Simchas Torah – A Mechutan with the Torah

There was once a poor man, let’s call him Yankel, who had very little money but a very big appetite. This posed a problem for him since he liked all kinds of rich foods but couldn’t afford them. Then he fell upon an ingenious idea. From experience, he knew that the very best smorgasbord could be found at a certain wedding hall. So he decided that he would crash a wedding every night and make believe he was one of the invited guests. In order to make himself blend in better, he trained himself in the art of dancing, learning to do the Hora with great expertise.

This plan, to his delight, worked fabulously for several months until one night when he made the mistake of dancing during “keitzad m’rakdin”, when both the Chosson and Kallah were present. As he was performing his skillful dance, the Chosson commented to the Kallah, “Is he your cousin? He really dances well.” The Kallah responded, “Never saw him before in my life. He must be from your side.” The Chosson then told her, “He’s not one of our guests. I’ve never seen him either.” Upon checking it out, they unmasked him as a fraud and the wedding hall management sternly rebuked him to never pull such a shtick again.

I heard this story as a mashal from Rav Moshe Meir Weiss regarding simple people who dance fervently with the Torah. Comes Simchas Torah, and we find these unlearned Jews hugging the Torah close, singing “Toras Hashem Temima”. We can imagine the Sefer Torah herself, the Kallah, looking at this yid and exclaiming, “Do I know you? Are we related? I haven’t seen you all year!”

While this story carries a painful and penetrating message, the point is not that unlearned yidden should not dance on Simchas Torah. Of course not! But what I am suggesting is that when we dance with the Torah this year, we should make a commitment that this year will be different. That this will be the year that we finally are mavir Sedra, that we will review the weekly Torah portion on a regular basis. Indeed, such a kabbalah will render us truly eligible to dance the night through with the Sefer Torah. These days, with so many frightening illnesses affecting loved ones, everyone is looking for a segulah for long life. The very first segulah for arichos yomim, longevity, mentioned in Shas is to review every week that week’s Torah portion, saying the text twice and the Targum once (Masechtas Berochos 8B).

Many people will defend themselves by saying, “I simply don’t have time for such a commitment”.

Imagine if someone appeared and promised us that if we follow his counsel, he guarantees us to live ten percent longer. We would all line up to hear his segulah, without a doubt. Who wouldn’t want such a guarantee? If so, why are so many of us not makpid on shnayim mikra? It must be that we are lacking in Emunas Chazal. To those that complain that they have no time, we answer that the time invested in shnayim mikra will be added on to your life; you will never lose out.

There is a well-known Gemara in Brachos 8: that says “A person should always complete his study of the parsha with the tzibur - [by studying] shnayim mikra v’echad targum. Anyone who does this will have long days and years.” Learning the text of the weekly parsha twice with the targum is a segula for long life. What many do not know is that this statement of Chazal is actually mentioned in Shulchan Aruch siman 285.

The Ba’al HaTurim famously comments that this halacha can be gleaned from the first pasuk in Parshas Shemos. The parsha begins “V’aileh shemos Bnei Yisrael” - “And these are the names of Bnei Yisrael”. The Ba’al HaTurim remarks that this passage stands for (roshei teivos) -‘V’adam Asher Lomed Haseder Shnayim Mikra V’echad Targum B’kol Naim Yashir, Yichyeh Shanim Rabos Aruchim L’olam’ - “And the person who learns the weekly parsha shnayim mikra v’echad targum in a sweet, singing voice will live many long years (have an extremely long life)." The Levush siman 285 says that you are chayav, you have an obligation, to read the Torah twice and targum once. And he explains the roshei teivos as “V’chayav Adam Likros Haparsha Shnayim Mikra Vechad Targum”. The Levush holds like the Mechaber in Shulchan Aruch, that one is obligated to do shnayim mikra.

Why is the remez of shnayim mikra in Parshas Shemos? Shouldn’t it have been in Parshas Bereishis when we start the chumash anew? Rav Meilich Biderman answers as follows: Let’s say someone is holding in Sefer Shemos and he didn’t start shnayim mikra in Parshas Bereishis because he was lazy or for other reasons. Don’t wait until Parshas Bereishis to start! Start right now, even if you’re already in sefer Shemos! The word Bereishis stands for bais – reishis – there are two beginnings. The first beginning is Parshas Bereishis, and the second beginning is Parshas Shemos. It’s a new beginning; start right now!

There is a very famous story told with the Steipler, who was serving in the Russian army in his younger years. It was on Shabbos when he was standing guard outside in the brutal Russian winter. The previous guard had hung a heavy fur coat on a tree for the Steipler to take, and being that it was Shabbos, the Steipler didn’t want to do this melacha unless it was pikuach nefesh. But the Steipler felt like he could go on one more minute without the coat. And then another, and another. There was no way to survive the night without this coat, yet by holding on just one more minute, the Steipler managed to avoid doing this melacha all night. And he survived, without any ill effects. This story teaches us that by breaking up a commitment into small intervals, it becomes doable. Yes, it seems impossible to take on a huge commitment. But just one more minute you can do. And then another, and then another, until you accomplish the impossible. Yes, you can do it.

Reb Aryeh Leib Shteiman, on the day he was niftar, was busy saying over shnayim mikra. It was the 24th of Kislev; it was in middle of the week, yet this was his priority. Rav Eliyashiv said that shnayim mikra is one of the mitzvos that people trample over. Let’s renew our commitment for the coming year and be a true mechutan with the Torah on Simchas Torah.