (and not on Shabbat). The reading tells us that each Tribe receives a blessing from Moses, and that he then ascends Mt. Nebo, from which he sees the Land he will not enter. Moses dies, and is buried in an unknown grave (according to Midrash, by God Himself).The People mourn Moses for 30 days, and Joshua assumes command. According to one traditional source, Joshua penned the final lines of the parasha, which record Moses’ death and burial, and the statement that since the death of Moses, no prophet of his greatness has ever arisen.
Moses dies without achieving his dream, and another takes up the burden of leadership. This brings to mind a verse from Pirke Avot (2:21): "It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it." This is a message for all of in Jewish communal work, and it is also an excellent metaphor for Simchat Torah. The reading (and studying) of the text will never be completed, but we are not permitted to abandon it.
Immediately following the Simchat Torah reading, we begin with Genesis again, and we will read it in full this coming Shabbat. Here is a brief d’var on Bereshit:
Bereshit
Genesis 1:1 - 6:8
Précis: The first Book of the Torah, Bereshit (Genesis, literally “in the beginning” or “When God began to create”) begins with the familiar story of creation: the world is created in six days, and God rests on the Seventh. The story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden are included, as is the story of Cain and Abel.
Genesis 4:8 “...And when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him.”
The killing of Abel by Cain shows a remarkable revolution in human behavior. While Adam and Eve had sinned against God directly, and were punished directly, the death of Abel at Cain's hand showed that thereafter, choices of good and evil were to be made in the context of human relationships.
For the Executive Director (as well as other readers of these words), choices of "good or evil" are made in the context of a community. We happen to work (usually) in a community of faith and caring. It is important to keep in mind that when we interact with others, it is more than "dealing" with "customers." How we treat our congregants, friends and family is a reflection on how we relate to God.
Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom.
