Simchat Torah: Difference between revisions

# It is praiseworthy to engage in the celebration of Simchat Torah with dancing and clapping as much as one is able. <Ref>Chazon Ovadya p. 462.  M.B 669:11 Just as King David danced with all of his strength when the Aron was brought to Yerushalaim (Shmuel 2, 6, 14), so too have many great scholars and elders danced with all of their strength on Simchat Torah including the Arizal and the Gra.</ref>

# In some shuls, the bima is encircled 3 times, while in other shuls the bima is encircled 7 times.<ref>M.B. 669:10</ref>  

# It is customary to call up all the children up to receive an aliya called Kol Ne'arim (all the children).<ref>Rama 669:1</ref> The reader reads from "uli'Dan amar" until "Me'ona" and the children recite the brachot. This is done in order to educate the children regarding the reading of the Torah and in order to bless them with the blessing Yaakov gave to Ephraiim and Menashe: "Ha'malach ha'goel oti mi'kol ra hu yi'varech et ha'nearim viykare bahem shimi ve'sheim avotai Avraham ve'Yitzhak ve'yidgu la'rov be'kerev ha'aretz" (Breisheit 48, 16). The blessing is given before the children begin their bracha following the Torah reading.<ref>M.B. 669:13-14</ref>

# The person called up for the aliya during which the reading of the entire Torah is completed (beginning with the words "Me'ona E-lokei kedem") is known as Chatan Torah.<ref>M.B. 669:1</ref> The person called up for the aliya during which the Torah is begun once again is known as Chatan Breisheit.<ref>M.B. 669:2</ref>

# Even if someone already received an aliya he may still be called up once again for Chatan Torah or Chatan Breishit.  However, the one who was called up for Chatan Torah may not be called up for Chatan Breishit because there is not a large amount of time between the two aliyot (unless one receives one honor in one shul and the other honor in another).<ref>M.B. 669:2 Calling up the same person for two aliyot in close succession might lead onlookers to think something is wrong with the first sefer Torah.</ref>

# Even a Kohen or Levi may be called up for Chatan Torah or Chatan Breishit.<ref>M.B. 669:2</ref>

# If possible, it is proper to arrange that the men receiving these aliyot should be wise in Torah or, at least, respected members of the community.<ref>M.B. 639:1</ref> Nonetheless, even a child may receive Chatan Torah and in some places this is the custom.<ref>Rama 669:1</ref>

# [[Shehecheyanu]] is recited in Chutz La'aretz when Simchat Torah is celebrated on the second day of [[Shemini Aseret]].<ref>S.A 669:1</ref>

# At night time, it is customary to read Ve'zot Ha'bracha as is done on a regular Monday, Thursday, or Shabbat afternoon and a Half [[Kaddish]] is recited thereafter.<ref>M.B. 669:15</ref>

# During the day, 3 Torahs are removed from the aron: 1 is for ve'zot ha'bracha (the final parsha in the Torah), 1 is for Breishit, and 1 is for the special reading of the day for [[Shemini Aseret]] from Parshat Pinchas (Bamidbar 29:35).<ref>S.A 669:1</ref>

# In a shul in which only two Torahs are present an additional Torah may be brought from another shul even though it is being brought to be used only once (typically this is forbidden).<ref>M.B. 669:9</ref> If this is not feasible, the 1st Torah should be rolled to Parshat Pinchas after completing the reading from Ve'zot Ha'bracha.<ref>Rama 669:1</ref>

* [http://pathways.aish.com/pathways/pdfs/simchattorah.pdf Simchas Torah Songs on aish.com]