Hakafot facts for kids

Hakafot (pronounced Ha-ka-FOT) is a special Jewish minhag (tradition) where people walk or dance in circles around something important. The word "Hakafot" means "to circle" or "going around" in Hebrew. This tradition usually happens in a religious setting, like a synagogue.

In Judaism, during the holiday of Sukkot, people walk around the reader's platform (bimah) while holding the Four species. This happens on each of the seven days of the holiday. On Simchat Torah, people take out the Torah scrolls from the Ark. They then circle the bimah and dance joyfully throughout the synagogue with the Torahs.

Circling in Hakafot is a symbol of being complete and united. It can also show how people work together as a community. A famous story from the Book of Joshua tells how the Israelites circled the city of Jericho. They walked around it once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they circled it seven times. Priests led the way, carrying the Ark of the Covenant. When they blew shofars (ram's horns) and shouted, the city walls fell down, letting them enter.

Hakafot on Sukkot

During the Sukkot holiday, especially on the first day and the five days in between (Chol HaMoed), there's a special Hakafah. A Torah scroll is taken from the Ark and held by someone near the reader's platform. Other people in the congregation then walk around the platform once. They hold the Four species and sing special prayers called Hoshanot Piyyutim.

Ashkenazi Jews usually do these Hakafot at the end of the Musaf prayers. Some Sefardi Jews do them before the Torah reading. However, no Hakafot are done on Shabbat (the Sabbath).

On Hoshana Rabbah, which is the seventh and final day of Chol HaMoed, the Torah scroll is taken out again. This time, people circle the platform seven times. This is like the story of the Israelites circling Jericho. On this day, they sing not only the special Hoshanot prayers for Hoshana Rabbah but also the prayers from the other days of Sukkot.

Hakafot on Simchat Torah

When Hakafot Started

The tradition of doing Hakafot on Simchat Torah seems to have begun around the 15th century. Before that, it was common to take out the Torah on Hoshana Rabbah and Simchat Torah, but the circling part became popular later.

Important Jewish leaders wrote about these customs. For example, the Maharil (Rabbi Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin) wrote about taking out the Torah. The Rema (Rabbi Moses Isserles) in the 16th century wrote about the Hakafot and the great joy that comes with taking out the Torah scrolls.

Even though Hakafot are very common in Israel today, they weren't always accepted everywhere. In the past, some Jewish communities in Western Europe didn't do them. Some even strongly disagreed with the practice. For instance, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Geiger noted that Ashkenazi Jews in Frankfurt didn't do Hakafot. He even criticized those who tried to do them, saying it was a custom from Poland. Also, some communities in Provence did not adopt this custom.

How Hakafot Are Done

In most communities, Hakafot happen at night, after the Maariv prayers. They also take place during the day, as part of the Shacharit prayers, either before or after the Torah reading. Today, the Simchat Torah Hakafot are often extended. People sing and dance with the Torah scrolls all around the synagogue.

All the Torah scrolls are taken from the Ark. People in the congregation circle the reader's platform seven times or more. They carry the Torah scrolls and say a prayer called "God of the winds, save us now."

In each round of Hakafot, a leader walks at the front. They read verses of prayer, usually arranged in alphabetical order, and the congregation repeats them. After these verses, everyone bursts into song and dance with the Torah scrolls. Children often join in by carrying small toy Torah scrolls or special flags. These flags are decorated with symbols of the holiday. Adults often entertain the children by dancing and even carrying them on their shoulders. In some places outside Israel, there's a custom to put an apple with a lit candle on the flag.

In some communities, especially in the Hasidic world, there's a special "Sixth Hakafa." This round remembers the six million Jews who died in the The Holocaust. During this Hakafa, all the Torah scrolls are placed on the bimah and covered with a Talit (prayer shawl). The congregation sings a sad nigun (melody). The Modzitz Hasidim sing the song "Ani Ma'amin" (I believe in the coming of the Messiah). This song was written by Azriel-David Fastig, a Modzitz Hasid, in a train car on the way to Treblinka. It is strongly connected to the Holocaust.

In Israel, Hakafot are held on the 22nd of Tishrei, which is Shemini Atzeret. In the Diaspora (outside Israel), they are held on the 23rd of Tishrei, which is Simchat Torah. However, some communities in the Diaspora do Hakafot on both days. This custom is followed by some Hasidic groups, like the Chabad Hasidim, and some Sefardi communities.

Second Hakafot

After the main holiday ends, especially on the Second Day Yom Tov in the Diaspora (Simchat Torah), there's a custom in Israel called "Second Hakafot." During these, people go into the streets with Torah scrolls and dance again.

This custom is said to come from Rabbi Hayyim ben Joseph Vital. He described how his teacher, Isaac Luria, in Safed, would visit many synagogues after Simchat Torah. This would delay the end of the prayer services, and he would do more Hakafot. From Safed, the custom spread to Hebron and the Beit El Synagogue in Jerusalem. Eventually, it became accepted across Israel. The custom then spread from Israel to communities in Italy and the Near East, including Turkey, Baghdad, Persia, Kurdistan, and India.

There are other reasons given for the Second Hakafot:

• It creates a connection with Jewish communities in the Diaspora, who are just beginning their celebrations.
• After the holiday ends, it's allowed to play musical instruments. This means more people can join the celebration, showing that "with more people comes a greater blessing of God."
• In 1942, Rabbi Frankel in Tel Aviv started Second Hakafot. This was during the British Mandate. He did this to show support for the Jews in Europe who were facing terrible times during the Holocaust.
• In the late 1950s, people on Kibbutz Tirat Tzvi started Second Hakafot. They wanted to connect less religious kibbutzim with their religious neighbors. This idea was so successful that Bnei Akiva groups in big cities adopted it. After the Six-Day War, the custom spread throughout Israel. It became a popular event for synagogues, community centers, Yeshivas, and local councils.

Hakafot of the Groom

In some Ashkenazic communities from Western Europe, there is a tradition at weddings. When the bride comes to the Chuppah (wedding canopy), she circles the groom three or seven times. After circling, she stands by his side.

This custom was first mentioned around 1430 CE. Rabbi Dosa HaYoni wrote that Austrian Jews had the custom of brides circling three times. He linked it to a verse in Jeremiah (31:21) that says, "Since God created new things in the world, woman shall encircle man." Over time, some communities changed it to seven times. This might be because the number seven is very important in Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism).

Other reasons for circling seven times include:

• Just as the walls of Jericho fell after Joshua and the Israelites circled it seven times, so too should any barriers between the husband and wife fall.
• It can also remind people of the seven conditions of betrothal (engagement) mentioned in the Book of Hosea. These conditions symbolize the special connection between God and Israel.
• Another idea is that it remembers the ways a Jewish marriage becomes binding: through money and a contract.

It's also possible that this custom was influenced by other cultures in the region.