Our TorahThe Five Books of Moses, and the foundation of all of Jewish life and lore. The Torah is considered the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and study of the Torah is a high mitzvah. The Torah itself a scroll that is hand lettered on parchment, elaborately dressed and decorated, and stored in a decorative ark. It is chanted aloud on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbat, according to a yearly cycle. Sometimes "Torah" is used as a colloquial term for Jewish learning and narrative in general. is old.
The velvet Torah cover
And the silver plate that hangs over the velvet
Are covered in names of donors long gone,
And their honored loved ones, gone even longer.
These names mean nothing to us:
We ignore them on ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends.
When we parade around the shulSynagogue (Yiddish).
The velvet Torah cover
And the silver plate that hangs over the velvet
Are covered in names of donors long gone,
And their honored loved ones, gone even longer.
These names mean nothing to us:
We ignore them on ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends.
When we parade around the shulSynagogue (Yiddish).
On SelikhotServices held early in the morning throughout the month of Elul, leading up to Rosh Hashanah, during which Jews begin the process of asking forgiveness for our sins. we put aside the old velvet
And dress our Torah in a fresh white cover,
Only a year old,
Donated by a beloved member
Her name embroidered on the velvet.
She died this year, four days before Rosh HashanahThe Jewish New Year, also considered the Day of Judgment. The period of the High Holidays is a time of introspection and atonement. The holiday is celebrated with the sounding of the shofar, lengthy prayers in synagogue, the eating of apples and honey, and round challah for a sweet and whole year. Tashlikh, casting bread on the water to symbolize the washing away of sins, also takes place on Rosh Hashana..
We cried
When we walked our Torah around the shul.
And dress our Torah in a fresh white cover,
Only a year old,
Donated by a beloved member
Her name embroidered on the velvet.
She died this year, four days before Rosh HashanahThe Jewish New Year, also considered the Day of Judgment. The period of the High Holidays is a time of introspection and atonement. The holiday is celebrated with the sounding of the shofar, lengthy prayers in synagogue, the eating of apples and honey, and round challah for a sweet and whole year. Tashlikh, casting bread on the water to symbolize the washing away of sins, also takes place on Rosh Hashana..
We cried
When we walked our Torah around the shul.
We will think of our friend every year at this time of year,
From now on, whenever we see the white cover,
Until none of us are here,
Until no one alive remembers her
Or us.
Then others will carry this scroll with the white cover
Donated by a Jew they never knew,
Whose name they will ignore,
Our loved one.
Tonight it’s Simchat TorahThe holiday at the end of Sukkot during which Jews dance with the Torah late into the night. The yearly reading cycle of the Torah is completed and a new cycle is begun. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah mark the end of the holiday season. In some congregations, the Torah scroll is unrolled in its entirety, and selected verses are read or sections noted..
So we take off her white covers
And put on the old ones,
Gold and blue, embroidered with strangers’ names.
Then we will dance around the shul.
From now on, whenever we see the white cover,
Until none of us are here,
Until no one alive remembers her
Or us.
Then others will carry this scroll with the white cover
Donated by a Jew they never knew,
Whose name they will ignore,
Our loved one.
Tonight it’s Simchat TorahThe holiday at the end of Sukkot during which Jews dance with the Torah late into the night. The yearly reading cycle of the Torah is completed and a new cycle is begun. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah mark the end of the holiday season. In some congregations, the Torah scroll is unrolled in its entirety, and selected verses are read or sections noted..
So we take off her white covers
And put on the old ones,
Gold and blue, embroidered with strangers’ names.
Then we will dance around the shul.
We give thanks to the ancient One-ness,
Telling the story even when we can’t
Keeping our loved ones’ memories as blessings,
Giving us Torah from the beginning, every year.
Telling the story even when we can’t
Keeping our loved ones’ memories as blessings,
Giving us Torah from the beginning, every year.
