Hakafos

Hakafos

L'CHAIM BEFORE HAKAFOS

• We are about to begin Hakafos, and although we should be especially careful when holding the Sefer Torah, it is fitting for everyone to say L'chaim – a big L'chaim!8

EVEN INFANTS COME TO HAKAFOS

• Concluding the entire Torah is an occasion for the utmost joy that encompasses and unites all Jews – men, women and infants; it is customary to bring even infants to Hakafos, similar to the reading of the Ten Commandments on Shavuos.9

SINGING STREETS

• It is customary for the joy of Simchas Torah to surpass even that of Sukkos and Shemini Atzeres – to the extent that we dance in the street 'until the street itself dances!' This should be done even in a city with a non-Jewish majority and certainly in a entirely beyond limitations. As well as experiencing this unlimited joy, we should also draw this lofty level into the entire coming year for when we go forth in our divine service and engage our worldly affairs; in other words, we should reveal within [our daily affairs] their true existence, namely, that the existence of all of creation stems from the True Existence, alone. (Day of Simchas Torah 5749; Hisvaaduyos p.226-227)

1. Night of Simchas Torah 5750; Hisvaaduyos p.220.
2. Parshas Haazinu 5749; Hisvaaduyos p.87 and footnote 49. Be excited and enthusiastic like a kid This is a joy that reaches and permeates all Jewry, both elderly and young, to the extent that its even affects the very heels of their feet and causes all Jews alike to dance with their feet; all Jews, from their greatest member to their smallest men and women in their respective sections and likewise children, young boys and girls. [The Rebbe then indicated a small girl in the crowd:] Including this little girl who had the privilege of being brought to the men's section so she could set an example even for the grown men with white beards and show them how to rejoice and sing, being that there is no Halachic problem that men hear her singing (being under three years old or the like) and it is recognizable that she is a modest, lovely and kind girl (Tzenu'ah, Na'ah Vachasudah). (Night of Simchas Torah 5751; Hisvaaduyos p.173)

AV HARACHAMIM

• After reciting the verses of Atah Hareisah, we conclude with the verse, Av HaRachamim Heitivah; we should recite this passage quickly and quietly in the manner of a prayer (and not in the loud, festive manner in which we recite the verses of Atah Hareisah, which are decisive declarations14), in order to reach the verse U'faratzta as soon as possible – which we then declare with Shturem (fanfare).15

U'FARATZTA

• In recent years, it has become the Chabad custom to recite the verse of U'faratztah three times16 at the end of the Atah Hareisah verses:17

וְהָי' זַרְעַךְ כַּעַפַר הָאָרֶץ וּפָרַצְתָ יָמָה וְקֵדְמָה וְצָפוֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כָּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאַדָמָה וּבְזַרְעֶךָ (בראשית כח).

"And your seed shall be as [numerous as] the dust of the earth, when they do so in a benevolent and friendly manner; the guests, on their part, should certainly acknowledge this kindness and thank their hosts for all the efforts extended on their behalf.29

1. reflections of the various festivals in the verses of Simchas Torah:] Following and through the potential power that we received on Shabbos Shuvah as well as from Yom Kippur, especially its conclusion which we marked by crying out 'Hashem Hu HoElokim!' seven times. (Parshas Noach 5752; Hisvaaduyos p.221, footnote 62) On Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah, the days when all aspects of Sukkos which themselves contain the revelation of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - are absorbed and when we proclaim the verses of Atah Hareisah before the Hakafos during all three times that Hakafos are held in accordance with Chabad custom. (ibid, in the subnote)
2. We then add the verse Av Harachamim in the manner of a prayer, which supplements the previous verses that were recited in a manner of a decisive declaration and not a prayer. (Night of Simchas Torah 5752; Sichos Kodesh p.200)
3. ...We then arrive at the 17th verse of Atah Hareisah (that we recite prior to the Hakafos), namely, Ki Mitziyon Teitzei Sorah U'devar Hashem Mirushalayim, 'For Torah will go forth from Tziyon and the Hashem's Word from Yerushalayim' may it happen literally and immediately! We conclude with the verse Av Harachamim Heitivah. (Day of Simchas Torah 5750; Hisvaaduyos p.235-236)
4. Three times Vehaya It is the Chabad custom to add [at this point the Rebbe began to recite the verse in the well-known tune used to recite the pre-Hakafos verses:] Vehayah Zarachah... [The Rebbe then repeated this verse a third time, after the entire congregation had recited it.] (Night of Simchas Torah 5752; Sichos Kodesh p.200)
5. Night and Day of Simchas Torah 5750; Hisvaaduyos p.211. See also p.235-236.

