Simchat Torah 2024 is on Thursday, October 17, 2024: What is Simchat Torah?

Thursday, October 17, 2024 is Simchat Torah 2024. Simchat Torah or better Simḥath Torah (also Simkhes Toreh, Hebrew: שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה, lit., "Rejoicing of/[with the] Torah") is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle.

Simchat Torah or better Simḥath Torah (also Simkhes Toreh, Hebrew: שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה, lit., "Rejoicing of/[with the] Torah") is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle.

Simchat Torah (also Simchas Torah, Hebrew: שמחת תורה, lit., "Rejoicing with/of the Torah,") is a celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle. Simchat Torah is a component of the Biblical Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret ("Eighth Day of Assembly"), which follows immediately after the festival of Sukkot in the month of Tishrei (mid-September to early October on the Gregorian calendar).

What is the reason for dancing & singing on the Jewish Holiday of Simchat Torah?

On Simchat Torah we conclude our annual cycle of reading the Torah and immediately begin it again anew. Completing the Torah is a source of great joy!

To demonstrate our extreme happiness we dance with the Torah and encircle the Bimah for seven Hakafot (circuits). We sing, we dance, and we wish one another L'Chaim (to life), as we whoop it up. There is no happiness greater than our happiness in having the Torah.

Many wonder why we do not do this type of celebration on the holiday of Shavuot, which after all is the holiday on which we actually received the Torah?

Our sages reply that only after the people had the Torah for some amount of time were they able to appreciate the greatness of the gift. That is why the celebration becomes so completely and overwhelmingly happy on Simchat Torah.

Furthermore our Rabbis point out that the holiness of the time pervades the atmosphere to such a degree that we do not even have to open the Torah to celebrate it. We merely dance with it to show how much we love it. When dancing with the Torah everyone is equal whether he is the greatest scholar or the simplest layman. It does not matter on Simchat Torah, for the Torah is the inheritance of every Jew.

All in all, there is no holiday more joyous. It is considered a Tremendous Mitzvah for each and every Jew to attend a Simchat Torah celebration!

Jewish people: Is 'Simchat Torah' just for Rabbis to celebrate?

Simchat Torah is a holiday for all Jews to celebrate. All Jews are supposed to be reading and observing the Torah.

In fact, all the Jewish holidays are for all Jews to celebrate.

The following is from myjewishlearning.com:

Simchat Torah (Hebrew, 'Rejoicing in the Law') Holy day on which the completion of the annual reading of the TORAH is celebrated.