The History of Simchat Torah

Simchat Torah flags date back to the 1500s in Eastern Europe to solve the problem of how to engage children in Simchat Torah when the scrolls were too heavy for them to carry. The images on them evolved over time, reflecting the priorities of the community (for instance, the IDF was very popular after saving Israel from destruction in 1967). To see more examples over time, visit the National Library of Israel's page about them: https://blog.nli.org.il/en/simchat-torah-flags/

What do you notice about this Simchat Torah flag?

Simchat Torah “on one foot”:

Simchat Torah is a fall holiday. For Conservative and Orthodox Jews in the Diaspora, it is the 9th day of Sukkot. In Israel and for Reform and Reconstructionist Jews in the Diaspora, it is the 8th day of Sukkot and is combined with Shmini Atzeret (though some Reconstructionists will do their dancing at the “end” of their Simchat Torah so as to be aligned with the rest of the Jewish community). Like Shavuot, Sh’mini Atzeret was originally a Temple-based holiday, and so it evolved after the Temple was destroyed.

Simchat Torah in the Torah

Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Leviticus, in the listing of holidays. This set of verses is part of the Torah reading for the first day of Sukkot and second day of Passover. You'll notice that the Torah here only talks about the 8th day and uses the terms "sh'mini" and "atzeret" to refer to it.

Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Numbers and is part of the description of the sacrifices offered on each holiday. It is the Maftir, additional reading, for Sh'mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, since it describes the festival sacrifice offered on Sh'mini Atzeret. You'll notice that the Torah here only talks about the 8th day and uses the terms "sh'mini" and "atzeret" to refer to it.

Context: This is from the Amidah on Festivals, as part of the "Kedushat HaYom" ("Sanctity of the Day") blessing. It comes before Ya'aleh V'yavo, which also has the same language (about Sh'mini Atzeret) for Sh'mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. You'll notice that the siddur here only uses the terms "sh'mini atzeret" to refer to both Sh'mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, reflecting the Torah.

Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Deuteronomy, where Moses has given nearly all of his last speech to the Israelites and then written it down. The word for "teaching" here is "Torah", leading to a variety of interpretations as to what exactly is supposed to be read out loud every 7 years on Sukkot.

Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Nehemiah. In it, Nehemiah is rededicating the people to Judaism, and as part of that he is reading the Torah on Sukkot, with a gathering at the end of Sukkot. Still not quite Simchat Torah, but this is the basis for the rabbis in Babylonia who create the annual cycle of Torah reading to have it end at the time of Sukkot.

Simchat Torah in the Mishnah

Context: This is from the Mishnah, Masechet (Tractate) Sukkah (which is about Sukkot, logically). It is talking about the circling of the alter in the Temple with the willow branches on Sukkot. When the Second Temple was destroyed, this became the origin of "Hoshanot", circling the synagogue with lulav and etrog (on Shabbat we circle but without the lulav and etrog). This text also became the origin of Hakafot, circling on Simchat Torah, when that became a thing much much later.

Context: This is from the Mishnah, Masechet (Tractate) Sotah, which is about suspected infidelity. One of the requirements was that the ritual be carried out in Hebrew. This leads to a discussion about which things could be done in any language (like the Shema, the Amidah, and Birkat HaMazon), and which things had to be done in Hebrew. One of the other things that had to be done in Hebrew was "Hakel", when the people gathered at Sukkot to hear the king read from the Torah (based on Deuteronomy 31:10-13).

So does the Mishnah know from Simchat Torah? No. However, this discussion about the community gathering on Sukkot for a public reading from the Torah gives us a jumping off point.

​​​​​​​Simchat Torah in the Gemara / Talmud

Context: This is from the Babylonian Talmud, Masechet (Tractate) Megillah, which is about the Megillah (logically). While talking about the Megillah, it goes on to talk about other things that get read, like the Torah. This is where the holiday Torah and Haftarah readings are set.

