You rolled back the scroll
Every ending, a new beginning
Your Word came down with fire and thunder
And we've been dancing ever since
Lift it up, we lift it high
Dancing round Your throne
Every letter brings us joy
Your love made us Your own
You are the Joy of Torah
Every word made flesh
Hashem, You gave us life
And we celebrate You
Joy, joy, joy of Torah
(Round and round we go)
Simchat, simchat Torah
(You will never let us go)
From the aleph to the tav
Your Spirit on every line
Your righteous ones are lifted up
We dance in perfect time
Lift it up, we lift it high
Dancing round Your throne
Every letter brings us joy
Your love made us Your own
You are the Joy of Torah
Every word made flesh
Hashem, You gave us life
And we celebrate You
Joy, joy, joy of Torah
(Round and round we go)
Simchat, simchat Torah
(You will never let us go)
Etz chaim hi
Words of life on every page
A tree of life, her paths are peace
You are the gift we praise
Lift it up, we lift it high
Dancing round Your throne
You are the Joy of Torah
Every word made flesh
Hashem, You gave us life
And we celebrate You
Joy, joy, joy of Torah
(Round and round we go)
Simchat, simchat Torah
(You will never let us go)
Simchat, simchat Torah
Simchat, simchat Torah
(You will never let us go)
“She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, And whoever holds on to her is happy.”
Read Proverbs 3:13-18 →Close Proverbs 3:13-18 ↑
13Happy is the man who finds wisdom, The man who attains understanding.
14Her value in trade is better than silver, Her yield, greater than gold.
15She is more precious than rubies; All of your goods cannot equal her.
16In her right hand is length of days, In her left, riches and honor.
17Her ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths, peaceful.
18She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, And whoever holds on to her is happy.
Once a year, on the eighth day following the Jewish holiday of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), there is an eighth day mentioned in Leviticus 23 that is the culmination of this seven-day festival of joyful gathering, called Simchat Torah, which is Hebrew for "Joy of Torah."
It's customary in a Jewish or Messianic synagogue to hold a Torah scroll to read from it as the annual Torah reading cycle (the oldest Bible reading plan we have) resets back to Genesis, and we read through the Bible all over again to celebrate. Our congregation carries the Torah scroll, plays loud dance music, and everyone dances around the congregation in endless circles. Contagious smiles are on everyone's face. The rabbi's shirt ends up untucked, and hair is disheveled, as everyone is full of excitement, dancing and joy at the very words that Hashem spoke to Moses on the mountain.
The Torah embodies the very instruction from the Living God, instruction handed down to His people as part of His covenant with them, but also instruction that the entire world benefits from as we live in the ways that the Most High God has given us. We dance, and we sing. We lift our voices up with joyful adoration to this King who loves His people.
In some ways, as I was writing this song, I thought about how we are made in God's image, we as humans. If you think about it a little bit deeply, we are also His words made flesh as we intentionally decide to follow His instructions. Yeshua wasn't far off when it was said of Him that he was the Torah made flesh. As we follow his teaching and instruction, that was the full embodiment of the Torah, the prophets, and the writings.
We can say with honor to our Father and King that He was, in fact, the Torah made flesh. He was the embodiment of God's instruction that dwelled among His people. As we follow him day after day, we too can embody the Torah in our frail flesh and bones.