ATAH HAREISAH THREE TIMES

• It is the Chabad custom to call out the verses beginning, 'Atah Hareisah LaDa'as Hashem Hu HoElokim' three times before Hakafos. This is done at all three occasions12 in which Hakafos are held according to Chabad custom (outside of the Land of Israel) the night of Shemini Atzeres, the night of Simchas Torah and the day of Simchas Torah.13

EXTRA VERSE FOR HAKHEL

• During Hakhel years, the Rebbe added the following passage in addition to the verse 'U'faratztah':18

הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ צָפוֹן וְקִבְצְתִים מֵיַרְכְתֵי-אָרֶץ בָּם עִוֵר וּפְסֵח הָרָה וְלֹלֶדֶת יַחְדָוּ קָהָל גָדוֹל יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָה (ירמיי לא)

"Behold, I will bring them from the north-country and gather them from the ends of the earth; and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and she who labors with child together; a great company shall return there." (Yirmiyah 31:7)

SEVEN HALF CIRCUITS

• In the Hakafos of the day of Simchas Torah, we circle the Bimah only three and a half times, not seven times as we do on the night of Simchas Torah and Shemini Atzeres.19

DANCE WITH KESSER

• When we dance with the Sefer Torah we leave its gold or silver crown on.20

770 IS EVERYONE'S HOME

• It was once customary to go from house to house on

1. Parshas Vayeilech 5749 Hisvaaduyos p.48. Beyond Sukkos and beyond limitation
2. It is now the night of Simchas Torah, prior to Hakafos. We ought to promote and emphasis the enormity of the virtue gained by rejoicing and dancing with the Torah scroll during the Hakafos. There needs to be an immensely great rejoicing, more than the joy of the seven days of Sukkos and even more that the joy of Shmini Atzeres; a joy that is beyond limitation. (Night of Simchas Torah 5748; Hisvaaduyos p.306-307) Unordinary conduct for extraordinary joy The joy of Simchas Torah is far loftier than the joy of Shemini Atzeres and the seven days of Sukkos; in order to further emphasis the quality of rejoicing on Simchas Torah, the Rebbes of Chabad would introvertly closet themselves away [Yiddish: Farshlasen in zich un far zich] on Shemini Atzeres more so than during the other days of Sukkos (despite the fact that the general principle of always ascending in matters of holiness necessitates an increase in rejoicing). (Mayanei Hayeshuah 5751, footnote 32) Let your soul dance ...Not merely in order to fulfill our obligation, as in the Talmudic expression 'Delineate my obligation and I will oblige,' but rather, we should rejoice and dance amidst vive and fiery enthusiasm, experiencing an unlimited joy that defies the limitations imposed by our own intellect - the joy should literally stem from our very essence. (Night of Simchas Torah 5748; Hisvaaduyos p.307)
3. With an emphasis on the three times that Hakafos are held in accordance with Chabad custom. (27th Tishrei 5751, at a Yechidus; Hisvaaduyos p.228) Release the spiritual buildup [The spiritual energies of Tishrei are all revealed on Simchas Torah and we see
4. See Otzar Minhagei Chabad p.356.
5. Our better Half In this way, we emphasize that our role in Hakafos is only 'half of an accomplishment (for we only circle [three and a half times, which is] half of the usual seven circuits); the other 'half of the Hakafos is accomplished by Hashem. In this regard, the Hakafos are similar to Machtzis Hashekel, the half shekel-coin that each Jew contributed annually; [the significance of the half-shekel is that] the Jews accomplish just 'half of the job while Hashem accomplishes the remaining 'half' and together they produce a Shekel Hakodesh, a complete 'sacred shekel.' (Night and Day of Simchas Torah 5750; Hisvaaduyos p.208)
6. Day of Simchas Torah 5750; Hisvaaduyos p.234.