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About the Year of Hakhel
Hakhel was a gathering that took place every seven years in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Every Jew—man, woman and child—was expected to be present, and the king would read to them from the Torah. Nowadays, the essence of this mitzvah, gathering together with fellow Jews for Torah study and inspiration, is something each and every one of us can do. The Jewish year 5783 (which began on Rosh Hashanah 2022) is a Hakhel year. Sign up to be a Hakhel leader.
What Is Hakhel? A hush falls over the mammoth crowd, as the royally bedecked king of Israel ascends on to a platform and reads sections of the holy Torah. The nation is inspired and invigorated...
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Hakhel in the Holy Temple On the long-awaited day, the priests fan out throughout Jerusalem and blow golden bugles to assemble the nation. "A kohen priest without a bugle in his hands, it appears as if he's not a kohen..."
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How to Do Hakhel Today Anyone can make a Hakhel gathering. Here are tips, guidelines, and ideas to help you make yours memorable, educational, and inspiring.
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What lessons from our Torah and traditions are particularly important and relevant today as we encounter the crucial issues facing us and the world?
What is the same and what is different from the perspective of our people?
A good place to start looking for important relevant messages for our times from the Torah is in the collection of articles on our site "The Rebbe Writes About Hakhel." The Rebbe's talks and writings always focus on deriving relevant guidance from every aspect of the Torah. As we have entered a unique "Hakhel" year, the themes of the commandment of Hakhel are the most immediate in terms of directing us in what we should be focusing on at this time.
In general, there are lessons to be learned from all areas of the Torah, if we know how to find them. We are taught to "live with" the weekly Torah readings, using them as guiding lights as we navigate the current world. See "Living with the Times" on our site.