Simchat Torah

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Hebrew

וְאֶת־בָּנָיו לֹא יָדַע כִּי שָׁמְרוּ
אִמְרָתֶךָ וּבְרִיתְךָ יִנְצֹרוּ:
יוֹרוּ מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לְיַעֲקֹב
וְתוֹרָתְךָ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יָשִׂימוּ
קְטֹרָה בְּאַפֶּךָ וְכָלִיל עַל־
מִזְבְּחֶךָ: בָּרֵךְ יְהוָה חֵילוֹ
וּפֹעַל יָדָיו תִּרְצֶה מְחַץ
מָתְנַיִם קָמָיו וּמְשַׂנְאָיו מִן־
יְקוּמוּן: לְבִנְיָמִן אָמַר יְדִיד
יְהוָה יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח עָלָיו
חֹפֵף עָלָיו כָּל־הַיּוֹם וּבֵין
כְּתֵפָיו שָׁכֵן:

Sephardi

ve'et-banav lo yada ki shamru
imratekha uveritkha yintzoru:
yoru mishpatekha leYaakov
vetoratkha l'yisrael yasimu
ketorah be'apekha vechalil al-
mizbehekha: barech Adonai cheilo
ufo'al yadav tirtzeh mehatz
motnayim kamav umesan'av min-
yekumun: leVinyamin amar yedid
Adonai yishkon lavetach alav
hofef alav kal-hayom uvein
keteifav shokhen:

English

tribe whom You tested at Massah, where the rest of the nation complained for water, but the tribe of Levi did not, and whom You challenged at the waters of Merivah where, once again, the people complained, but the tribe of Levi was faithful to You and did not complain. After the sin of the Golden Calf, each person of the tribe of Levi said about his mother's father and about his mother who had to be punished for worshiping the Golden Calf, "I do not see him as my relative," and because of his loyalty to God, he did not recognize his brother from his mother nor did he know his daughter's son as family. For they kept Your command against serving other gods and they kept Your covenant. Therefore, they are worthy of teaching Your laws to the Children of Jacob and Your Torah to the Children of Israel. The Kohanim, who are from the tribe of Levi, shall place incense before You in Your Holy Temple, and they shall place offerings that are entirely burnt upon Your altar. Lord, bless the possessions of the tribe of Levi and willingly accept the work of his hands in the Holy Temple. Strike down his enemies and those who stand to fight against them, so that they will not be able to rise against them ever again. About the tribe of Benjamin, he said: The Lord's beloved Temple shall dwell securely within his portion in the Land of Israel. The Divine Presence shall hover over his land and protect it all day—forever—and the Divine Presence shall dwell in the Temple, which will be situated between the mountains of Benjamin's territory, as if they were between his shoulders.

Yisrael

Hebrew

וּלְיוֹסֵף אָמַר מְבֹרֶכֶת
יְהוָה אַרְצוֹ מִמֶּגֶד שָׁמַיִם
מִטָּל וּמִתְּהוֹם רֹבֶצֶת
תָּחַת: וּמִמֶּגֶד תְּבוּאֹת
שֶׁמֶשׁ וּמִמֶּגֶד גֶּרֶשׁ יְרָחִים:
וּמֵרֹאשׁ הַרְרֵי־קֶדֶם וּמִמֶּגֶד
גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם: וּמִמֶּגֶד
אֶרֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ וּרְצוֹן שֹׁכְנִי
סְנֶה תָּבוֹאתָה לְרֹאשׁ
יוֹסֵף וּלְקָדְקֹד נְזִיר אֶחָיו:
בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ הָדָר לוֹ וְקַרְנֵי
רְאֵם קַרְנָיו בָּהֶם עַמִּים
יְנַגַּח יַחְדָּו אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ
וְהֵם רִבְבוֹת אֶפְרַיִם וְהֵם
אַלְפֵי מְנַשֶּׁה:

Sephardi

uleYosef amar mevoreket
Adonai artzo mimenged shamayim
mital umitehom rovetzet
tahat: umimenged tevu'ot
shemesh umimenged geresh yerahim:
umerosh harrei-kedem umimenged
giv'ot olam: umimenged
eretz umelo'ah urtzon shokhnei
seneh tavo'atah lerosh
Yosef ulkodkod nezir echav:
bechor shoro hadar lo vekarnei
re'em karnav bahem amim
yenagah yachdav afsei-aretz
vehem rivvot Efrayim vehem
alfei Menasheh:

