Simchat Torah – שִׂמחַת תוֹרָה (Deuteronomy 33:1–34:12, Genesis 1:1–2:3, Numbers 29:35-30:1)

Parsha Simchat Torah – שִׂמחַת תוֹרָה Summary:

On Simchat Torah, the day on which we literally celebrate the Torah, we read the very end of Deuteronomy and the very beginning of Genesis. In the final verses of Torah, we read Moses’ blessing of the Israelites, offered before the prophet dies. Moses then ascends Mount Nebo, from which he sees the Promised Land and takes his final breath. God buries Moses and we are told there will never be another prophet like him. From this passage, we immediately begin our new cycle of Torah reading with the story of creation from the beginning of Genesis. And we create a new year of studying Torah. While each year we return to the same verses, it is we who are different. With each passing year, we grow and change, celebrate and mourn. And it is as if we are reading these sacred words for the very first time. וְלֹא־קָ֨ם נָבִ֥יא ע֛וֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כְּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יְדָע֣וֹ יְהֹוָ֔ה פָּנִ֖ים אֶל־פָּנִֽים׃ Never again did another prophet arise like Moses, in all of Israel, whom Adonai knew face to face. (Deuteronomy 34:10). The Torah ends by celebrating Moses’ intimate relationship with God. Earlier in the Torah, the rest of the Israelites were afforded the same opportunity, but were too filled with fear to accept. In our generation, it is my prayer that each of us can gather the courage of Moses, to take the daring step to know God, face to face.