So why an old wedding picture for Simchat Torah? Simchat Torah is, in a way, like the wedding kiss. Sukkot placed us back into Ba’yit Adonai – the house of G~d, his Creation, not our own. We got married to G~d, and moved into the Makers home.
Simchat Torah is starting life fresh, new, but not like a rebirth, more like astutely moving along in life. Moving into where we expect to go, but can not go by ourselves. Marriage carries that type of message in some ways. Two people, still the same people, now with added purpose, starting something anew. A new thing, yet a very normal thing. Unique yet common.
So we finish the Torah, yet in going on with Joshua into the promised land, we start over in B’riesheet with the wisdom and knowledge gained in the last year. We move on to the new, and re-new the old at the same time.
Following are some study notes you can use.
Also remember to download a Parsha calendar from somewhere. Chabad and Aish have traditional lists. The Flame Foundation has a list which includes suggested parallel readings from the New Covenant for each parsha.
Parsha Simchat Torah 5771.doc
Parsha Simchat Torah 5771.pdf