Light for today
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.
Source: Deuteronomy 31:6. Tehillim text as commonly printed.
נר תמיד
This month
Tishreiתשרי
Tishrei holds the Days of Awe, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. The year is named from here in ordinary speech, though the Torah counts from Nisan.
Why today matters
The Torah cycle ends and begins again. Many dance with the scrolls. In the diaspora, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are often two days. In Israel they often fall together.
Source: Leviticus 23. Traditional calendar. Deuteronomy 31:10–13. Israel and diaspora calendars differ.
- Shmini Atzeret. Marked on the Jewish calendar today. Customs of how it is kept vary by community.
Candle lighting here is 18 minutes before sunset, via Hebcal. Many light, cover the eyes, then say the blessing. The holy day begins at sundown.
Creation, the first human beings, the garden, and the first violence. The world is spoken into being, and then it is given into human hands.
Read on SefariaSource: Genesis 1:1–6:8.
Source: Jewish dates, holidays, and candle times from Hebcal, using this city’s coordinates. Israel and diaspora calendars differ.
© 2026 Anna Rae Gilbert