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Sermon Topics Dec. 2 "The Ladder of Angles" Dec. 9 "Jacob, the Wrestler" Dec. 16 "No Peace for Jacob" Dec. 23 "Joseph in Egypt" Dec. 30 TBA Jan. 6 "The True Leader of Israel--Rueben or Judah?" Shabbat times for Portsmouth, NH 03801 1-Click Shabbat Copyright © 2006 Michael J. Radwin. All rights reserved. You can also view this week's Torah Portion via the 1-Click Shabbat link. Our Annual Chanukah Party will follow regular Sunday Hebrew School on Dec. 17, with a special Latke Party with all the trimmings! Please bring your chanukiyote (Chanukah menorahs) and enough candles to light for the 2nd Day of Chanukah, which Sunday is. We will be distributing dreidels for playing with M&M’s, and singing songs, both traditional and new. No charge—join us!

By Rabbi David Hartley Mark The High Holiday Season, which began so auspiciously with Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur—may all Israel, and the world, enjoy a good year!—comes to a close in the early days of October, with Simchat Torah, the Festival of Rejoicing of the Torah. As any knowledgeable Jew knows, this is the time when we gather in temple on the eve of the holiday (Thursday night, Oct. 4, this year, at 6pm) to take out all of our Sifray Torah (Torah Scrolls), dance with them around the sanctuary to the strains of klezmer music, and then call up different segments of the congregation—all the women, all the men, and all the children—to take their “mass aliyote,” after calling out their Hebrew, or tribal, names. Following the service, all retire to the social hall to enjoy ice cream (courtesy of Sisterhood) and continue their circle dancing. It is a heady, joyful time, and one of my favorite holidays.

And yet—and yet. How many of us are aware that the following day is Simchat Torah day, proper? That is the day on which we actually conclude the reading of the Torah at the end of Devarim/Deuteronomy, and immediately resume it with the Creation story at the beginning of B’raysheet/Genesis (from two separate Torahs, of course), so that Sahtahn Ha-m’kat-rayg (Satan, the Prosecuting Attorney in the Heavenly Court) should not tug at G-d’s sleeve and say, “Look at those ungrateful Jews, O’ L-rd! You gave them, Your most precious gift, the Torah, and they neglect its study, even for a second!” (This is all literary metaphor, of course.) On this day, we honor two members of the congregation, calling up one to serve as Kallat/Chatan Ha-Torah (Bride or Groom of the Torah) for the end of Deuteronomy, and another to be Kallat/Chatan B’raysheet (Bride or Groom of Genesis), with special me-sheh-bayrachs (special post-aliyah blessings) following. I use the Lubavitcher Chasidic prayerbook for these, so you may be certain that they are wonderfully detailed.

Still more: we, as Jews, are the People of the Book. When was the last time we studied Torah b’chavruta—in fellowship? We are highly fortunate to live in an age when so much Torah learning is available on the Web, stemming from all denominations, even post-denominational. (Our own Conservative movement website, USCJ.org, is one fine example; try googling “Torah” or “Judaism” and see what comes up.)

Beyond that, we have opportunities to study Torah in temple. I have long made it a custom to discuss the parshot ha-shavua (weekly Torah portion) as part of our 7:30pm Friday night service. There will also be a Torah portion discussion following the Shabbat morning service. And, if you’re on the run, be sure to check our online “This Week at Temple Israel,” where I supply “ah goot vort” (insight) about the Torah portion. In weeks to come, we will be exploring further ways to make Torah study a regular part of our existence, both communally and individually. For, truly, “Torah is der besteh s’choyrah”—Torah is our most priceless possession, as the Yiddish phrase has it. Resolve to make Torah study your objective in 5768!