Hakhel
Parsha Pages | September 26, 2024
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Hakhel

Parsha Pages | June 27, 2025

1. What is the Hakhel Assembly?

In the Torah (Devarim 31: 10-13), Moshe instructs the leaders to convene an assembly of all Israel: men, women, children and converts during the Sukkos festival following a Shemittah year. Its express purpose was for the people to hear a reading of the Torah by the King, learn it, fear G-d, and observe the Torah laws. From the evidence of the Mishnah we learn that the assembly was held throughout both Temple eras.

2. When is the Assembly convened?

The Torah specifies: מקץ שבע שנים במעד שנת השמטה בחג הסכות i.e., during the Sukkos festival of the year following Shemittah. The next verse:בבוא כל ישראל לראות את פני ה' אלקיך במקום אשר יבחר i.e., when all Israel comes on pilgrimage, indicates that the appropriate time is at the beginning of the festival (אתחלתא דמועד) and the Mishnah narrows it further, to the morrow of the first day(במוצאי יום -טוב ראשון של חג) that is to say, the first day of Chol HaMoed.

The Sefer HaChinuch implies that the Assembly was not held annually in order to insure its special character, and Abarbanel explains that the choice of the year following Shemittah was in consideration of the bountiful produce of the Shemittah year, which belonged to all Israel as a reward for their observance of the Shemittah. Sukkos is particularly suited for Assembly on account of its favourable climate, as well as on account of the mood created by Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur which immediately precede it.

3. How was the Assembly conducted?

Trumpets would sound throughout Yerushalayim – תוספתא
A great platform of wood would be brought and erected in the women’s forecourt. The king would sit upon it so that all could hear his reading. All the Jews would gather about him. The חזן הכנסת would take the Torah and give it to the ראש הכנסת who would give it to the סגן כהן (assistant Kohen Gadol). He would then give it to the Kohen Gadol who, in turn, gave it to the King [“in order to endow it with eminence amid the multitude of the people” - Sefer HaChinuch]. The king would accept it while standing but, if he wished, he might sit while he read it.

4. Who were the participants?

The Torah first states: “All Israel” (verse. 11), and quickly details: “Men, women, children [and strangers]” (verse. 12).

5. The Participation of Children

Although children are generally exempt from all legal obligations, they were an integral part of the Hakhel Assembly. Even if they were infants, their presence served to benefit their parents (who would otherwise have had to remain at home with them and miss the Assembly), per a famous adage of Rabbi El’azar ben Azariah states: “Men would come to learn and women – to listen. Why would children come? The children participate in order to provide a reward for those who brought them.” (חגיגה ג ע"א)).

The second possibility, however, is that the requirement of participation in Hakhel refers only to children who are already at an age of understanding. This, in fact, is the opinion of Rambam in his commentary (verse. 13), basing himself upon the purpose of the ceremony (verse. 12), “that they will listen and fear.”

A third possibility is raised by the Maharsha (חגיגה ג ע"א) who says that the children referred to in verse. 12 as attending Hakhel must be of an educable age, whereas the ones mentioned in verse. 13 as “אשר לא ידעו” are the infants. The same conclusion is reached by the Or HaChaim, based upon the difference between "ולמען ילמדו ויראו" (“to learn and to fear”, verse. 12), and "ולמדו ליראה" (“to learn to fear”, verse. 13).

In אור ההלכה עמ' קלז Rabbi Zevin cites the אדר"ת [Rabbi A.D. Rabinowitz-Teomim], who finds it hard to believe that the Torah would require the presence of thousands of crying and screaming infants, whose voices might drown out the ceremony and whose lack of cleanliness was inconsistent with the sanctity of the occasion. [See תוספות in חגיגה who discuss bringing children to the בית הכנסת based upon the presumption of their participation in Hakhel .

6. Who officiated?

The presiding official at Hakhel was the King of Israel. This is determined, in the ספרי by the association of the Torah reading of Hakhel ("התורה הזאת") with the Torah reading for which the king is responsible (also called “התורה הזאת"), according to the .משפט המלך Another basis for this determination ((חזקוני is the singular form of the verb (תקרא verse. 11), which is assumed to refer to Yehoshua, whose status was that of a king. A third source is provided by the description in 2 Kings 23:1-2 of the assembly convened by King Yoshiah during which the הברית ספר was read before all the people .

7. What was read aloud?

All the sources agree that the reading was from the book of דברים (the words התורה הזאת are understood to refer to this specifically). The predominant opinions are that the readings were :

  • From the beginning of the book through Shema (6:4);
  • The second paragraph of Shema (11:13-21);
  • עשר תעשר (27-14:22)
  • כי תכלה לעשר (15-26:12 )
  • פרשת המלך (20-17:14)
  • הברכות והקללות (69-28:1 )

The reading was preceded and followed by the same blessings that we customarily recite on the Torah, and seven additional blessings were added at the end.
The reading had to be performed in Hebrew. Of those who had difficulty with that language, Rambam says: “Converts, who do not know Hebrew, are obligated to prepare their hearts and ears to listen with fear and trembling as on the day the Torah was given on Sinai. Even the wisest scholars who know the entire Torah are required to listen with great intent. One who cannot hear (either because he is too far away, or because he doesn’t understand Hebrew) is required to direct his heart to the reading, for the Torah established this in order to strengthen the true faith. He should see himself as if he were commanded to accept the Torah at this moment as though he heard it from G-d, Himself, for the king is the emissary for making the voice of G-d heard.”

