Why we Read the
Torah on a Yearly Cycle
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Please Note: Some alterations have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ having been corrected as it once was, pre the “Masoretic Text”.
The history of
the weekly portion and the different schedules on which it's done.
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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Every week, one
section of the Torah, known as the Torah portion or “parsha,” is designated as a focus of our Hebraic studies and it is read aloud in
synagogue on Shabbat.
The first mention of a scheduled
Torah-reading cycle appears in the Torah, in Davarim - Deuteronomy, where Moshe
- Moses instructs the tribe of Levi and the elders of Israel to gather all the
people for a public reading from portions of the Torah once every seven years.
The need to read the Torah publicly intensified after the destruction of בֵּית
הַמִּקְדָּשׁ
הַשֵּׁנִי - the Second Temple in 70 CE; when soon after we Hebrews were
dispersed into other parts of the Middle East, into North Africa, and
into Europe; and their earlier religious and cultural world became
decentralized. While most Hebrew’s in the Diaspora now follow one Torah-reading
cycle, some communities are on a triennial cycle.
But it was not
until about the 6th century C.E., that the Hebrew’s in
the Land of Israel began to read the entire Torah in public
and do so until all the “Five Books of Moshe” were completed. At that time, the
cycle took three years in a pattern called the ‘Palestinian triennial’,
beginning the first year with the first book, Bereshit - Genesis, and
finishing, at the end of the third year, with the fifth book, Davarim -
Deuteronomy.
The Hebrews of
Babylon, however, followed a different custom, established by the beginning of
the 7th century CE, and completed the entire cycle each year, which they did by
dividing the Torah into 54 weekly portions. (Because the
number of portions exceeds the number of weeks in a given year, more than one
portion is read during certain weeks.) In
Hebrew, the word for portion is parsha (plural, parshiyot).
In the 19th
century, a reintroduction of the ‘Palestinian triennial’ cycle was attempted at
the West End Congregation in London, but it was unsuccessful. In the
middle of the 20th century, various congregations in the United
States (primarily Conservative ones) were
seeking ways to modernize the service and also to spend more time on Shabbat
for more time to study the blessed Torah. They too attempted to revive the
‘Palestinian cycles’ with the argument that reading only a section of the
weekly Torah portion would make Torah study more concentrated and thus
enhanced.
The reintroduction
failed for two reasons. First, in the pattern of the ‘Palestinian triennial’
cycle, the weekly reading would have differed from what the rest of the Hebrew
world was reading. Simchat Torah (the holiday that we
celebrate the conclusion of one Torah-reading cycle and the beginning of the
next) celebrations would occur only one out
of every three years, instead of annually.
Finally,
in 1988, the Committee on Hebrew Law and Standards
of the Conservative Movement passed a legal responsum that
put into practice a new American triennial cycle. This new triennial cycle,
rather than dividing the entire Torah into thirds, as was done in the
‘Palestinian cycle’, thus it divides each of the individual 54 portions into
thirds. Therefore, a congregation can be reading within the same portion as
those who follow the annual cycle, but will only read one-third of each portion
per year. In addition, this pattern enables the congregation to read from
Bereshit - Genesis through Devarim - Deuteronomy each year.
There is an
obvious drawback to this system: Only one-third of each conventional Torah
portion is actually read per year; and the readings, because incomplete, do not
flow smoothly into the portion of the following week. Nonetheless, the vast
majority of Conservative and Reform congregations prefer this new cycle. All
Hebrew’s in Israel, as well as Orthodox Hebrews in
the UK, Australia, America and most other countries
continue to follow the annual cycle with the full portion read each week.
Below is a short list Torah based addition:
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Our sacred texts is a refuge and a place to grow..
Why does our
blessed Torah begin with the letter “bet - ב? The question
receives many answers in Hebraic
tradition: One common answer
is that since “bet” - ב is the second letter,
it shows there is no true beginning to study, it is an
everlasting enterprise. Elie Wiesel answers
it this way:
“Bet is a
house (both because of its shape and because it begins the word ‘Bayit’, ‘home’) …
The Book of Books is a shelter, a dwelling place. A place (Home) in which men and women ‘laugh’
and ‘weep’, ‘read’ and ‘write’, ‘work’ and ‘sleep’. A home is a place where people love one
another, but also at times they start quarrelling. In
other words, it is a home.”
To study of the
Torah is to enter a world in which we can be really at home. Like a home,
it invites us to enter, again and again. Like a home, it is sometimes
uncomfortable, too close or suddenly, somewhat alien to us. Like home, at
times it forces us to live with people who irritate or upset us. But
always it calls us back. It is both a spur and a refuge. Study
the Torah; it will be like coming to a safe place, like ‘home’!
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In
Conclusion, a Question to Deepen the Conversation:
Which part of the Tanakh study, or possibly a
particular line or statement within it has touched you the most? And how
do you feel about spending more time studying our beloved Tanakh? I pray that
you are doing well as a faithful Hebrew, and אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) willing you are
upholding as many of our blessed Mitzvoth’s?
Dear reader, please remember
this; pray for peace and solitude in your life, and your loved ones, and
then work on keeping as calm as possible and learn to improve your life,
for אֱלֹהִים - בָּרוּךְ
אֱלֹהִים - Bless Elohim, He
is always there and ready to help and guide you!
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PLEASE NOTE: If you need any assistance, just ask, I help, and I can also send an email to you, special items to help you with whatever you may need! Just email me and I will send it to your email, There will no follow up’s whatsoever, or any requests from me, unless you wish further information, (use the email s further down this page).
This site was
originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and
wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or
three times a day (if possible) and always seek אֱלֹהִים -
Elohim’s guidance! For interest, as you may have discovered, this site has
become very much a teaching one!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be
He, said the following through a number of our prophets...
“Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi -
Malachi 3:7. MEC).
And Remember ...
Enjoy
your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat Shalom!
אֲנִי יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה (the LORD your Elo’hei’chem); walk in My statutes,
and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall
be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - YaHVaH your Eloheichem”.
Yechezkel - Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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“Hebraic Studies” motto is as
follows;
For אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, Blessed be His Sanctified Name,
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts. be with you, and
please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the ‘מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your
daily תְּפִלָּה - Te’fee’lah’s (Prayers) and
regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s (blessings) before food and
drinks, etc!
שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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