What's important about this text is that this is the first time we see Sh'mini Atzeret as having a second day (at least in the Diaspora outside of Israel) and that the second day has a different Torah reading where we read the end of the Torah. Note that the Haftarah here is the one where Solomon blessed the people at the dedication of the Temple (on Sukkot), just like Moses blessed the people in the Torah reading. It is not the Haftarah that we do today.

Context: This is from the same part of the Babylonian Talmud, a few pages earlier. Here there is a discussion about the appropriate Torah reading for the Shabbats before Passover. It is noticed that the Shekalim reading is found near the regular Torah reading for that time of year. Somebody points out that this isn't necessarily true for the Jews in the Land of Israel, who take 3 years to read the entire Torah. Their triennial cycle was different from the one in use today, because under that system they would read each parasha over a period of 3 weeks in a row. In the triennial system used today, one third of each parasha is read each year, so that from one Simchat Torah to the next the first (or second, or third) third of every parasha has been read. It is interesting that the "full k'riah" system seems to be a more recent innovation than some form of the "triennial system".

Simchat Torah in the Midrash

Context: This is from the Midrash book Song of Songs Rabba / Shir HaShirim Rabba, which is where the Rabbis interpreted the Song of Songs. It was written around 800 CE in the Land of Israel. Because Song of Songs claims to be written by King Solomon, this text from early in the book talks about King Solomon. Here, it is citing 1 Kings 3:12-15, where King Solomon asked for wisdom in a dream and then when he was told that he would receive it he made a banquet. This text is used to prove that one should make a "siyum", celebratory feast for completing a text, and here it is being used to prove that one should celebrate the completion of the Torah. This comes up again in the Beit Yosef, Orach Chayim, 669:3:1 in connection with Simchat Torah.

The Emergence of Simchat Torah (900s-1400s)

Context: This is from a collection of the Responsa of the Geonim, leaders of the Jewish community from 800-1000 CE. The Geonim were based in Babylonia. Here we see that Simchat Torah doesn’t yet have a name, but we are dancing on it in celebration of finishing the Torah.

Context: This is from the Machzor Vitry, a book of prayers and laws written by a student of Rashi, Simcha ben Samuel of Vitry (died 1105). Many people consider it to be the first source of the term "Simchat Torah", though the next text may be older. Note that the phrase "Safek Shemini" means that "in case of doubt of the 8th", referring to the idea that in the Diaspora we weren't sure if we declared Rosh Chodesh at the start of the month on the right date, so we double most holidays to make sure that it's right on one of the days.

Context: This text comes from a book delineating the differences in practice between the Jews of Babylonia and the Jews of the Land of Israel. It dates from the Geonic period, so it was probably written around 1030 CE. Here we see that Simchat Torah was a celebration of finishing the Torah, but Jews in the Land of Israel only had it every 3 years, while the Jews of Babylonia had it every year connected with Sukkot.

Context: This is from the 1170 "Itineraries of Benjamin of Tudela", detailing Benjamin's (1130-1173) journeys through Europe, Africa, and Asia a century before Marco Polo. Here he is saying that there are two different customs of how long it takes to complete the Torah, and that on Simchat Torah the Jewish communities of Cairo join together despite their differences.

Context: This is from "Sefer HaManhig", written in Spain in the late 1100s by Rabbi Avraham b. Natan, known as "HaYarchi". You can read more about this book here: https://www.toviapreschel.com/sefer-hamanhig/​​​​​​​

Context: This is from Maimonides / Rambam's (1138-1204, a little less than half an hour) Mishneh Torah, where he took the discussions of the Talmud, took out the back-and-forth discussion, and reorganized the final rulings into easier-to-find categories. Here we see that in his day (also in Cairo), there were 2 different traditions of how to read the Torah.

Context: This is from the Zohar, a text that was attributed to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai around 135 CE, but was probably written by Moses de Leon in the 1300s in Spain (his widow admitted that he attributed it to the ancient rabbi in order to increase sales). This is a mystical text that gives an explanation for Simchat Torah.

