October 3, 2026 – VeZot Ha’Berachah – Shemini Atzeret & Simchah Torah
- Torah: Deuteronomy 33:1 – 34:12; Genesis 1:1 – 2:3
- Haftara: Joshua 1:1-18
- Brit Chadasha: Acts 1:1-14
וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ מֶשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ
VeZot Ha’Berachah Asher Berakh Moshe Ish HaElohim Et-Beney Yisrael Lifnei Moto
“And, this is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelites before his death.”
On Simchat Torah (“Rejoicing of the Torah”) we conclude, and begin anew, the annual Torah-reading cycle. First we read the Torah section of Vezot Ha’Berachah, which recounts the blessings that Moses gave to each of the twelve tribes of Israel before his death. Echoing Jacob’s blessings to his twelve sons five generations earlier, Moses assigns and empowers each tribe with its individual role within the community of Israel.
Immediately after concluding the Torah, we begin it anew by reading the first chapter of Genesis (the beginning of next Shabbat’s Torah reading) describing G‑d’s creation of the world in six days and His ceasing work on the seventh—which He sanctified and blessed as a day of rest.
In them (the Bracha) Moshe prophesies over Judah. “Hear, HaShem, the voice of Judah, and return him to his people. May his hands fight his grievance and may You be a Helper against his enemies.”
When Moses makes this statement he literally says bring Judah to his people. He says “Hear, HaShem, the voice of Judah.” as if Judah is pleading to be sent to his people for a purpose, and cannot wait to be sent forth! The purpose is revealed in the latter part of the blessing where He will contend with His adversaries with divine help. We know that Mashiach ben David from the tribe of Yehuda will overcome His adversaries and establish his throne (the throne of his father David) when the kingdom of Elohim is in the earth again. He is the Angel of HaShem sent before us to establish us in that kingdom and dwell with us forever.
As we celebrate Sukkot (Tabernacles) this week we look to the promised reign of Messiah over all the earth, and the completion of the promise made in B’resheet (Genesis 6:7) the 4th “I Will” promise of HaShem made as we left Mitsrayim (Egypt) during the first Pesach (Passover): “Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am ADONAI, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God;”! As we dwell in our Sukkah’s (temporary dwellings) we look forward to an eternal dwelling with our Elohim and His anointed one Mashiach Yeshua.
After the seven days of Sukkot, the Torah tacks on one additional holy day, the Festival of the Eighth Day, Sh’mini Atzeret. The Eighth Day caps off and concludes the seven days of Sukkot, the fall-festival season, and all the annual appointed times. We celebrate the Eighth Day as Simchat Torah, the day the annual Torah cycle concludes and begins again. In the Messianic sense, it represents that day when the drama of redemption will be finally complete.
At Beth Hallel, we will be celebrating Simchat Torah in our Fellowship service this week.
There will be an opportunity to look at the Torah Scroll as we reroll it and look at the beautiful tapestry of Hashem’s word, it is truly amazing. Come and dance with Torah, as we celebrate the living eternal word!
Enjoy the remaining days of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret/Simchah Torah!
May you be abundantly blessed, as you celebrate this Sukkot and the Torah this week. Shalom Mish’pachah from Beth Hallel Lodi
