On which holiday do Jews begin the cycle of reading the Torah?
Simchat Torah
| Simhat Torah | |
|---|---|
| Observed by | Jews |
| Type | Jewish |
| Significance | The culmination of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret. Conclusion of the annual Torah reading cycle. Final Parsha from Deuteronomy is read in synagogue. Everyone is called to the Torah reading. Then first Parsha from Genesis is read. |
What days are the Torah read?
On Saturday afternoons, Mondays, and Thursdays, the beginning of the following Saturday’s portion is read. On Jewish holidays, Rosh Chodesh, and fast days, special sections connected to the day are read. Many Jews observe an annual holiday, Simchat Torah, to celebrate the completion of the year’s cycle of readings.
Is Yom Teruah the same as Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah, which means “the head of the year,” is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah. It is the traditional anniversary of the creation of the world and the creation of Adam and Eve, who are known as the biblical first man and first woman.
When did Torah portions begin?
Origin. The custom dates to the time of the Babylonian captivity (6th century BCE). The origin of the first public Torah readings is found in the Book of Nehemiah, where Ezra the scribe writes about wanting to find a way to ensure the Israelites would not go astray again.
Is the Torah read from right to left?
Hebrew is read from right to left, just the opposite of English and many modern languages which are read from left to right. In modern times scholars and students of Biblical Hebrew use the Masoretic Text (MT).
What Scripture is read on Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah in the Bible The Feast of Trumpets is recorded in the book of Leviticus 23:23-25 and also in Numbers 29:1-6. The term Rosh Hashanah, meaning “the beginning of the year,” appears only in Ezekiel. 40:1, where it refers to the general time of year, and not specifically to the Feast of Trumpets.
What is a Torah cycle?
Torah reading mostly follows an annual cycle beginning and ending on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, with the divisions corresponding to the lunisolar Hebrew calendar, which contains up to 55 weeks, the exact number varying between leap years and regular years.