{"id":58616,"date":"2017-10-24T12:57:47","date_gmt":"2017-10-24T17:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=58616"},"modified":"2017-10-30T10:09:15","modified_gmt":"2017-10-30T15:09:15","slug":"54-1-laining-cycle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/inspiration\/54-1-laining-cycle\/","title":{"rendered":"54 in 1: Laining for the Cycle"},"content":{"rendered":"

As is the case with virtually every <\/span>ba\u2019al k\u2019riyah<\/span><\/i> with whom I have \u201ctalked shop,\u201d I too began <\/span>laining<\/span><\/i> (reading the Torah) within a couple of months after my bar mitzvah, initially taking on one <\/span>aliyah<\/span><\/i> every week or two, until I worked my way up so that right before college, I was able to <\/span>lain<\/span><\/i> a whole <\/span>parsha<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years, I developed <\/span>laining<\/span><\/i> goals, including reading all 5 <\/span>Megillot<\/span><\/i> from a <\/span>klaf<\/span><\/i>, which I now do every year. \u00a0One item that remained at the very top of my \u201c<\/span>laining<\/span><\/i> bucket list\u201d for many years, however, was my desire to lain every one of the 54 <\/span>parshiyot<\/span><\/i> in the Torah <\/span>in one annual cycle without missing a single week<\/span><\/i>! \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a <\/span>ba\u2019al k\u2019riyah<\/span><\/i>, I was reading an average of 47 or so <\/span>parshiyot<\/span><\/i> a year, probably topped out at 50. \u00a0But things always come up over the course of a typical year that can cause you to miss an occasional week: \u00a0a bar mitzvah boy who will be <\/span>laining<\/span><\/i> that week, someone wanting to <\/span>lain<\/span><\/i> on the anniversary of their bar mitzvah <\/span>parsha<\/span><\/i>, and simply being away in another community for a visit, vacation, or hopefully for a simcha. \u00a0In particular, I knew those weeks when we would be away would require weeks of pre-planning and the cooperation of the community where we would be on a given Shabbat. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ironically, I started off my quest with a challenge: \u00a0I spent <\/span>Shabbat B\u2019reishit<\/span><\/i>, the first of the 54, in Great Neck, New York, as one of my closest friends was getting married that weekend. Thanks to some help from my brother and the cooperation of some amazing individuals at his <\/span>shul<\/span><\/i>, Young Israel of Great Neck, I was able to <\/span>lain<\/span><\/i> at their teen <\/span>minyan<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0And so the quest began\u2026..<\/span><\/p>\n

The next few months found me <\/span>laining<\/span><\/i> at my regular <\/span>shul<\/span><\/i> in Boynton Beach (Anshei Chesed Congregation), at the main \u00a0<\/span>minyan<\/span><\/i> and sometimes at the <\/span>hashkamah minyan<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0It also saw me <\/span>laining<\/span><\/i> back home in Charleston at the BSBI Minyan House about three times on visits to my parents. \u00a0The \u201cclosest call\u201d I had overall was <\/span>Shabbat Nachamu<\/span><\/i> in Charleston. \u00a0At my parents\u2019 neighborhood shul, a significant number of \u201cregulars\u201d were out of town and getting a <\/span>minyan<\/span><\/i> that week was very tight. \u00a0Thanks to some of my father\u2019s lifelong friends, we were able to just eke out a <\/span>minyan<\/span><\/i> and I was able to <\/span>lain<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the summer and <\/span>Chagim<\/span><\/i> approached, I knew that there would be some weeks that required some planning to make it work. \u00a0There was a bar mitzvah on <\/span>Shabbat Be’ha’a’lo’t’cha<\/span><\/i> at our <\/span>shul<\/span><\/i>, but I was able to form a <\/span>hashkamah minyan<\/span><\/i> that <\/span>Shabbat<\/span><\/i> at which I <\/span>lained<\/span><\/i>, even though we don\u2019t usually have a <\/span>hashkama minyan<\/span><\/i> in the summer. \u00a0I lained in Miami Beach for <\/span>Shabbat Balak<\/span><\/i> when visiting dear friends in July. A <\/span>shul<\/span><\/i> in Boca Raton had spoken with me about leading services for them for <\/span>Rosh Hashanah<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Yom Kippur<\/span><\/i>, which would require us to be there for the <\/span>Shabbat<\/span><\/i> following Rosh Hashana. \u00a0It must have been a bit odd when I told them that the only requirement I had was that I be able to <\/span>lain parashat Ha\u2019azinu<\/span><\/i> on <\/span>Shabbat Shuvah<\/span><\/i> (#53!). \u00a0They excitedly agreed once they learned of my quest.<\/span><\/p>\n

