Monday, October 12, 2020

Simchas Torah

 Why Simchas Torah?

It is a holiday of sorts with no source at all. Observed in Israel as part of Shmini Atzeres and elsewhere as a stand alone day. All other double holidays in Chutz La'Aretz have day two as pretty much a carbon copy of day one, but here it is a very different type of holiday. And why the Torah now of all times?
I would like to suggest that as is well known Shmini Atzeres is the day of union between Hashem and then Jewish people. We have been through days of introspection and reconciliation, now is finally the time when Klal Yisroel and Hashem reunite as husband and wife. When a couple reaches that point in a relationship it is time for the walls to come down and for each to fully reveal their true self to the other. Actually, it will happen inevitably whether or not you intend it.
Our Sages tell us on the word אנכי in the Aseres haDibros that it stands for אנא נפשי כתבית יהבית, that Hashem, so to speak, put his self, His very being into the Torah. That is the Simcha of Simchas Torah, it is the time that once we untied with Hashem on the day before we can finally get a glimpse into the essence of what Hashem truly is and has reveled to us through the Torah.
(This was an idea I had over SImchas Torah. Perhaps I saw it once years ago. If so, I apologize for the lack of attribution)

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