The nature of Simchas Torah
In Eretz Yisroel, Simchas Torah comes together with Shemini Atzeres. It is only in chutz loeretz where two days are kept are they separated and they celebrate them on different days. By all other festivals we celebrate with something special. By Pesach it is the matza, by Sukkos it is the Sukka and Arba Minim. What is the speciality of Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah? It is simcha with the Torah.
Shavuos and Simchas Torah?
The question is what is the difference between Shavuous, when we were given the Torah, and Simchas Torah when we finish and celebrate with the Torah? Why have both days as what does one add more than the other? The Dubno Maggid explains with a moshol. There was a childless King and Queen who received a blessing that they would have a daughter on condition that she would only be seen to the outside world, including her husband, on the day of the wedding. The King agreed and the daughter was brought up on a desert island. When she came of age the King announced that all prospective princes should come for an interview. Lots of princes came and when they asked to see the princess and where told that they could only see her under the wedding canopy they all refused. Who knew what the princess looked looked like? Perhaps she was blind or lame or ugly?
Eventually one of the ordinary people volunteered to be the choson. The wedding was organised and he was expected the worse when suddenly the princess appeared and she was beautiful. But he thought to himself perhaps she has other blemishes that i cannot see? Perhaps she is blind or deaf or plain stupid? However, as the weeks passed he was relieved and amazed that everything was so perfect with her! He went back to the king and asked to have another wedding to this time really celebrate knowing fully his kalla.
The nimshal – the Jewish People have two wedding days. The first is Shavuous when we got the Torah. All the nations of the world, the princes, came and refused the princess, the Torah. Then the Jewish People agreed to accept the Torah not knowing anything beforehand about it, like not seeing the princess before the wedding. It is only after receiving the Torah and knowing how perfect and beautiful it is, then the Jews come back and ask Hashem for a new wedding – that of Simchas Torah when we rejoice truly having experienced and got to know the beauty of the Torah.
Simchas Torah Questions:
- The Levush (669) asks why does the Torah start on the last day of Sukkos, Simchas Torah, and not on Rosh Hashana that is the beginning of the year?
- Why is the Sefer Torah lifted up on Simchas Torah in the reverse way where the letters are facing the other people?
- Why do we read from the Torah by night and call up five people?
- Why do we do seven hakafos?
- Why is everyone called up for an aliya before ending the Torah?
- What is the Choson Torah, Choson Bereishis and Choson Kol Haniorim and why?
- We understand the joy at finishing the Torah but why immediately start it again with Parshas Bereishis?
- Why do we have Simchas Torah celebrating the Torah when we have already done so by Shavuos?
Ideas for answers on Simchas Torah:
- This is to express that הפך בה הפך בה דכולה בה, that we have never really finished. We must go back and review and delve deeper again to find more and more depth.
- Perhaps this is to show that everyone on their level is able to participate in the finishing and completing of the Torah.
- A Midrash states that the Soton complains to Hashem that the Jewish People do not always complete their Torah Studies, and even if they do, they show a degree of disdain by not going back for further review. Thus, on Simchas Torah, when upon completing the Torah we immediately begin Bereishis anew, Hashem triumphantly silences the Soton and Bnei Yisroel is vindicated.
- Shavuos celebrates the first Luchos that we still have benefit from as seen in the broken Luchos being kept in the Aron. The second Luchos that are the main ones for us were given on Yom Kippur. However, since Sukkos is a continuation of the atonement of these days therefore the celebration of the second Luchos is pushed off until after Sukkos and this lands on the day of Shemini Atzeres that is known as Simchas Torah. According to this, Shavuos celebrates the first Luchos while Simchas Torah celebrates the second Luchos.
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