Context: This is from "The Tur", more formally known as "the Arba Turim". This text by Rabbi Jacob ben Asher (1269-1343) was written around the year 1300 in Italy, and it organizes Jewish law up to that point. The organization system set up in the Tur is used later on in the Shulchan Aruch. This text follows the rules for Sh'mini Atzeret. This is the first time where we see the custom of starting the Torah again immediately after finishing it.

Context: This is from the Sefer HaMinhagim ("Book of Customs"), a text written in the 1400s by the Austrio-Hungarian Rabbi Isaac Tirna / Tyrnau. It is organized by the Jewish calendar, and was written because so many Central European scholars died or were killed during the Black Death that knowledge of what to do was greatly diminished. This is the first time that the custom of starting the Torah again during Simchat Torah was connected to the name of the holiday.

Context: This is part of the commentary on the Torah by Abravanel / Don Rabbi Isaac Abarnabel (1437-1508), an advisor to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella who went into exile when the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. Here he is commenting on the part of the Torah that says that the King should read publicly from the Torah on Sukkot, and he connects this with Simchat Torah.

Simchat Torah in the Shulchan Aruch

Context: This is from the Shulchan Aruch, the 1563 law code published by Rabbi Joseph Caro establishing normative Jewish practice at that time. He wrote from a Sephardic perspective, so Rabbi Moses Isserles, who had lost the race to publish such a law code, wrote a gloss ("the Rama") indicating where Ashkenazi practice differed.

This is the first time that we see hakafot (circling the bima / synagogue) mentioned in connection with Simchat Torah. Other aspects of the holiday that we see here include: including "Shehechiyanu" in the evening Kiddush, how many Torah scrolls to read from (and what to do if you don't have enough), the Haftarah, being able to repeat an Aliyah on this day, and the Children's Aliyah.

​​​​​​​Wait, isn't that the wrong Haftarah?

Context: This is the same text we saw from the Babylonian Talmud earlier. It's pretty clear that the Haftarah for Simchat Torah comes from I Kings, not Joshua.

​​​​​​​Context: This is the beginning of the Biblical Book of Joshua. It picks up right after Moses dying, which we read about in the Simchat Torah reading.

Seder Rav Amram Gaon

And for the Maftir we read as the day before "And on the eighth day of assembly" until the end of the paragraph, and the Haftarah is from 1 Kings "And Solomon did". On the day that is added [to Sh'mini Atzeret] we read from the beginning of Joshua "After the death of Moses" until "only be strong and take courage".

Context: This is from the first siddur ever, sent as a response to a letter from Barcelona, Spain, about how to say the prayers. It was written by Rav Amram Gaon (Amram ben Sheshna) in 868 CE. This is a change in the Haftarah for Simchat Torah, and it dates to the Geonim.

Ritz Gi'at

It is customary on this day, the day on which we complete the reading of the Torah ... to sing all types of praises of the Torah and to rejoice in all types of celebration, and this day was called, "The Day of Simchat Torah. And the Haftarah is "After the death of Moses" (Joshua 1:1)

Context: This is from the Ritz Gi'at, short for Rabbi Isaac ibn Gi'at / Ghiyyat, a Spanish rabbi (1030-1089) who was a teacher of the Alfasi.

Context: This is from the Machzor Vitry, right after what we previously saw (the translation here is my own). Here, no later than 1105 (when the author died), we see that some people are doing the Haftarah as described in the Talmud, because it connects thematically the blessing of Moses with the blessing of Solomon to the people. We also see that some people are doing the beginning of Joshua because it connects the Torah reading with what comes next in the story. Simcha ben Samuel thinks these people are wrong.

Context: This is from the Tosaphot, Rashi's grandsons (and son-in-law) and their students who often disagree with Rashi. Here they are commenting on the text in the Babylonian Talmud that states what the Haftarah for Simchat Torah ought to be. This comes from around 1150 CE. They agree with the Machzor Vitry (which was one of their influences) that there are 2 customs for the Haftarah, but the Joshua custom is wrong. According to this text, Rav Hai Gaon made the change, which would put it at around 970 CE.

