I wrote this during the Fall of 2020, as we headed into the winter of the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm glad I encountered this idea at that time, and incorporated my thoughts and feelings into the article.
I was also curious about the triennial cycle. Someone brought this up on Facebook, and someone else responded:
"it is recorded the last kehilla to hold by minhag Yerushalmi like this was in Cairo, and they would actually join the Babylonian Jews during Shemini Atseret. The concept of celebrating Matan Torah during Shemini Atseret does not rely on finishing Torah at that time."
Forgive my ignorance, but are there any historical/metaphysical reasons to celebrate Matan Torah at this time?
I suppose it fits well with the סוף הדבר conclusion in Koheles (the end of the holiday fits with the end of the Megillah), but I assume that is irrelevant as to the origin.
If I may be nitpicky, he doesn't say that we finish the Krias ha'Torah on Shemini Atzeres, but rather "עד שגומרין התורה בחג הסוכות." If you're interested in a short (8 paragraph) written-up shiur from The Kuntress entitled קריאת התורה ליום טוב שני של שמיני עצרת, I can send you the PDF.
Does Simchas Torah relate to this at all (like holding on to the lessons we learned from the past year’s Torah reading cycle)?
Sounds like a great idea to me! 😀
(In all seriousness, I don't know. I also don't know when the minhag started to finish the Torah reading on Simchas Torah.)
Rambam calls is a common custom throughout Beni Yisroel (Tefilah vBirchat Kohanim 13:1), but he doesn’t say when it began.
I was also curious about the triennial cycle. Someone brought this up on Facebook, and someone else responded:
"it is recorded the last kehilla to hold by minhag Yerushalmi like this was in Cairo, and they would actually join the Babylonian Jews during Shemini Atseret. The concept of celebrating Matan Torah during Shemini Atseret does not rely on finishing Torah at that time."
Pretty cool if you ask me!
Forgive my ignorance, but are there any historical/metaphysical reasons to celebrate Matan Torah at this time?
I suppose it fits well with the סוף הדבר conclusion in Koheles (the end of the holiday fits with the end of the Megillah), but I assume that is irrelevant as to the origin.
Offhand, I can't think of any specific reason other than the conclusion of the קריאת התורה cycle.
So then the obvious question: what were the Cairo Jews celebrating?
If I may be nitpicky, he doesn't say that we finish the Krias ha'Torah on Shemini Atzeres, but rather "עד שגומרין התורה בחג הסוכות." If you're interested in a short (8 paragraph) written-up shiur from The Kuntress entitled קריאת התורה ליום טוב שני של שמיני עצרת, I can send you the PDF.
That would be great, thank you Rabbi!