The Torah Itself
How many books are in the Torah?
5
Simchat Torah comes right after which holiday?
Shemini Atzeret
Who is traditionally said to have written the Torah?
Moses
What does "Simchat Torah" mean in English?
"Rejoicing with the Torah"
What does the Hebrew word "Torah" mean?
Teaching or instruction
What is the first book of the Torah called?
Bereishit (Genesis)
What holiday marks the beginning of the Jewish year?
Rosh Hashanah
What is the Torah scroll called in Hebrew?
Sefer Torah
What do people usually do with the Torah scrolls on Simchat Torah?
Dance and sing with them
What is the Hebrew word for "joy"?
Simcha
What is the final book of the Torah called?
How many major fall Jewish holidays are there and what are they?
3 (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot)
What animal's skin is used to make a Torah scroll?
Cow (sometimes goat or deer)
What are the seven circuits of dancing with the Torah called?
Hakafot
What is the Hebrew word for "beginning"?
What language was the Torah originally written in?
Hebrew
What Hebrew month does Simchat Torah fall in?
Tishrei
How many columns of text are in a typical Sefer Torah?
Around 245 columns (must be within 10 to be correct!)
Who reads the final verses of the Torah on Simchat Torah?
The Chatan Torah
What is the Hebrew phrase for the "Five Books of Moses"?
Chumash
What are the Hebrew names of all five books of the Torah IN ORDER?
Bereishit, Shemot, Vayikra, Bamidbar, Devarim
What is unique about how the Torah reading cycle connects to Simchat Torah?
We finish reading the Torah and immediately start again from the beginning.
What happens if one letter in a Torah scroll is written incorrectly?
The Torah is considered invalid until it's fixed.
Who reads the first verses of the new Torah cycle right after it ends?
The Chatan Bereishit
What's the Hebrew phrase said when we finish reading a book of the Torah?
"Chazak chazak v'nitchazek" ("Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened")