RESHUT FOR THE ḤATAN TORAH

By leave of great, mighty and awesome God; by leave of [the Torah] who is more precious than fine gold and pearls; by leave of the holy and chosen Sanhedrin, the leaders in Torah and heads of the academies, and the elders and young men seated in their rows: I shall open my mouth in poetry and song, in thanks and praise to the One encircled in light, who gives us life, sustains us, in pure awe, who brings us to rejoice at this Simḥat Torah that delights the heart and lights up the eyes, gives life and richness, dignity and splendor, brings happiness to those who walk the straight path of goodness, lengthens life, heightens strength of those who love and keep her with care, attentively, those busy with her, who guard her in love and awe. And so, from the Mighty One, it should be His will that grace, kindness and life, crown and diadem, be given to (name son of father’s name), the one chosen to complete the Torah. Strengthen him, bless him, nurture him in the learning of Torah, make him sought after, praised, included in the company of learners, make him worthy, vital, honor him in the splendor of light, make him strong, crown him, teach him Torah and its way of thinking, protect him, elevate him, support him with direct assistance, give him sustenance, make him refined and righteous among Your created people, bring him close, show him mercy, guard him from pain and precipice, give him fortitude, sustain him, make him whole in broken spirit. Stand, stand, stand (name son of father’s name), groom to the Torah, give honor to great, awesome God; for this you shall merit from the awesome God to see your children and grandchildren busy themselves in Torah and fulfill the commandments amongst this beautiful, pure people; and you shall be worthy of rejoicing in the joy of the Temple, the Chosen House, and your face should light up in righteousness like [the Presence of God through] shining glass, as Isaiah, filled with the spirit of wisdom and strength, prophesied: Rejoice with Jerusalem, be happy with her, soon, rejoice with her in joyfulness, all you who grieved in pain and mourning. Stand, stand, stand (name son of father’s name), groom to the Torah; by leave of this holy congregation, complete the Torah. Arise (name son of father’s name), Ḥatan HaTorah.

READING FOR THE ḤATAN TORAH

Your sanctuary the God of time immemorial, you rest in eternal arms. And He dispels every foe before you, saying: “Destroy.” And Israel will rest in safety, untouched, the fountain of Jacob; in a land of grain and wine, its skies dripping with dew. Happy are you, Israel; who is like you, a people surviving through the LORD? He is the shield of your strength; the sword of your grandeur – your enemies may deny you, but you shall traverse their high places.” And Moses ascended from the Moab plains to Mount Nevo, to the very summit, looking out towards Jericho. And the LORD showed him all of the land, across Gilead to Dan; all of Naftali, and the lands of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the domain of Judah to the far ocean, the Negev and the plain, the valley of Jericho, city of palms, and as far as Tzo’ar. And the LORD said to him, “This is the land I promised to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, saying, ‘I shall give this to your children.’ Now I have let your eyes see it – but you shall not cross over there.” And there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the LORD, died at the word of the LORD. He buried him there in the valley, in the land of Moab, opposite Beit Peor, and no man knows his burial place to this day. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his sight had never dimmed, nor his strength evaded him. And the children of Israel wept for Moses thirty days, there in the plains of Moab. Then the days of weeping ended, the days of mourning for Moses. And Joshua son of Nun was filled with a spirit of wisdom, Moses having pressed his hands upon him; and the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. No other prophet like Moses has ever risen up in Israel; one whom the LORD knew face to face. None was like him, with the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt; before Pharaoh and all his servants and all of his land. None like him with all the mighty power and all the great awe that he brought down, before the eyes of all Israel. Be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen one another.

RESHUT FOR THE ḤATAN BERESHIT

By leave of the One higher than all poetry and blessing, awesome above all praise and song, wise-hearted, powerful, mighty, Ruler of the world, Master of every creation; and by leave of [the Torah], this King’s daughter whose glory lies concealed, within her, created first and hidden away, for two thousand years, pure, perfect, who restores the soul, returns it; and with permission from Yeshurun – she is their legacy, given to be kept and nurtured, and the great leaders of Jacob – who learn to open her, to complete her, the crowning splendor of the prince of the Beit Din whose authority is great, the rabbinical judges, who turn back conflict from her gate, the academy heads, leaders of this dispersed exile. And by leave of this righteous company, this joyous congregation, elders and youths of each rank, together, gathered, today, here, for Simḥat Torah, collected to finish, and to begin again, with happiness and awe, the one as beloved as on the day she was given in all her glory: they delight in her, not as though old and past, but as new, thirsty to drink in and enjoy her precious brilliance for she makes the heart joyous, effaces sadness, her comfort delights the soul of those who take pride in her, who delve into the written and the spoken, the Mishna and the Gemara, who run to bring their little ones to the house of prayer, and go out, do everything to keep her with care – so, great is their reward from the Mighty One, everlasting joy is upon their heads, they long to see the Temple, the chosen house. And so I have been appointed by the choice of us all to elevate one man, from all the people among this company; I found in him a wise heart for elucidating the Torah, He seeks justice and kindness with integrity, his heart has inspired him, awakening his spirit to giving – he should be the first, foremost, to begin the Torah. And now, arise (name son of father’s name), stand, take courage, come, present yourself, stand to my right and read out the Beginning – created by the Rock for His glory for which reason we immediately follow completion by beginning again so the accusing angel will not be able to tell lies of this people. Since you are the first to do this perfect commandment – how great will be the goodness, how abundant your reward: you who are so generous, may you have no constraint upon your giving; from the blessing of your Creator, give, do not curb your hand, for the one who honors the Torah with majesty should be honored with healthy contentment. So, quickly: stand, stand, stand (name son of father’s name), groom to “In the beginning,” with permission from this holy congregation, and bless awesome, mighty God – quickly, all will answer after you: Amen. Arise (name son of father’s name), Ḥatan Bereshit.

