One of my favourite holidays is not a mainstream well known holiday but one that is very important in the Jewish tradition.
Coming each fall right after Sukkot – a week long holiday that marks the autumn harvest – Simchat Torah marks reading the end of the Torah and starting it over again.
The event is marked by dancing around the synagogue with the Torah, a great deal of singing, and loads of Torah blessings.
But what makes it different from traditional Torah readings is the blessings are not sung to the traditional melodies; the person who gives the blessing – Aliyah – may choose any melody they wish – which can get pretty funny and crazy sometimes. I remember one year one person used “Who Let the Dog’s Out?” (hehehehe).
Chanting the blessing in Hebrew to the tune of a popular song is not an easy feat and can be quite entertaining.
Me? I’ve never done such a thing – I’m too big of a chicken. But the night sure is a lot of fun.
And well, for those who partake of the “adult beverages”, Simchat Torah is one of two times that it is not only allowed, but one is encouraged to “get a little tipsy” – provided a designated driver has been named.
After giving the Aliyah, the person steps down from the Bimah and heads for the table where the beverage is located and “takes a shot”!
And in between all those blessings is the actual reading of the Torah, finishing out the last of Devarim (Deuteronomy) and beginning again with Bereshit בראשית (Genesis).
I did do that one year…many years ago…and I still remember part of it.
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ. – In the beginning God began to create the heaven and earth…
Clarification…the Christian Bible says “In the beginning God created”.
The Torah says “In the beginning God began to create”.
We do not wake to the same world every morning; therefore, it is still in creation.
Purim is another fun holiday, some people dress up in costumes and the Megillah is read – the story of Esther – and whenever the name of wicked king Haman is said everyone makes a lot of noise!