Why is Simchas Torah, when we rejoice in the study of Torah and fulfillment of Mitzvos, celebrated after Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur? It would seem to make more sense to celebrate the Torah at the time it was given, on Shavuos.
Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur are about being serious in our service of Hashem and doing Teshuva for what we did improperly. What does that have to do with celebrating the fact that Hashem gave us the Torah?
And this why Simchas Torah is after Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, since it is the idea of drawing down “the joy of performing Mitzvos” for the entire year:
Throughout the year we create a lack in the revelation of how Hashem is “סוֹב בַׁ כ ָּלַׁ עָּלְמ ין-encompasses all worlds” through our lack of fulfilling the Mitzvos properly.
When that lack is filled through a new revelation of Hashem on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur after our Teshuva and preparation in Elul, then we can truly “rejoice in the Mitzvos,” since we now have the complete revelation of Hashem, from all of the Mitzvos that we could have done in the past year.
The same applies to our Torah study; through our Teshuva in Elul and Rosh and Yom Kippur we able to fill in the lacking revelation of Hashem that was missing due to our lack of Torah study throughout the year.
Since we are able to accomplish the revelation of Hashem from all the Torah and Mitzvos of the past year at the time of Elul and Tishrei, we therefore celebrate that new revelation on Simchas Torah.
However, the joy of Simchas Torah is much greater than that of Shavuos, since this new revelation of Hashem from our Teshuva for all the Torah and Mitvzvos of the past year is our own accomplishment. Since the purpose of why Hashem gave us the Torah is so that we should reveal Hashem through our efforts in Torah, Mitzvos, and Teshuva, therefore on Simchas Torah we have the greatest celebration; we celebrate the new revelation from Hashem’s Essence that was brought about through our efforts of Torah, Mitzvos, and Teshuva.
This ultimate revelation of Hashem from our own efforts comes from Hashem’s power for Teshuva that He gives us in Elul.
