Simhat Torah

The historian Cecil Roth had a theory that Simhat Torah was modeled on a wedding, and that the festival's customs are derived from Jewish marriage.

Take advantage of the elusive autumn; go on nature tours and take part in festivals and activities for the whole family. 

In the human realm, Torah study waxes and wanes. We are currently living through a renaissance of Torah study and therefore have particular reason to celebrate Simhat Torah.

The Siddur reminds us not just of the things we want, but of the things we should want. Perhaps most importantly, it gives us a reason to connect with God during our busy lives. 

There are some basic foods that you simply cannot give up on Shabbat: good cake, cholent, a small kiddush (breakfast) and, of course, challah.

So how do we celebrate a covenant with God? How do we express the joy and the privilege of being Jewish? What is the right way to celebrate our love of God? The Jewish nation has the answer.

There will be a Hakhel event at the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem on the second day of Sukkot, where three new Torah scrolls will be dedicated.

In my ongoing pursuit of anecdotes to remind us that there is so much good in life, my stories during the holiday period were marked with interactions between different sectors of the population.

What the government ministers need to understand, is that doing so has nothing to do with Right or Left, it has to do with what type of society exists in Israel.

The transformation of the second day of Shmini Atzeret into Simhat Torah is a direct outcome of the Jewish exile from our homeland.