Reading the End and Beginning of the Torah

What happens when you finish reading the most important book ever written? You start it again, immediately. On Simchat Torah, the Jewish community completes the annual cycle of Torah reading by finishing the Book of Deuteronomy and, without pause, beginning the Book of Genesis. This seamless transition from ending to beginning is one of the most powerful symbols in Jewish life.

How the Torah Reading Cycle Works

The Torah (the Five Books of Moses) is divided into 54 portions (parashot), one for each week of the year (some weeks combine two portions). Beginning from Genesis on the Shabbat after Simchat Torah, each week a new portion is read in synagogue during the Shabbat morning service. By the following Simchat Torah, the entire Torah has been read from start to finish.

This annual cycle means that every Jew, in every synagogue around the world, is reading the same portion of the Torah at the same time. It creates an extraordinary sense of unity and shared experience across all Jewish communities.

The Simchat Torah Reading

On Simchat Torah morning, the final portion of the Torah, V'Zot HaBrachah (And This Is the Blessing), is read. This portion contains Moses' final blessings to the tribes of Israel and his death on Mount Nebo, within sight of the Promised Land he was not permitted to enter. It is a bittersweet reading: the greatest prophet in Jewish history takes his final leave.

The person honored with the final aliyah (being called to the Torah for the last portion) is called the Chatan Torah (Bridegroom of the Torah). Immediately after, a new Torah scroll is opened to Genesis, and the first chapter of Bereishit (In the beginning) is read. The person honored with this aliyah is called the Chatan Bereishit (Bridegroom of Genesis). These are among the highest honors given in the synagogue, typically bestowed on respected community members.

Why Start Again Immediately?

The immediate restart carries several powerful messages. Torah study has no end. Unlike a novel that you read once and put aside, the Torah is inexhaustible. Each time you read it, you bring new experiences, new questions, and new maturity. The same verses that seemed simple when you were young reveal new depths as you grow. By starting again immediately, we declare that we are never finished learning.

There should be no gap in Torah study. The seamless transition from Deuteronomy to Genesis ensures that there is not a single moment when the Jewish people are without Torah. This reflects the teaching that Torah study should be continuous, woven into every part of life.

Endings are also beginnings. The cycle of Torah reading mirrors the cycle of life itself. Every ending contains the seed of a new beginning. The death of Moses at the end of Deuteronomy gives way to the creation of the world at the beginning of Genesis. This is the Jewish understanding of time: not linear but spiral, always returning to the same themes at a higher level.

The Connection Between Endings and Beginnings

There is a beautiful detail that illustrates the Torah's circularity. The last letter of the Torah (in the word Yisrael at the end of Deuteronomy) is lamed. The first letter of the Torah (in the word Bereishit at the beginning of Genesis) is bet. Together, these two letters spell lev, the Hebrew word for heart. The Torah, from end to beginning, spells heart, suggesting that the entire Torah is a single, love-filled communication from the heart of God to the heart of humanity.

The Celebration

The Torah reading on Simchat Torah is accompanied by tremendous celebration. In many communities, everyone in the congregation is called up for an aliyah (something that does not happen on any other day). Children are called up together under a large tallit for a special group aliyah. The dancing and singing continue throughout the Torah service.

After the reading, the hakafot may continue, and the celebration often extends into a festive meal. The atmosphere is one of completion and renewal, gratitude and anticipation. We have finished the Torah, and we are about to discover it all over again.

For more on the holiday, see our guides to dancing with the Torah, the hakafot, and the Jewish holiday cycle.