Context: This is a snippet from the part of the Tur that we saw before. It shows that by 1300, there were still two different customs for the appropriate Haftarah on Simchat Torah, but that the Joshua one had gained more acceptance.

Simchat Torah 1565-Present

Context: This is from Chayim Vital, a student of the Kabbalist Isaac Luria (1534-1572). Here we see the idea of the Hakafot has caught on.

Samuel Pepy's Diary

Wednesday, October 14th, 1663: Thence home and after dinner my wife and I, by Mr. Rawlinson’s conduct, to the Jewish Synagogue: where the men and boys in their vayles, and the women behind a lattice out of sight; and some things stand up, which I believe is their Law, in a press to which all coming in do bow; and at the putting on their vayles do say something, to which others that hear him do cry Amen, and the party do kiss his vayle. Their service all in a singing way, and in Hebrew. And anon their Laws that they take out of the press are carried by several men, four or five several burthens in all, and they do relieve one another; and whether it is that every one desires to have the carrying of it, I cannot tell, thus they carried it round about the room while such a service is singing. And in the end they had a prayer for the King, which they pronounced his name in Portugall; but the prayer, like the rest, in Hebrew. But, Lord! to see the disorder, laughing, sporting, and no attention, but confusion in all their service, more like brutes than people knowing the true God, would make a man forswear ever seeing them more and indeed I never did see so much, or could have imagined there had been any religion in the whole world so absurdly performed as this. Away thence with my mind strongly disturbed with them, by coach and set down my wife in Westminster Hall.

Context: This is from a diary kept by Samuel Pepys (1633-1703), the Administrator of the Royal Navy and a member of the British Parliament. Passing around the carrying of the Torah seems to be going on in Britain on Simchat Torah by this point.

"Persistence and Flexibility: Anthropological Perspectives on the American Jewish Experience", Fran Markowitz

Although public declarations of Jewishness are not made - either by synagogue attendance or by not working on the Jewish holiday...Some informants tell of going to the synagogues in Moscow and Leningrad when the 1967 Arab-Israeli war broke out and of attending yearly Simchat Torah celebrations. These were specific, mass demonstrations of Jewish youth, linked to assertions of Jewish pride and the gathering momentum of the emigration movement, not ordinary expressions of Judaism.

Context: This is from the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, in Chicago, led by Lori Lippitz.

With appreciation to Chaim Davies, Chaya Levinson, Atara Blicker, Rabbi Claude Vicht-Wolf, Liz Levin, Rachel Buckman, Tamar Ron Marvin, Wikipedia, Sefaria Education, Amy Ariel, Conservative Yeshiva Online, Aida Hasson,

Appendix A: Simchat Torah - Are there Limits on Innovation?

By the Conservative Yeshiva: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/77043?lang=bi

Recently I heard a discussion on whether we can declare a new Jewish holiday. In fact Yom Ha’Atzma’ut is a newly-created holiday, to celebrate the rebirth of an independent Jewish State. Needless to say, how it is defined and celebrated continues to be the subject of much debate – halakhic, theological and political.

Simhat Torah is a “recent” holiday, if it should be considered a separate holiday at all. It has no basis in the Torah and is in fact an embellishment of Shemini Hag Ha’Atzeret, the eighth day of Sukkot. It has no separate identity liturgically – it is called “Yom HaShemini Hag Ha’Atseret hazeh (zman simhatenu)” in the Amidah and the Kiddush. The name Simhat Torah was apparently first used in the Geonic period (8^th – 10^th centuries), in Bavel and Eretz Yisrael and is found in Rashi’s Siddur (11^th century, Ashkenaz). And the practices we now associate with it developed at different times and places, in the Geonic period and later.

Simhat Torah as a cause for celebration resulted from fixing the reading of the Torah annually, which was not always the case. The Talmud (Source 1) makes reference to the triennial (3 year) cycle in Palestine, and Rashi notes there that the custom in his area was to do it in a year. Maimonides, a century later than Rashi, (Source 2) is more specific – he considers the annual cycle the prevailing practice and Sukkot the date for its end and re-beginning.

