the full text and comment, see Pirkei
Avot by Kravitz and Olitzky, eds. (URJ Press)
6:7 Great is the Torah because it gives life to those who
perform it in this world and in the next as it says, "For
they are the life to them that find them, and healing to all
their flesh." [Proverbs 4:22] And it says, "It
shall be health to your navel and marrow to your bones."
[Proverbs 3:8] And it says, "It is a tree of life to
all who hold fast to it and all its supporters are happy."
[Proverbs 3:18] And it says, "They are a caplet of grace
for your head and chains around your neck." [Proverbs
1:9] And it says, "It shall give you a caplet of grace;
a crown of glory shall it give you." [Proverbs 4:9]
And it says, "By me your days will be multiplied and
the years of your life increase." [Proverbs 9:11] And
it says, "Length of days is in her right hand; riches
and honor are in her left hand." [Proverbs 3:16] And
it says, "For length of days and years of life and peace
shall be added to you." [Proverbs 3:2]
from Proverbs are in praise of wisdom; the rabbis interpret
wisdom as referring to Torah. The piling up of verses in praise
of wisdom is thus converted to praise of Torah.
For the rabbis, as we have seen, the study of Torah promised
providence in this life and eternity in the next.
is the Torah. On our festival calendar there are two
festivals, Simchat Torah and Shavuot, which celebrate the
Torah, reminding us of its significance in our Jewish lives.
Each of the festivals focuses our attention on different aspects
of our relationship to Torah and study.
Reform tradition and in Israel, Sh'mini Atzeret and
Simchat Torah are celebrated together. Sh'mini Atzeret
is mentioned specifically in Numbers 29:35, after the list
of sacrifices which were brought during Sukkot: "On
the eighth day you shall hold a solemn gathering (atzeret);
you shall not work at your occupations." Simchat Torah
is not mentioned in either the Torah or the Talmud and was
added to the festival calendar in the Middle Ages. "Void
of the rituals of the sukkah and Four Species, Sh'mini
Atzeret seemed characterless until the Middle Ages, when the
tradition of reading the whole Torah during the course of
one year came to predominate. To celebrate the completion
of the cycle, a new holiday developed called Simchat Torah,
'rejoicing with the Torah'" (Strassfeld,
A Book of Life, 281). Simchat Torah is thematically
related to Sukkot, called "the season of our joy"
in that it celebrates the joy of Torah. However, in contrast
to the sacrifices of Sukkot, which were dependent on the ritual
of sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem, Torah is central
to Jewish life wherever Jews dwell.
Atzeret--Simchat Torah concludes the festival of Sukkot
with the celebration of Torah, then Shavuot is the atzeret
of Pesach. Rather than one week later, Shavuot follows seven
weeks after Pesach, as we count the days of the Omer from
Pesach to Shavuot. Both of these days, which are called azeret
(sacred gatherings), have foundations in both Torah and freedom.
Shavuot, when we mark the giving of the Torah, is connected
to the national freedom we experienced having been liberated
from Egypt and our willingness to accept Torah. Sh'mini
Atzeret--Simchat Torah celebrates a personal, spiritual
liberation and joy, coming as they do after Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur.
gives life. Simchat Torah, as its name suggests, is a
joyous celebration, observed through dancing and singing with
a Torah scroll in our arms. The climax of the ritual is the
reading of the Torah itself, concluding Deuteronomy and immediately
returning to Genesis and the creation of the world. This process
demonstrates that the process of Torah reading and studying
is an unending cycle, bringing joy and accompanying us throughout
the cycle of our own lives. We repeat the same stories as
we grow and although their significance may change, the cycle
connects each moment to the past and the future.
demonstrated through the selection of the verses in the baraita
the enduring value of the Torah, both in its physical form
and in its teaching. It is because the Torah has been carried
by our ancestors to all the corners of the world that Judaism
has had longevity in the face of history and civilizations
which have attempted to destroy the Jewish people. In both
concrete and symbolic ways, the Torah has lengthened our days.
at the metaphors for Torah in the verses from Proverbs above.
Which one speaks to you the most? Suggest your own metaphor
2. How does Simchat Torah work to conclude the fall festival
season in your Jewish experience?