[Avodah] Simchas Torah, post-covid19

[Akiva Miller]

A few days ago, I realized that when this Shabbos passes, we will have
missed hearing the Entire Chumash Vayikra in shul. And there are no
guarantees on how much we'll hear of Chumash Bamidbar. :-(

For the purposes of this thread, let's presume that we are back in shul by
Simchas Torah - because if we're not, then the question is moot.

I've seen various views on what to do about all the parshios that we're
missing, and it seems that some shuls will try to make them all up. But
others will not, and my question will apply to them. I am nowhere big
enough to weigh in on the merits of each view. But I will repeat what has
been said many times on these pages: In an "oness" situation, one does not
get punished for failure to do the mitzvah, but he also misses the benefits
it could have provided. (Dissenting views can start a separate thread.)

What will Simchas Torah be like this year? Even if we can be socially close
like in yesteryear, *what* will we celebrate? Usually we celebrate the
completion of learning the entire Torah. If we leave some parshios unread,
what will be the significance of the day?

Of course, I don't mean to cast any questions on the Chag itself, which we
were celebrating for millenia prior to the newfangled idea of the yearly
parsha cycle. I'm just wondering if/how we might have to adjust our minds
and practices.

The vav of Gachon (Vayikra 11:42, Parshas Shmini) is considered the middle
letter of the Torah.
Darosh Darash (Vayikra 10:16, also in Shmini) are considered the middle
words of the Torah.
And Vayikra 13:13, in Parshas Tazria, is considered the middle pasuk of the
Torah.

Most shuls closed their doors about a month before reaching any of these
points. In other words, our Shabbos morning laining has thus far read much
less than one-half of the Torah, no matter how you want to calculate it. If
the shuls reopen in mid-to-late Elul - and certainly if they open in
Tishrei - then Simchas Torah will arrive with us having read less than half
of the Torah. Something to think about.

Akiva Miller
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