The Tur (Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher, 1269 – 1343, Ashkenaz and Spain) says the day is called “Simhat Torah, because we finish the Torah and it is appropriate to rejoice on the completion.” He notes practices which were apparently new or recent: the removal of three Sifrei Torah, the third for the reading of the beginning of Bereishit; piyutim (liturgical poems) for the day; “there are places” where all the sifrei Torah are removed from the Aron; and, in Ashkenaz, special honors for the ones who end and begin the reading of the Torah (the Hatan Torah and Hatan Bereishit today).

(Source 3, paragraphs 1, 3 and 4)

The Rema, Rabbi Moshe Isserles (16^th century, Cracow, Poland), in his gloss of Ashkenazic customs in the Shulhan Arukh (Orah Hayyim 669), mentions elements which evidently had become popular in the intervening centuries and which seem “natural” to us today: removal of all the Torahs the night before as well; circling the bima of the synagogue with the Sifrei Torahs “as we do with the lulav;” calling many people for aliyot and repeating the same reading many times “and this is not forbidden;” and calling the youths to the Torah and “some even call a youth for the final aliya.”

What is surprising is how smoothly it appears that these customs, some quite radical, were accepted; at least we don’t see strong objections in the contemporary sources. The Rema’s comment that repeating the reading to allow many aliyot “is not forbidden” hints that there was opposition to this. R’ Joseph Colon (the Maharik, 15^th century, Italy) permitted dancing on Simhat Torah “though we don’t (usually) dance on Festivals,” but he forbade the burning of incense. And the Magen Avraham (17^th century, Poland, on Shulhan Arukh, Orah Hayyim 669) adds that it is forbidden to “burn pulvei (gun powder) to make noise, and I have seen important rabbis object to it.” This is intriguing; apparently the use of fireworks for the celebration of Jewish holidays did not originate with Yom Ha’Atzma’ut.

One point that did cause serious discomfort was the Haftarah for Simhat Torah, which today is the first chapter of Joshua, and the reason for the discomfort is clear – the Talmud instructs us expressly otherwise. The Mishnah in Megillah (Source 4), the first place where Torah readings are discussed, tells that we read the list of festivals in Leviticus chapter 23 on the first day of Sukkot and “the festival offerings (Numbers 29:12 ff) on the other days of the Festival.” It is silent about any special reading for Shemini Hag Ha’Atzeret,, even though the Torah designates it a “shabbaton” and “solemn assembly” (Lev 23:39 and Num 27:35), nor does it mention Haftarot.

The Gemara shows a big development (Source 5) – it knows two-day holidays in the Diaspora; the 8^th day has its own festival reading (Deuteronomy 14:22 and following); the sacrifice for the 8^th day from Numbers has become the Maftir reading; and Haftarah readings are introduced. The readings for the second day of Shemini Hag Ha’Atzeret are illuminating – Deuteronomy 33, to conclude the Torah, as we read today, and I Kings VIII, 22 (Shlomo’s prayer on completion of the Temple) for the Haftarah. This is very nice. As it became popular to complete the cycle of Torah reading, Moses’ blessing the people at the close of Deuteronomy makes Shlomo’s blessing the people on the completion of the Temple, which occurred at the end of Sukkot, very appropriate – both in timing and in content.

But, as noted above, that is not what we do. Reading Joshua 1 instead was mentioned in Seder Rav Amram (9^th century, Bavel), but it took centuries to become accepted throughout the Jewish world. Maimonides (12^th century, Spain, Egypt, Eretz Yisrael) is aware of both customs (Source 6), while his Ashkenazic contemporary, an anonymous Tosafist, is, too, but clearly very unhappy about it – “how can we change what the Talmud has ordained?” (Source 7). Rabbi Yitzhak ben Moshe of Vienna, from the same period, makes two interesting suggestions in his highly regarded work, Or Zarua: that the exchange of the Haftarah goes back to the Saboraim (Babylonian rabbis of the 6^th-7^th centuries) and that the authority to do so derives from the force of established custom, minhag mevatel halacha – it can overturn the formal law (Source 8). The Tur (Source 1, section 2), a half century later, also mentions both customs, but indicates that he follows those who read Joshua.

