Parsha Talk Shmini Atzeret Simchat Torah 2026 5867

The parashah this week, Ve-zot Ha-b’rakhah [Deuteronomy 33-34] has the unusual distinction of not being read on Shabbat in the Diaspora. Because the observance of Simchat Torah is separated from Sh’mini Atzeret, Simchat Torah never falls on Shabbat in the Diaspora. The festival days of Sh’mini Atzert/Simchat Torah are associated with the end of Sukkot, and with the end of the weekly reading of the Torah, but also, since 2023, with 10/07, the war against Israel perpetrated by Hamas. The event itself and its commemoration resonates with Yom HaShoah and Tisha B’Av. We try to make sense of it all in our conversation. Let us know what you think. Shabbat Shalom v-Chag Same’ach!