Weekly Torah Reading, Shemini ‘Atzeret/ Simḥat Torah, October 7, 2023

Two for One

 

Within the land of Israel, the end of the seven-day Sukkot festival is followed by a special, one-day festival, Shemini ‘Atzeret, the “Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly.” But since Jews living outside of Israel must observe an extra day for festivals, this one-day Shemini ‘Atzeret became, in practice, a two-day festival outside of Israel. This extra day eventually acquired a separate name and identity of its own: Simḥat Torah (“The Rejoicing of the Torah”). The name was altogether apt, since its Torah reading included the last chapter of Deuteronomy and the first chapter of Genesis.

 

Whether one or two days, this festival nowadays carries with it a highly significant message. After all, its Torah reading could have consisted only of the last chapter or two of Deuteronomy, followed, like an old Hollywood movie, with a great “The End” sign on the big screen. Then the next week’s Torah reading could have started with the first chapter of Genesis.

 

But that isn’t how it works. The festival of Shemini Aseret does not just mark an ending; it’s the Torah’s end and its beginning combined, and this, when you think about, makes for an important difference. It says that studying and living the life of Torah—its laws, its history, and its traditional interpretations—are intended to be a process that is never completed. No sooner is the last chapter of Deuteronomy completed than the first chapter of Genesis is begun.

 

Especially in times like these, with the whole world threatened once again by the coronavirus, we can still seek to turn to the Torah as a constant in our lives, and in the hope these difficult days will eventually end—or rather, that their end will lead into a new beginning.

 

Happy Festival!