A century later, the RaN, R’ Nissim ben Reuven, one of the last of the great Spanish medieval talmudic scholars (14^th c), explained that there is a good, logical reason for each of these Haftarot to follow the end of Deuteronomy. Regarding Joshua 1, which, interestingly, the RaN cites as nuscha achrina (“the alternative” text), he writes: “In the Haftarah following Moshe’s death, God instructs his student Joshua how to carry on.” But by the 16^th century Joshua had apparently become accepted throughout the Jewish world as the Haftarah for Simhat Torah (Shulhan Arukh, Source 9). The I Kings 8 reading of the Talmud is no longer mentioned. The umbrage of the Tosafot seems to have lapsed.

The substitution of Joshua brings to the holiday the linear view of history, supplementing the cyclical. When we finish reading the Torah we return to the beginning and start over (Genesis 1) and we move ahead, into the territory of time and space which followed the Torah. From the desert of Sinai, we go both back to the idyllic Garden of Eden and forward into the harsh reality of Eretz Yisrael, tough then and tough today.

The Maggid of Dubnow, a famous 18^th century Lithuanian preacher, offered a homiletical explanation why Simhat Torah is celebrated at Sukkot and not at Shavuot, the anniversary of Matan Torah, the time of the giving of the Torah to Am Yisrael. Israel was compelled to receive the Torah at Shavuot (God forced it upon us as har k’gigit, as a mountain dangling over us, Talmud Shabbat 88a). It took the months from Sivan for Israel’s acquaintance with the Torah to ripen into love. The celebration in Tishrei appropriately reflects the deep sense of the joy of Torah which the people had acquired and which hopefully we still feel today.

Appendix B: Dancing on Simchat Torah

When did dancing become part of celebrating this holiday?

In the Talmud (Meg. 31b) this day is called Shemini Atzeret. The Darchei Moshe (OC 669:3) cites a responsum from R' Joseph Colon (#26) who found a Geonic responsa mentioning the custom of dancing on Simhat Torah, dating the current practice of dancing on Simhat Torah to the 1st century CE.

In the 9th century, some European Jewish communities assigned a special reading from the Prophets to be read on this day. In the 14th century, the reading of Genesis was added immediately upon the completion of Deuteronomy and the Shulhan Arukh (written about 1565) only mentions this without mentioning the presumably later custom of southern European countries to remove all the Torah scrolls from the ark and to sing a separate hymn for each one. In northern European countries, those who had finished the reading of Deuteronomy made donations to the synagogue, after which the wealthier members of the community would give a dinner for friends and acquaintances. By the end of the 15th century, it was a common though not universal practice for the children to tear down and burn the sukkahs on Simhat Torah.

In the 16th century, the practice of taking out the scrolls and filing solemnly around the bimah on the night of the 23rd of Tishri became customary; and on the same evening, after the procession, a number of passages from the Torah were read.

In the 17th century, Rebecca bat Meir Tiktiner of Prague composed a poem about Simhat Torah. She was a Jewish educator of women. Her book of ethics, Meneket Rivkah (Rebecca’s nursemaid), was the first book written in Yiddish by a woman, and its main purpose was to teach ethical behavior.

"In the 20th century, Simhat Torah came to symbolize the public assertion of Jewish identity."
Zenner, Walter P. Persistence and Flexibility: Anthropological Perspectives on the American Jewish Experience. SUNY Press, 1988. p.85

"The Jews of the Soviet Union, in particular, would celebrate the festival en masse in the streets of Moscow. On October 14, 1973, more than 100,000 Jews took part in a post–Simhat Torah rally in New York city on behalf of refuseniks and Soviet Jewry."