English

About the tribe of Joseph, he said: His portion of land is most blessed by the Lord with all the choice produce that grows because of the dew from the heavens and because of the water that rises from the depths below to nourish the land; with the choice produce that grow as a result of sun-light; and with all the choice produce that the earth brings forth each month as a result of the moon-light; with the beginning of the ripening of the fruit of the early mountains in his territory, which yield ripened fruit quickly; with the choice produce of the hills, which yield produce even when there is a shortage of rain; and with the choice produce of the land and its fullness; may his land be blessed by the good will of the Lord, Who revealed himself to Moses at the thorn-bush. May this blessing come upon Joseph's head—upon the crown of the head of the one who was distanced from his brothers when they sold him. To his majestic descendant Joshua, who is compared in strength to an ox and shines of glory: May his glory be radiant as horns—just like the horns of the Re'em, which are known for their beauty. With them, he will gore all of the nations that inhabit all ends of the Land of Israel, as one. These nations are referring to the myriads that will be destroyed by Joshua, the descendant of Efraim, and to the thousands of Midyanites that will be destroyed by Gideon, the descendant of Manasseh.

Fourth Reading

Hebrew

וְלִזְבוּלֻן אָמַר שְׂמַח
זְבוּלֻן בְּצֵאתֶךָ וְיִשָּׂשכָר
בְּאֹהָלֶיךָ: עַמִּים הַר־יִקְרָאוּ
שָׁם יִזְבְּחוּ זִבְחֵי־צֶדֶק כִּי
שֶׁפַע יַמִּים יִינָקוּ וּשְׂפֻנֵי טְמוּנֵי
חוֹל: וּלְגָד אָמַר בָּרוּךְ מַרְחִיב
גָּד כְּלָבִיא שָׁכֵן וְטָרַף זְרוֹעַ אַף־
קָדְקֹד: וַיַּרְא רֵאשִׁית לוֹ כִּי־שָׁם
חֶלְקַת מְחֹקֵק סָפוּן וַיֵּתֵא רָאשֵׁי
עָם צִדְקַת יְהוָה עָשָׂה וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו
עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל:

Sephardi

uleZevulun amar semah
Zevulun betzetkha veYissakhar
be'ohalekha: amim har-yikra'u
sham yizbehu zivhei-tzedek ki
shefa yamim yinaku usefunei temunei
hol: uleGad amar baruch marhiv
Gad kelavi shokhen vetaraf z'roa af-
kodkod: vayar reshit lo ki-sham
helkat mehokek safun vayetei rashei
am tzidkat Adonai asah umishpatav
im-Yisrael:

English

About the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar, who had a partnership, wherein Zebulun would support Issachar so that Issachar could study Torah uninterrupted, and Zebulun would receive some of the reward, he said: Rejoice, Zebulun, in your success when you depart from home to do business, and rejoice, Issachar, while you study Torah in your tents. By calculating the new months and leap years, the tribe of Issachar will cause the Jewish Nation to gather at the Temple Mount on each festival at the correct time; there, they will sacrifice offerings of righteousness to God. The tribe of Issachar will have time to study and to fix the calendar, for both Zebulun and Issachar will be sustained by the abundance of wealth that the seas will yield for them and by the treasures buried in the sand. About the tribe of Gad, he said: Blessed is God, Who widens the territory of Gad. Gad dwells at the border and guards the Land of Israel like a lion; with one swing of the sword, he will cut off the arm of the enemy as well as the head. The tribe of Gad saw that the best thing for himself would be to take possession of the first portion of the land to be conquered, for he knew that there, within that territory, the burial plot of Moses, the lawgiver, would be hidden. The tribe came at the head of the nation to march out to battle; by doing so, they acted righteous before the Lord and justly with Israel, because it was on this condition that they received this land.