8. Where is Hakhel reflected in practical halacha?

Some learn from Hakhel that it is a Mitzvah to bring young children to the synagogue in order to train them to answer amen, since a child earns a portion in the World to Come as soon as he answers Amen.

9. What about Hakhel today?

The biblical mitzvah of Hakhel is only in effect when the Jewish people reside in the Holy Land. Nevertheless, the Lubavitcher Rebbe זי"ע repeatedly encouraged all Jews to utilize this auspicious time to assemble– men, women and children – and encourage each other to increase in Torah observance and study, and foster an environment of fear of G-d.
The Rebbe particularly encouraged these assemblies on or around Sukkos, when the Hakhel gathering took place in the Holy Temple, but the entire year is a "Hakhel Year," and an opportune time to promote Jewish unity and gatherings.
The responsibility to arrange Hakhel gatherings lies primarily on the "kings," i.e. the leaders – rabbis and communal activists – of each community. But during this year everyone should be mindful of any opportunity that presents itself to gather together some Jews and recreate in microcosm the grand Hakhel event.
Shemittah years in the early 21st Century (with Hakhel during the following Sukkos):
5761 (2000-01)
5768 (2007-08)
5775 (2014-15)
5782 (2021-22)

10. Mitzvah of Hakhel is for all the generations

The mechanics of Hakhel is for the King to read from the Torah from a raised temporary wooden bimah that was in the Azarah to enable all to hear. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains:

  • Hakhel – Gather one’s abilities into one’s inner Temple
  • King – Bitul to His Kingship
  • Bimah – Then need to raise up over one’s inclinations
  • Wooden – Temporary object with purpose to raise oneself
  • Azarah – Only for holy matters

The Lubavitcher Rebbe connects the concepts of Shmittah with the readings of the King at the Hakhel:

Shemittah Concept ExpressedReadings of the King on HakhelResting of people
G-d’s ownership of man to serve HimShema – result of a person’s resting should be to learn Torah and do MitzvosResting of the land
G-d’s rulership on the world & on the laws of natureברכות וקללות all belongs to G-dFruit ownerless
G-d’s ownership on people’s propertyעשר תעשר obligation to give a portion to G-d

לקוטי שיחות חלק כד

1. What is the Hakhel Assembly?

In the Torah (Devarim 31: 10-13), Moshe instructs the leaders to convene an assembly of all Israel: men, women, children and converts during the Sukkos festival following a Shemittah year. Its express purpose was for the people to hear a reading of the Torah by the King, learn it, fear G-d, and observe the Torah laws. From the evidence of the Mishnah we learn that the assembly was held throughout both Temple eras.

2. When is the Assembly convened?

The Torah specifies: מקץ שבע שנים במעד שנת השמטה בחג הסכות i.e., during the Sukkos festival of the year following Shemittah. The next verse:בבוא כל ישראל לראות את פני ה' אלקיך במקום אשר יבחר i.e., when all Israel comes on pilgrimage, indicates that the appropriate time is at the beginning of the festival (אתחלתא דמועד) and the Mishnah narrows it further, to the morrow of the first day(במוצאי יום -טוב ראשון של חג) that is to say, the first day of Chol HaMoed.

The Sefer HaChinuch implies that the Assembly was not held annually in order to insure its special character, and Abarbanel explains that the choice of the year following Shemittah was in consideration of the bountiful produce of the Shemittah year, which belonged to all Israel as a reward for their observance of the Shemittah. Sukkos is particularly suited for Assembly on account of its favourable climate, as well as on account of the mood created by Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur which immediately precede it.

3. How was the Assembly conducted?

Trumpets would sound throughout Yerushalayim – תוספתא
A great platform of wood would be brought and erected in the women’s forecourt. The king would sit upon it so that all could hear his reading. All the Jews would gather about him. The חזן הכנסת would take the Torah and give it to the ראש הכנסת who would give it to the סגן כהן (assistant Kohen Gadol). He would then give it to the Kohen Gadol who, in turn, gave it to the King [“in order to endow it with eminence amid the multitude of the people” - Sefer HaChinuch]. The king would accept it while standing but, if he wished, he might sit while he read it.

4. Who were the participants?

The Torah first states: “All Israel” (verse. 11), and quickly details: “Men, women, children [and strangers]” (verse. 12).

5. The Participation of Children

Although children are generally exempt from all legal obligations, they were an integral part of the Hakhel Assembly. Even if they were infants, their presence served to benefit their parents (who would otherwise have had to remain at home with them and miss the Assembly), per a famous adage of Rabbi El’azar ben Azariah states: “Men would come to learn and women – to listen. Why would children come? The children participate in order to provide a reward for those who brought them.” (חגיגה ג ע"א)).

