Thoughts Upon Stepping Up to the Tora

Rabbi Yaakov Bieler

Simchat Tora, 5764

One of the striking customs on Simchat Tora is the myriad number of Aliyot (honors whereby individuals are called to read the Tora) that are distributed. The Mishna in Tractate Megilla (4:2) definitively states that only five Aliyot are to be given out on Yom Tov, which would appear to include the day of Simchat Tora. Why the custom on Simchat Tora has become to ignore the typical Yom Tov arrangement bears reflection.

The technical explanation for allotting five Aliyot is as follows: On Monday and Thursday mornings, as well as Shabbat afternoons, no more than three* Aliyot are distributed due to a lack of time;** a fourth Aliya is added on those days when while there still is no prohibition against performing Melacha (creative physical activity), nevertheless  a Mussaf prayer is added, e.g., Rosh Chodesh and Cholo Shel Moed;  a fifth is required on days when there is both Mussaf and Issur Melacha, such as Yom Tov. By further altering the number of Aliyot required on Yom HaKippurim (6) and Shabbat (7), the length of the Tora reading as well as the number of sections into which it is divided, serve to provide readily recognizable indicators of the type of day that we are presently experiencing.

Simchat Tora constitutes a complete departure from the system of Aliyot that applies to every other day of the Jewish year. RaMA on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 569:1 writes, “…VeNahagu Ohd LeHarbot HaKeru’im LaSefer Tora VeKorim Parsha Achat Harbeh Pe’amim, VeAin Issur BeDavar…” (And they are accustomed further to multiply those who are called to the Tora, and a single Parsha is read over and over again, and there is no prohibition against doing this). Chafetz Chayim, in his commentary Mishna Berura #12, gives two reasons for this practice: 1) Kavod HaTora (the honor of the Tora), and 2) so that everyone can participate in the rejoicing of the Tora. Mishna Berura #13 then makes reference to the beautiful practice of “Kol HaNa’arim” where even the children of the community, who are below the age of Bar/Bat Mitzva, are collectively called to the Tora as well.

Considering the two reasons offered by Chafetz Chayim for the custom of offering Aliyot to so many on Simchat Tora morning, it would appear that there is a perceived benefit both to the Tora as well as to each participating individual when such a practice annually takes place.  As a means by which honor is shown to the Tora, the custom suggests that only when the Tora is directly utilized and engaged in personally and intimately by as many Jews as possible, does the Tora take on the kind of significance which is appropriate to it. For the majority of us to be long-distance spectators, while a chosen few actually handle it, hold it, read from it, look into it, and, of course, study it, renders the Tora more of a religious artifact and relic, than something with which we have a living, dynamic relationship. Just as it has been deemed impractical to read long passages from the Tora each time it is removed from the Ark, so too were everyone called to the Tora on each occasion that it was to be read, we would view the Tora as burdensome rather than as an object of veneration. But once a year, we are expected to take our turn expressing our regard for this holy object, and hopefully setting the tone for the year to come with respect to continuing meaningful interaction with it.

Hopefully, at the very least, getting “up close and personal” with the Tora on the 23^rd of Tishrei will inspire us to continue probing and thinking about the contents of  the Tora in the weeks and months to come.

However, at the same time that each person stepping up for an Aliya hopefully contributes to the honor of the Tora, we cannot avoid recognizing that this custom involving the entire community, becomes part of the overall joy and fun of the day as well. Particularly in a schul that takes decorum seriously in order to attempt to achieve a sense of Kavod and Yirat HaShem (fear of God),  Simchat Tora becomes the setting for a very different religious context. There is so much activity, so many things going on: singing and dancing, Hakafot honoring different groups and featuring different songs, Tora readings in every corner, the honors doled out to the Chatanim, the myriad children gathering under the great Chupa awaiting their turn  to be called up for an Aliya, the parents and grandparents basking in the glorious moment—it is one large party, a literal and figurative Simcha, with the Tora serving as the focal point. We are not always successful when we try to draw everyone into the circle of dancers around the Tora; but we do involve so many more when they are afforded the opportunity to step up to the Tora and share our collective happiness upon the completion of one cycle of the reading followed immediately by the beginning of the next one. Sharing in the communal joy generated by the Tora is the order of the day, and receiving Aliyot helps personalize that joyful experience for each of us.

A third more mystical reason for the practice of offering Aliyot to so many on Simchat Tora is suggested by R. Avraham Eliezer Hershovitz, in Otzar Kol Minhagei Yeshurun.*** He notes that since the last word of the last verse of the Tora (see Devarim 34:12) is “Yisroel”, whose initials could be viewed as the following acrostic:

“Yud”—      Yesh (there are)

“Sin/Shin”—Shishim (60)

“Reish”—     Ribo (10,000)    à 60×10,000=600,000 (see e.g., BaMidbar 11:21)

“Aleph”—    Anashim (people)

“Lamed”—   LiYisroel (belonging to the Jewish people),

it is appropriate that as many of that mythical 600,000 as can, should participate in the completion of the reading of the Tora. Furthermore, there are 600,000 letters in a Sefer Tora.**** And every member of the Jewish people has a letter and therefore a portion in the Tora. For this reason each one of Israel glorifies the Tora by being called up to it. According to this scheme, the Tora is a reflection of the diversity that comprises the Jewish people. Just as for the Tora to be Kasher and therefore useable, each and every one of its letters, no matter how diverse, has to be in its proper place and appropriately relating to other letters to make up words and ideas, so too the Jewish people have to accept and tolerate diversity in order for the nation to be Kasher and strong, thereby being able to serve the Kellal (collective humanity), due to its own unity and complementarity. From this perspective, what is important is not the individual’s relationship to the Tora, but rather the general impression that we get by watching the procession of people accepting Aliyot, and recognizing the extent of the physical, spiritual, economic, and political diversity of the Jewish nation. Just as the Jews bestow Kavod onto the Tora, the Tora returns the favor and helps us understand who we are and our mutual responsibilities to one another.

Have a wonderful Chag and a thrilling Simchat Tora.