READING FOR THE ḤATAN BERESHIT

In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. And the earth was desolate emptiness, and darkness over the deep; but the spirit of God moved over the waters. And God said: “Let there be light.” Light came to be. And He saw that the light was good, and divided light from darkness. God named the light, “Day;” and the darkness He named, “Night.” ▸There was evening; then there was morning: one day.◂

God said: “Let there be a clear dome amid the waters, dividing water from water.” And He shaped the dome, dividing the waters below the dome from the waters above it – and so it came to be. And God named that dome, “Sky.” ▸And there was evening; then there was morning: a second day.◂ God said, “Let all the waters below the sky be gathered to one place; let dry ground be revealed.” And so it came to be. And He named the dry ground, “Land”; and the gathering of waters He named “Seas.” And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the land sprout green plants that seed, and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with its own seeds in them, overspreading the land.” And so it came to be. The land brought forth green, seeding plants, each with its own seeds, and trees bearing fruit, each with its own seeds in it. And God saw that it was good. ▸There was evening; then there was morning: a third day.◂

God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to divide day from night; let them mark out signs and seasons, days and years; and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to light up the land.” Thus it came to be. God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule over the day, and the smaller light to rule over the night, and the stars. And He hung them in the dome of the sky, to light up the earth; to rule by day and by night, and to divide light from darkness; and God saw that it was good. ▸There was evening; then there was morning: a fourth day.◂ God said, “Let the water swarm with schools of living things; and let flying creatures fly across the land, against the dome of the sky. And God created the great sea beasts, and living things of all kinds that crawl and that swarm within the waters, and winged, flying creatures of all kinds; and He saw that it was good. God blessed them: “Be fruitful, grow numerous, fill the waters of the seas; and let the creatures that fly grow many on the land.” ▸There was evening; then there was morning: a fifth day.◂

God said, “Let the land bring forth living beings, cattle and creeping things and land animals of all kinds;” and so it came to be. He made land animals of all kinds, cattle of all kinds, and all the kinds of creature that crawl upon the earth; and God saw that it was good. And He said, “Let Us make man, in Our image, Our likeness, to rule the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the sky, cattle and all the animals of the land, and the crawling things that creep across the land.” God created mankind in His image; in the image of God He created man; He created them male and female. And He blessed them: “Be fruitful, grow numerous; fill the earth and conquer it. Rule the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the sky, and everything that creeps upon the earth.” And God said, “I have given to you the green plants with their seeds that cover the land, and the trees that bear fruits with their seeds; these shall be yours to eat. And all the animals of the land, and all the flying creatures of the sky, and all that creeps upon the land that has a living spirit in it shall have all the green plants to eat.” So it came to be. And God saw all that He had done – and it was very good. ▸There was evening; then there was morning: the sixth day.◂ ▸Then the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their array. With the seventh day, God completed the work He had done. He ceased on the seventh day from all the work He had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it He ceased from all His work He had created to do.◂

HAFTARA FOR SIMḤAT TORAH

Then, after the death of the LORD’s servant, Moses, the LORD spoke to Moses’ disciple, Joshua son of Nun. “Moses, My servant, has died. Now come, you and all this people; rise up and cross this Jordan River to the land that I am giving them, giving to the children of Israel. Every place your feet should tread – I have given to you. This I told Moses: from the desert and the Lebanon, to the great river, the river Perat, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the great ocean that lies towards the sunset; these shall be your borders. No man shall stand in your way all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so shall I be with you. I shall not let go of you, nor shall I leave you. Be strong, be determined – for you shall endow this people with the land that I swore to give their ancestors. Only be very strong, be very determined, to keep all the Torah with which Moses My servant charged you. Be sure not to stray from it rightward or left; and then you shall be successful in every course you take. Let the Torah in this scroll never leave your lips; meditate upon it day and night, that you may keep and perform all that is written there, for then shall all your ventures be fruitful; then shall you succeed. Know that I have charged you: be strong, be determined, do not be terrified and do not fear, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. And Yehoshua charged the leaders of the people, saying, “Pass through­out the camp, commanding the people: ‘Prepare yourselves provisions, for in three days’ time you shall cross this Jordan river, to come into and to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.’” And to the people of Reuben and Gad, and to half of the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember the words Moses the LORD’s servant charged you with; the LORD your God will let you remain; He is giving you this land. The women and children among you, and your cattle, may settle now in this land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan. But all your strong fighting men shall cross the river armed before your brothers, and help them, until the LORD has granted your brothers rest like yours, and they too shall inherit the land that the LORD has given them. And then shall you return to your own inheritance, which the LORD’s servant Moses granted you, and take possession of it, here beyond the Jordan, towards the sunrise. And they answered Joshua: “All that you charge us with, we shall fulfill, and wherever you send us we shall go. Just as we listened to Moses, so shall we listen to you. Only let the LORD your God be with you, as He used to be with Moses. If any man rebels against your word, and refuses to listen to your voice, to all that you charge us with – let that man die. Only be strong, be determined.”