BS''D
21 Tishrei 5773
Today is HOSHANA RABBAH! Last chance for Teshuvah!
Remember to say Ya'aleh VeYavo and Hallel (without a Berakhah in beginning/end)! J
Shemini Asseret/Simhat Torah 5773
In New York:
Hadlakat Nerot Sunday Night 6:09pm
Monday Night AFTER 7:06pm
Mossai Yom Tov Tuesday Night 7:04pm
Rabbenu Tam 7:36pm
BH the next two days are the hagim of Shemini Asseret and Simhat Torah. These are separate hagim from Sukkot. Here is a general idea of what will be happening over the next two days. And PS, in the siddur, we now say 'BeYom Shemini Hag HaAsseret HaZeh' now instead of 'BeYom Hag HaSukkot HaZeh'. Tizku leMissvot Rabot! Moadim leSimhah!!
Monday 22 Tishrei Shemini Asseret
We begin reciting Mashiv HaRuah uMorid HaGeshem (acknowledging that the time for rain in Eress Yisrael has arrived) in the Amidah of MUSAF of Shemini Asseret. If one mistakenly recited Morid HaTal he does not repeat the Amidah, as dew is appropriate all year long. We do not begin Barekh Alenu in the Amidah (that includes the ten tal umatar request for rain) until December 4th or 5th.
Tuesday 23 Tishrei Simhat Torah
On this day we conclude the annual reading of the Torah and begin reading it anew. We rejoice and celebrate by dancing with the Torah. It is appropriate to then rededicate ourselves to increasing our study of the Torah this time around.
Although we received the Torah HaKedoshah by Shavuot, we celebrate the joy of having the Torah now all the way after Sukkot. This is like the story of the king who had a daughter of marriageable age and wanted to find her a suitor. The king told all his people that he is willing to marry off his daughter to whom he sees fit as long as this gentleman does not see his daughter until after they are married. This was to see how committed he truly is. Meanwhile, everyone thought there must be something wrong with his daughter and he is trying to hide it. Yet there was one committed young man that understood that if she is the daughter of the king-if the king is this wonderful- then his daughter must be as well. So he approaches the king and asks for his daughter's hand in marriage, even though he still didn't know what he was getting himself into. Their wedding day came and went, and of course it was filled with immense joy. Yet this young man still didn't know the true beauty of his beloved wife. Each day, as he got to know her better and appreciate her more, he fell more and more in love with her. She was more than he could ever ask for or dream of.
On Shavuot, we accepted the Torah with immense joy, however we didn't know exactly what we were getting ourselves into. Each and every day more that we spent with the Torah HaKedoshah, we appreciate its beauty more and see that it surpasses our expectations by far. This is why we celebrate on Simhat Torah. We have completed the Torah cycle, and can say that we are more familiar with its beauty now. We celebrate from pure love and joy that we have such a treasure. BH this Simhat Torah dance your heart out knowing that we have been given a beauty that exceeds all expectations, a beauty that we will continue to fall more and more in love with as we become more acquainted with it!
Hag Sameah ve Moadim LeSimhah!
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