Simchat Torah: Dancing with the Torah

If you want to see Orthodox Jews at their most uninhibited, come to a synagogue on Simchat Torah. Grown men who are normally reserved and dignified are dancing in circles for hours, singing at the top of their lungs, waving flags, and passing Torah scrolls from person to person like the most precious thing in the world — because it is.

What We Are Celebrating

Every Shabbat throughout the year, a portion (parsha) of the Torah is read in synagogue. The cycle begins with Bereishit (Genesis) right after Sukkot and works through the entire Five Books of Moses over the course of the year. On Simchat Torah, we read the very last portion — V'Zot HaBracha — and then immediately roll the Torah scroll back to the beginning and start reading Bereishit again.

The message is clear: the Torah never ends. The moment you finish, you start again. There is always more to learn, more to discover, more depth to uncover.

The Hakafot

The highlight of Simchat Torah is the hakafot — seven rounds of dancing with the Torah scrolls. Every Torah scroll is taken out of the ark, and men take turns carrying them and dancing in circles around the bimah (the central reading platform). Each round is preceded by a prayer and accompanied by intense singing.

The dancing can go on for hours. In some communities, the hakafot on Simchat Torah night last until midnight or later. Children sit on fathers' shoulders. Candy is thrown. The energy is electric.

In Israel, where Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret are combined into one day, the hakafot are done both at night and during the day. In some neighborhoods, the dancing spills out of the synagogue and into the streets.

Chatan Torah and Chatan Bereishit

Two men are honored on Simchat Torah with special aliyot (being called to the Torah). The Chatan Torah ("bridegroom of the Torah") is called up for the final reading of Deuteronomy. The Chatan Bereishit ("bridegroom of Genesis") is called up for the first reading of Genesis. These are considered great honors, and the men are often celebrated with singing and even a tallit held over their heads like a chuppah (wedding canopy).

A Day for Everyone

One of the beautiful things about Simchat Torah is that every person — even children — gets an aliyah. There is a special "Kol HaNe'arim" (all the children) aliyah where all the kids come up together under a large tallit. My children look forward to this all year. It is their moment to stand at the Torah and feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.

Simchat Torah is proof that Judaism is not only about solemnity and obligation. It is about joy. Deep, real, dancing-until-your-feet-hurt joy. The Torah is not a burden we carry — it is a gift we celebrate.