Simchat Torah

What to know

Simchat Torah marks completing Deuteronomy and beginning Genesis again. Dancing with the scrolls is the public face; gratitude for the ongoing gift of Torah is the inner one.

In the Diaspora it usually follows Shemini Atzeret as its own Yom Tov day with candle lighting. In Israel the celebration is often folded into Shemini Atzeret.

Joy is the mitzvah of the day — still framed by Yom Tov boundaries. Plan the threshold; then put the phone away.

Prepare with Shabbat7

• Confirm whether your community treats Simchat Torah as a separate day from Shemini Atzeret.
• Check candle lighting and any Shabbat overlap.
• Arrange synagogue plans and meals before candle lighting so the evening can be presence, not logistics.

For weekly Shabbat candle lighting in general, see candle lighting times and Havdalah times. This page is for Simchat Torah.