As I neared the end of my project, I launched a charity campaign in tandem with my <\/span>laining<\/span><\/i> project on Nachum Segal\u2019s \u201cJM in the AM\u201d radio show. \u00a0You can listen to the interview \u00a0at <\/span>http:\/\/bit.ly\/2yJHwdy<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0<\/span>My wife and I selected four charities (Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Ezer Mizion and Sharsheret) and decided that all monies raised would be equally divided amongst the four recipient charities. You may still contribute at : \u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?token=sgGS3-WBwgKmSSC_DAJo98RhbCMOR4v_Il6a2vugubnxOZ_cANgYWR6KrAqym1_VTs4Rkm&country.x=US&locale.x=US<\/span><\/a> .<\/span><\/p>\n

In my local community, several friends\/neighbors\/<\/span>shul<\/span><\/i> members had been tracking my quest, asking each week, \u201cSo, what number was today? \u00a0Still in the game?\u201d \u00a0I would happily tell them what number I was up to and that I was thankfully still on track. <\/span><\/p>\n

As we approached <\/span>Simchat Torah<\/span><\/i>, I was holding at 53 down, 1 to go\u2026I was very reflective in the last few days, thankful that I have a wife and kids who were so supportive in this project, thankful that my parents and siblings and friends could all share in the accomplishment, and appreciative of everyone who had contributed to my fundraiser so that this was not only a personal achievement. <\/span><\/p>\n

Simchat Torah<\/span><\/i> morning arrived. I always get emotional each year when I complete the reading of the Torah, but I was wondering what would be running through my mind when, G-d willing, I completed my goal of <\/span>laining<\/span><\/i> every word of the Torah in one year. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then it arrived\u2026.the <\/span>chatan Torah aliyah<\/span><\/i>, purchased as an honor by our good friend, Alan Greene, from West Hempstead. \u00a0I made my way down the <\/span>aliyah<\/span><\/i> on the 245<\/span>th<\/span> and final column in the Torah. \u00a0Remarkably, I even made it through the reading of Moshe\u2019s death without losing it. \u00a0However, about 3 <\/span>pesukim<\/span><\/i> from the end, I felt that it was inevitable that the emotions were about to surface. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I read those words, I felt so thankful that G-d gave me another year of good health and the ability to complete another Torah cycle. \u00a0Realizing that what I had thought about doing for many years was actually seconds away from becoming a reality and the uniqueness of what I was about to accomplish was what was running through my mind. \u00a0I took a couple of very deep breaths before the last three words of the Torah. \u00a0I thought to myself that in a perfect world, how amazing it would be if my dad and brother could have been standing right up there at the <\/span>bimah<\/span><\/i>, under the <\/span>tallis<\/span><\/i>, to witness this moment in person. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And then it was done! \u00a0As I finished and recited \u201c<\/span>Chazak, Chazak, v\u2019Nit\u2019chazayk<\/span><\/i>\u201d, I banged my left hand down on the table, declaring to myself \u201cDONE!\u201d \u00a0Alan wrapped me up in a huge bear hug and whispered to me, \u201cWhat an incredible achievement and I am <\/span>so<\/span><\/i> privileged to share this <\/span>aliyah<\/span><\/i>! \u00a0I shall never forget this moment!\u201d \u00a0Men spontaneously flooded over to the <\/span>bimah<\/span><\/i> \u2013 some with actual tears in <\/span>their<\/span><\/i> eyes, matching the tears in mine and in Tzippi\u2019s upstairs \u2013 and formed an impromptu greeting line in which one after another began hugging and kissing me, wishing me \u201cMazal Tov!\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How amazing a culmination to the end of my \u201c54 in 1\u201d project! \u00a0It began on Saturday, October 29, 2016 and ended on Friday, October 13, 2017\u2026.350 days\u2026245 columns\u202654 <\/span>parshiyot<\/span><\/i>\u20265,845 <\/span>pesukim<\/span><\/i>\u2026.79,976 words\u2026304,805 letters\u2026..47 <\/span>Shabbatot<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Simchat Torah<\/span><\/i>\u2026.DONE!!!!! <\/span>Chazak Chazak v\u2019Nitchazayk<\/span><\/i>!!!!!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As is the case with virtually every ba\u2019al k\u2019riyah with whom I have \u201ctalked shop,\u201d I too began laining (reading the Torah) within a couple of months after my bar mitzvah, initially taking on one aliyah every week or two, until I worked my way up so that right before college, I was able to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133506,"featured_media":58058,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\n54 in 1: Laining for the Cycle - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One item that remained at the very top of my laining bucket list for many years, was laining every parsha in one annual cycle without missing a week!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/inspiration\/54-1-laining-cycle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"54 in 1: Laining for the Cycle - OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One item that remained at the very top of my laining bucket list for many years, was laining every parsha in one annual cycle without missing a week!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/inspiration\/54-1-laining-cycle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-10-24T17:57:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-10-30T15:09:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Sefer-Torah.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1031\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"687\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Adam J. 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