Dancing in the street with the Torah has become part of the holiday's ritual.
Soviet Jewry. 1973-10-14. Retrieved 2013-09-25.

"In Chabad Hasidic thought, the traditional dancing with the Torah allows the Jew to act as the "feet" of the Torah, taking the Torah where it wishes to go, as feet transport the head. This is thought as an act of submission to the will of God as expressed in the dictates of the Torah. It is an act that causes the Jew to inherently and naturally observe the Jewish faith. And just as the head benefits from the mobility of the feet, so does the Torah become exalted by the commitment of the Jew."

Metzger, Alter B. Chasidic Perspectives: A Festival Anthology. Kehot Publication Society. 2002. Pages 120–121.

But . . .why do we dance?

"The Gaon of Vilna said that ve-samachta be-chagekha (You shall rejoice in your festival; Deuteronomy 16:14) is the most difficult commandment in the Torah. I could never understand this puzzling remark. Only during the war did I understand. Those Jews who, in the course of their journey to the end of hope, managed to dance on Simhat Torah, those Jews who studied Talmud by heart while carrying stones on their back, those Jews who went on whispering Zemirot shel Shabbat (Hymns of Sabbath) while performing hard labor . . . ve-samachta be-chagekha was one commandment that was impossible to observe—yet they observed it."

“On Man's Prayer,” Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein Memorial Volume, ed. Leo Landman (KTAV Publishing House, 1980): 366.

Appendix C: Simchat Torah Stamps

Israel, Issued September 9, 2014

As far back as the 17th century the children in Ashkenazi communities would come to the synagogue on Simchat Torah night waving flags. The Simchat Torah flags were part of a popular material culture of paper products such as Mizrach hangings, marking the east as the direction for prayer, and paper cutouts. Along with the homemade flags, paper flags were printed with images of traditional Jews and included pictures expressing the Sukkot and Simchat Torah holiday experience.

Eretz Israel, 1930’s
In the early 20th century these flags began featuring Zionist motifs which were incorporated into the traditional look. “For the Torah shall come forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” was printed as the title of the holiday flag printed here in Eretz Israel in the 1930’s. At the center of the flag stands the Holy Ark with images of Moses and Aharon leaning on it, and in front the four sacred animals who express “bold as a tiger, and light as an eagle, and runs like a gazelle and brave as a lion to fulfill the will of the Father in Heaven”. On the left stand three children, one of whom was characterized as a Yemenite youth with curly sidelocks – a biblical symbol updated for the modern Return to Zion. On the right stands a European boy wearing a cap and holding a blue and white flag, with the symbol of the “Maccabi” sports club on his shirt – an expression of the new Jew, the muscular man who rejuvenates the legacy of the Maccabees.

Israel, 1950’s
In the 1950’s the European tradition of decorating became the tradition among Jews from all ethnic groups. The yearning for the Tomb of Rachel and for the Western Wall became the scenes that decorated the Holy Ark – two cardboard doors, through which one could usually see a picture of Torah scrolls. A group of boys and girls who were stooped over the Torah emphasized the essence of the equal Israeli ethos, which suited most of the Israeli public.

Israel, 1960’s
The victory in the Six-Day War in 1967 presented and emphasized Simchat Torah in the image of the IDF as a savior. “Rejoice and be joyful on Simchat Torah” in the form of IDF soldiers carrying Torah scrolls and dancing around the Holy Ark. The people’s love for their soldiers, their adored heroes became the essence of the flag’s look.

Dr. Haim Grossman
Researcher of Israeli Culture

The three flags that appear on the stamp are from the Haim Grossman collection.

• The 1950’s flag – drawn by Zvi Livni.
• The 1960’s flag – drawn by Arie Moskovitz.
• Photos of the flags by Pini Hamou.

