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Friday October 9, 1998

A fresh start for the Torah

Every year, the Torah turns and returns. That cycle lends a rhythm and cadence to our religious lives as we move from the Creation through the Exodus, the laws of Leviticus, the Israelites' journey through the wilderness and finally the lessons of Deuteronomy.

Simchat Torah honors the book at the heart of our religion. Depending on one's tradition, it begins at sunset on Sunday or Monday.

On this holiday, we complete the fifth and final book of the Torah, Deuteronomy, and return to Genesis, the beginning.

Casting aside solemnity, we begin again with uninhibited merriment. In synagogue celebrations, children march with miniature Torahs as congregants shower them with candy. Adults dance around the sanctuary with the sacred scrolls. And in some synagogues, rabbis unfurl the entire scroll, encircling the congregation in the immensity of Torah.

Even those who don't read Hebrew may be overwhelmed by the experience -- perhaps seeing for the first time the pattern of letters that forms the Ten Commandments. And those who have little familiarity with the Torah scroll may be staggered by its sheer weight.

As the People of the Book, we have much to celebrate. Our "family album," as Rabbi Harold Kushner calls it, is replete with lessons about morality, tales of human foibles, writings about encounters with the Divine and prayers offering solace.

Unfortunately, the book that serves as the foundation of Judaism as well as Western civilization is one that too few of us have read -- either in Hebrew or in English.

Yes, the Torah is formidable. Recognizing that, the rabbis divided it into manageable weekly parashot, or portions, enabling us to complete the cycle every calendar year.

While Deuteronomy commands us to teach Torah to our children, we also need to teach ourselves. As we begin again, let's take time to delve into the book that tells us who we are and where we came from. It is ours.

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