Fifth Reading

Hebrew

וּלְדָן אָמַר דָּן גּוּר אַרְיֵה
יְזַנֵּק מִן־הַבָּשָׁן: וּלְנַפְתָּלִי
אָמַר נַפְתָּלִי שְׂבַע רָצוֹן וּמָלֵא
בִּרְכַּת יְהוָה יָם וְדָרוֹם יְרָשָׁה:
וּלְאָשֵׁר אָמַר בָּרוּךְ מִבָּנִים
אָשֵׁר יְהִי רְצוּי אֶחָיו וְטֹבֵל
בַּשֶּׁמֶן רַגְלוֹ: בַּרְזֶל וּנְחֹשֶׁת
מִנְעָלֶךָ וּכְיָמֶיךָ דָּבְאֶךָ: אֵין
כָּאֵל יְשֻׁרוּן רֹכֵב שָׁמַיִם בְּעֶזְרֶךָ
וּבְגַאֲוָתוֹ שְׁחָקִים:

Sephardi

uleDan amar Dan gur aryeh
yezanek min-haBashan: uleNaftali
amar Naftali seva ratzon umale
birkat Adonai yam vedarom yirashah:
uleAsher amar baruch mibanim
Asher yehi retzuy echav vetovel
vashemen raglo: barzel unehoshet
min'alekha ukhyamekha dove'ekha: ein
kaEl Yeshurun rokhev shamayim be'ezrekha
uvega'avato shechakim:

English

About the tribe of Dan, he said: Dan also dwells on the border and guards it like a young lion; his land is nourished from the rivers of Bashan. About the tribe of Naftali, he said: The land of Naftali sates all the desires of its inhabitants and it is filled with the Lord's blessing. Naftali, take possession of the land at the north and the west of the Sea of Galilee and a strip of land at the south of the sea. About the tribe of Asher, he said: May Asher, who was blessed with more descendants than all other tribes while the Jewish Nation was in the desert, continue to be blessed with sons. He will have so much olive oil that he will amply provide all tribes with oil and, therefore, be pleasing to his brothers, and he will have enough left over to dip his feet in oil. Now addressing the entire Jewish Nation, Moses said: The warriors of each tribe, who dwell at the borders of every city are like your locks to keep your enemies out, and they are strong as iron and copper. May your old age be good for you like your days of youth. Know this, Jeshurun, there is no power in the world that is like God, Who rides the heavens at your assistance, and in His majesty, He rides the skies.

PRAYER FOR THE CHATTAN TORAH

Hebrew

מֵרְשׁוּת הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר
וְהַנּוֹרָא. וּמֵרְשׁוּת,
מִפָּז וּמִפְּנִינִים יְקָרָה. וּמֵרְשׁוּת,
סַנְהֶדְרִין הַקְּדוֹשָׁה וְהַבְּרוּרָה.
וּמֵרְשׁוּת, רָאשֵׁי יְשִׁיבוֹת וְאַלּוּפֵי
תּוֹרָה. וּמֵרְשׁוּת, זְקֵנִים וּנְעָרִים,
יוֹשְׁבֵי שׁוּרָה. אֶפְתַּח פִּי, בְּשִׁירָה
וּבְזִמְרָה. לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל, לְדָר
בִּנְהוֹרָא. שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ, בְּיִרְאָתוֹ
הַטְּהוֹרָה. וְהִגִּיעָנוּ, לִשְׂמֹחַ בְּשִׂמְחַת

Sephardi

mereshut ha-el hagadol hagibor
vehanora. umereshut,
mipaz umipninim yekarah. umereshut,
Sanhedrin hakedoshah vehaberurah.
umereshut, rashei yeshivot ve'alufei
Torah. umereshut, zekenim une'arim,
yoshvei shurah. eftah pi, beshirah
uvezimrah. lehodot ulehallel, ledar
binhora. shehecheyanu v'kiyemanu, beyirato
hatehorah. v'higianu, lismoah b'simchat

English

With the permission of the great, mighty, and awesome God, and with the permission of the Torah, which is more precious than fine gold and pearls, with the permission of the holy and pure Sanhedrin, and with the permission of the heads of the Yeshivot and the sages of Torah, and with the permission of the elders and the young students who sit in the Yeshivot in rows, I open my mouth with song and melody, to praise and laud God, Who dwells in Heaven, surrounded by spiritual light. For He has given us life and kept us alive in pure awe of Him and brought us to rejoice in the joy of the Torah, which gladdens the heart and enlightens the eyes; which gives a person life,