Simchat Torah is the holiday where we celebrate finishing our annual reading of the Torah, and immediately begin again. The entire Torah is broken up into portions which are read weekly on Monday and Thursday mornings and on Shabbat morning in the synagogue. The Torah has five books named Bereshit (Genesis), Sh'mot (Exodus), Vayikra (Leviticus), BaMidbar (Numbers), and Devarim (Deuteronomy). On Simchat Torah we celebrate by dancing joyfully with the Torah and reading the end and beginning of the Torah back-to-back.
The Torah begins with this verse:
בְּרֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
The Torah ends with this verse:
לְכֹל הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה, וּלְכֹל הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל, אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה, לְעֵינֵי כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל [W]ith a mighty hand, and in all the great terror, which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel.
If you put together the vet [ב] and the lamed [ל] like this לב which means heart. The rabbis teach that the Torah teaches us to have a heart and develop compassion for others. Think about all the things you know about Judaism and see if you can come up with at least five ways the Torah teaches us to have a heart and develop compassion. Submit your thoughts below.
The Torah begins with this verse:
בְּרֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
The Torah ends with this verse:
לְכֹל הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה, וּלְכֹל הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל, אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה, לְעֵינֵי כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל [W]ith a mighty hand, and in all the great terror, which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel.
If you put together the vet [ב] and the lamed [ל] like this לב which means heart. The rabbis teach that the Torah teaches us to have a heart and develop compassion for others. Think about all the things you know about Judaism and see if you can come up with at least five ways the Torah teaches us to have a heart and develop compassion. Submit your thoughts below.
Put your לב in the Torah!
Materials Needed: • Colored paper • Scissors • Glue • Crayons/Colored Pencils/Markers
Procedure:
1. Using scissors, cut the colored paper into a heart shape and two scroll shapes.
2. Decorate the hearts. Students can write the letters “lamed bet,” to spell lev, or heart
3. Glue the heart in between the scrolls.
Materials Needed: • Colored paper • Scissors • Glue • Crayons/Colored Pencils/Markers
Procedure:
1. Using scissors, cut the colored paper into a heart shape and two scroll shapes.
2. Decorate the hearts. Students can write the letters “lamed bet,” to spell lev, or heart
3. Glue the heart in between the scrolls.
Now that you've put your heart in the Torah check out this page to learn more!
Take 2: Get Up for Simchat Torah
Take 2: Get Up for Simchat Torah