Delving into the Minhagim of Simchat Torah

Simchat Torah is one of the happiest days of  the year, marking the completion of our annual   cycle of reading the Torah and celebrating the  opportunity to start it all over again. Unlike   many Jewish holidays, Simchat Torah doesn't  have any unique mitzvot of its own. Instead,   the day is filled with minhagim to help us  celebrate and express our love for the Torah. 1. Hakafot This is how our celebration begins. After  reciting the verses of Atah Hareita,   the Aron is opened, and every Torah scroll is  taken out. With the Torah scrolls held high,   we make seven circuits around the bimah, singing  and reciting prayers, asking Hashem to protect   us and bring us home. After each hakafah, the  shul erupts into dancing and singing songs that   express our love for the Torah. After Shacharis  the following morning, we repeat the hakafot   once again, giving us one more opportunity to  celebrate before moving on to our next minhag. 2. Completing the Torah This is the moment we've been building  toward all year, one parsha at a time.   First, we complete the Torah by reading the  final parsha, V'zot HaBracha. It's customary   for every man in the shul to have the opportunity  to receive an aliyah. Some communities accomplish   this by repeating the parsha, while others  set up multiple Torah readings throughout   the shul so that everyone has a chance to  be called up. Once we complete this reading,   we immediately start the cycle all  over again by beginning Bereshit. 3. Kol HaNearim During the fifth aliyah of a V'zot HaBracha,  many communities have a custom in which all   the children in the shul are called  up together to receive an aliyah. A   tallit is spread over the children, and the  aliyah is recited on their behalf. Afterward,   the congregation usually blesses the children  by reciting HaMalach HaGoel, asking Hashem to   protect them. By including our children this way,   we are making sure that the next generation  knows that the Torah belongs to them too. That's what Torah is all about. Whether  we're singing, dancing, or reading,   everything we do celebrates that special  relationship every Jew shares with the Torah,   as we get another chance to  roll it back and start anew.