The second possibility, however, is that the requirement of participation in Hakhel refers only to children who are already at an age of understanding. This, in fact, is the opinion of Rambam in his commentary (verse. 13), basing himself upon the purpose of the ceremony (verse. 12), “that they will listen and fear.”

A third possibility is raised by the Maharsha (חגיגה ג ע"א) who says that the children referred to in verse. 12 as attending Hakhel must be of an educable age, whereas the ones mentioned in verse. 13 as “אשר לא ידעו” are the infants. The same conclusion is reached by the Or HaChaim, based upon the difference between "ולמען ילמדו ויראו" (“to learn and to fear”, verse. 12), and "ולמדו ליראה" (“to learn to fear”, verse. 13).

In אור ההלכה עמ' קלז Rabbi Zevin cites the אדר"ת [Rabbi A.D. Rabinowitz-Teomim], who finds it hard to believe that the Torah would require the presence of thousands of crying and screaming infants, whose voices might drown out the ceremony and whose lack of cleanliness was inconsistent with the sanctity of the occasion. [See תוספות in חגיגה who discuss bringing children to the בית הכנסת based upon the presumption of their participation in Hakhel .

6. Who officiated?

The presiding official at Hakhel was the King of Israel. This is determined, in the ספרי by the association of the Torah reading of Hakhel ("התורה הזאת") with the Torah reading for which the king is responsible (also called “התורה הזאת"), according to the .משפט המלך Another basis for this determination ((חזקוני is the singular form of the verb (תקרא verse. 11), which is assumed to refer to Yehoshua, whose status was that of a king. A third source is provided by the description in 2 Kings 23:1-2 of the assembly convened by King Yoshiah during which the הברית ספר was read before all the people .

7. What was read aloud?

All the sources agree that the reading was from the book of דברים (the words התורה הזאת are understood to refer to this specifically). The predominant opinions are that the readings were :

  • From the beginning of the book through Shema (6:4);
  • The second paragraph of Shema (11:13-21);
  • עשר תעשר (27-14:22)
  • כי תכלה לעשר (15-26:12 )
  • פרשת המלך (20-17:14)
  • הברכות והקללות (69-28:1 )

The reading was preceded and followed by the same blessings that we customarily recite on the Torah, and seven additional blessings were added at the end.
The reading had to be performed in Hebrew. Of those who had difficulty with that language, Rambam says: “Converts, who do not know Hebrew, are obligated to prepare their hearts and ears to listen with fear and trembling as on the day the Torah was given on Sinai. Even the wisest scholars who know the entire Torah are required to listen with great intent. One who cannot hear (either because he is too far away, or because he doesn’t understand Hebrew) is required to direct his heart to the reading, for the Torah established this in order to strengthen the true faith. He should see himself as if he were commanded to accept the Torah at this moment as though he heard it from G-d, Himself, for the king is the emissary for making the voice of G-d heard.”

8. Where is Hakhel reflected in practical halacha?

Some learn from Hakhel that it is a Mitzvah to bring young children to the synagogue in order to train them to answer amen, since a child earns a portion in the World to Come as soon as he answers Amen.

9. What about Hakhel today?

The biblical mitzvah of Hakhel is only in effect when the Jewish people reside in the Holy Land. Nevertheless, the Lubavitcher Rebbe זי"ע repeatedly encouraged all Jews to utilize this auspicious time to assemble– men, women and children – and encourage each other to increase in Torah observance and study, and foster an environment of fear of G-d.
The Rebbe particularly encouraged these assemblies on or around Sukkos, when the Hakhel gathering took place in the Holy Temple, but the entire year is a "Hakhel Year," and an opportune time to promote Jewish unity and gatherings.
The responsibility to arrange Hakhel gatherings lies primarily on the "kings," i.e. the leaders – rabbis and communal activists – of each community. But during this year everyone should be mindful of any opportunity that presents itself to gather together some Jews and recreate in microcosm the grand Hakhel event.
Shemittah years in the early 21st Century (with Hakhel during the following Sukkos):
5761 (2000-01)
5768 (2007-08)
5775 (2014-15)
5782 (2021-22)

10. Mitzvah of Hakhel is for all the generations

The mechanics of Hakhel is for the King to read from the Torah from a raised temporary wooden bimah that was in the Azarah to enable all to hear. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains:

  • Hakhel – Gather one’s abilities into one’s inner Temple
  • King – Bitul to His Kingship
  • Bimah – Then need to raise up over one’s inclinations
  • Wooden – Temporary object with purpose to raise oneself
  • Azarah – Only for holy matters

The Lubavitcher Rebbe connects the concepts of Shmittah with the readings of the King at the Hakhel:

Shemittah Concept ExpressedReadings of the King on HakhelResting of people
G-d’s ownership of man to serve HimShema – result of a person’s resting should be to learn Torah and do MitzvosResting of the land
G-d’s rulership on the world & on the laws of natureברכות וקללות all belongs to G-dFruit ownerless
G-d’s ownership on people’s propertyעשר תעשר obligation to give a portion to G-d

לקוטי שיחות חלק כד

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Parsha Pages | September 26, 2024