Simhath Torah
- noun
- /sɪmˈhɑːθ ˈtɔːrə/
:
Simjat Torá
- During Simhath Torah, the Torah scrolls are carried around the synagogue in joyous procession.
Examples
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Many families attend special services for Simhath Torah to mark the end and beginning of the Torah readings.
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We celebrated Simhath Torah with joy and dancing.
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Every year, the congregation comes together to celebrate Simhath Torah with singing and dancing.
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Is Simhath Torah your favorite Jewish holiday?
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Every year, the congregation comes together to celebrate Simhath Torah with singing and dancing.
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During Simhath Torah, the Torah scrolls are carried around the synagogue in joyous procession.
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Many families attend special services for Simhath Torah to mark the end and beginning of the Torah readings.
Synonyms
1
8.4
A Jewish festival to celebrate finishing the yearly Torah readings and starting them again with dancing and singing
A Jewish festival when people finish and immediately begin the yearly Torah readings, often with singing and dancing
A Jewish holy day at the end of Sukkot when people celebrate finishing the yearly Torah readings
A Jewish holiday at the end of Sukkot when people celebrate finishing the yearly Torah readings
A Jewish holiday celebrating the end of the yearly reading of the Torah
A Jewish holiday when people joyfully celebrate finishing the yearly reading of the Torah
A Jewish festival celebrating finishing the yearly reading of the Torah
Surface Forms
Morphology
Simhath + Torah
The phrase composes transparently as 'Simhath' (rejoicing/joy) + 'Torah' (the Jewish scriptures), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes rejoicing related to the Torah — i.e., a festival celebrating the Torah. Note that 'Simhath' is a Hebrew borrowing and often unfamiliar to B1 learners in practice, but given knowledge of both words the meaning is directly derivable.
Etymology
Simhath Torah comes from Hebrew words Simhath meaning 'rejoicing' and Torah meaning 'the holy book', and it began when communities finished the yearly readings of the Torah and celebrated by carrying the scrolls and dancing. That's why Simhath Torah today means celebrating the 'completion' of the annual Torah readings.