Dancing with Tremendous Joy on Simchat Torah
It is with awe and trembling that the Chassidic world approaches the joy and dancing of Simchat Torah—trembling precisely because of the greatness and holiness of the day, when through joy and dancing one can accomplish what could not be achieved on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur through weeping and tears.
The Rebbe Rashab said, "the forty-eight hours of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah [outside of Israel; in Israel it is 24 hours] must be treasured greatly. At every moment one can draw treasures by the bucketful and barrelful, both materially and spiritually, and all through dancing."
Such Intensity!
On Simchat Torah, the Rebbes danced and rejoiced with such intensity that even the young men could not keep up. It is related that the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek danced tirelessly during the hakafot. Even young and healthy men were unable to keep pace with his dancing, and some collapsed from the exertion. As he danced, he proclaimed, "dance, Jews, dance! Rejoice on Simchat Torah, and you will merit children, life and abundant sustenance!"
His wife, concerned for his health, went to her father, the Mitteler Rebbe, and complained her husband was tiring the chassidim. The Rebbe replied, "at this moment, the revealed light of Simchat Torah shines within him just as it shone in the Temple. Through his joy, he merits the revelation of the essence of his soul, as it exists in the world of Atzilut, and even higher!"
It is also related that after Simchat Torah, the Tzemach Tzedek would change his coat, because the one he had worn on Simchat Torah was torn and soaked with perspiration. Elder Chassidim would take a piece of cloth from the garment as a segulah for success in Torah study and Divine service.
Once, on Simchat Torah with the Rebbe Rashab, Jews who throughout the year had little connection to Torah entered the synagogue and joined the dancing. One chassid stood to the side, watching them and smiling mockingly. The Rebbe noticed this and rebuked him, saying, "you are desecrating that which is holy!"
The Power of the Dancing
During the Simchat Torah day meal with the Previous Rebbe, the chassidim danced and sang for a long time. When the dancing ended, the Rebbe said, "the Alter Rebbe says in Tanya, in the name of his teachers, that if an angel were present among a gathering of ten Jews, even if they were not speaking words of Torah, such fear and awe would fall upon him that he would become completely nullified from existence. Imagine, then, such dancing by a large group of Jews! And added to this all the good intentions that each one had while dancing. How jealous the angels must be of this!" The Rebbe then instructed them to continue dancing and singing.
The Previous Rebbe also said, "a Jew sits in his darkened home, hungry and dressed in torn clothing. His wife and children are weak and broken. In his heart, he weeps over his situation. Suddenly, he remembers that today is Simchat Torah. A ray of joyful memories flash through him like lightning. He runs to the synagogue for hakafot and throws himself into the circle. He grasps the Etz Chaim (handles) of the Torah scroll and cries out, 'rejoice and be glad on Simchat Torah!'
"Not only the angels, but even the loftiest souls, the souls of tzadikim, are envious of such tremendous self-sacrifice. With Jews like these, we must go to hakafot."