Technical Specifications:
Stamp Size (mm): H 30 / W 40
Plates: 951, 952, 953
Stamps per Sheet: 15
Tabs per Sheet: 5
Method of printing: Offset
Security mark: Microtext
Printer: Cartor Security Printing, France

http://virtualstampclub.com/lloydblog/?p=895

Appendix D: The Masorti Simchat Torah Flag

Masorti Olami’s new modern Zionist Simchat Torah Flag features men, women and children celebrating together the gift of Torah! Why this Flag? There is a 300 year old history of Simchat Torah flags and why they carry the designs they do. In October of 2011, the Eretz Yisrael Museum in Tel Aviv held an exhibition of Simchat Torah flags starting in 1940 with the establishment of the State of Israel. The flags were a microcosm of the changes that Israel has been through in the last 60+ years.

Our flag is also representative of change. A few years ago, some of our congregations were looking for Simchat Torah flags and voiced their frustration that they could only find flags that were relevant to the Orthodox Jewish world. We needed a flag that is inclusive of disabilities, gender, ethnicity – representing all of the Jewish people. And so, we created one. Almost all of the countries where there is an active Masorti community are represented on our flag. There are even more countries with Masorti kehillot that aren’t on the flag, only because we didn’t have the space!

The blue Torah in the center of the flag is a Sephardi Torah which is housed in a box like case. This Torah is read by Jews of Sephardi origin (such as Morocco or Spain) and is read from the case with the Torah standing up! This goes to prove that the Jewish people is an international one with common values, a common Torah and an unbreakable link one to the other.

The Torah cover on the left side read: “Ki Mitzion Tetzei Torah” – from Zion [Israel] shall come forth Torah. One of the links of course that binds us all together is the state of Israel. Our movement is a Zionist one and it is important to us that Israel is a part of each holiday and of our daily religious life. That is why the Israeli flags sits in the middle in a place of honor, larger than the others. Wherever Jews live they have always turned their hearts and support toward Israel.

The banner reads “sisu v’simchu b’Simchat Torah” a favorite song of this holiday. But why Hebrew? Why not English? Or German? Or Spanish? Hebrew is the common language of Jews and of the State of Israel. Even if we aren’t in our homes, we can feel at home when we hear the familiar sounds of prayers being chanted in Hebrew. And we can always greet our fellow Jews wherever they live with a wish for Shalom.

The Aron Kodesh or Ark is a familiar site at synagogues around the world. Written on the aron kodesh are the words “darcheha darchei noam” – all of its [The Torah’s] paths, are paths of peace. Usually, we would write the word “noam” without the vav – just nun – ayin – mem sofit. But it is a secret clue to our own NOAM OLAMI youth movement. Can you spot our NOAM Olami members in their green shirts? Whether you are in USY, NOAM UK or NOAM in Latin America, NOAM Olami connects our youth builds next generation’s leaders.

Even though the look of the flag may be retro, the values are what we expect to see in our modern day kehillot. A group of grandparents, parents and children dancing together in a circle that represents the passing of our tradition from one to another. No one is excluded – all are included regardless of race, gender or disability. On the left side of the flag, you see parents looking on and participating joyfully as their children continue the tradition of celebrating the Torah and their Jewish identities. On the right side, you see generations even further back, from Herzl, who looks on in pleasure to see the centrality of the State of Israel in our hearts and minds – to Moses who gave us the Torah – to Miriam who always led the Jewish people in song and in joy.

This flag would not have been possible without the support and partnership of the World Zionist Organization and the ongoing participation in all of our projects. Thank you also to all of the rabbis and lay leaders who gave us feedback and ideas about the design. Thank you to our illustrator and designer , Ksenia Topaz, who was forever patient in helping us create our vision . You can see more of Ksenia’s work here: kseniatopaz.com

Masorti Olami builds, renews and strengthens Conservative/Masorti Jewish life throughout the world, with efforts that focus on existing and developing communities in Europe, Latin America, the Former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia and Australia. MERCAZ Olami is the Zionist organization of the world Masorti/Conservative Movement. We promote and support Zionist education, Israel programs and aliyah in our movement and work to enhance the quality of Jewish life in Israel. We believe in the centrality of Israel in the life and consciousness of the Jewish People and the unity of the Jewish People wherever they may live.

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