REJOICING WITH THE TORAH

Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev once observed a simple person dancing with gusto on Simchas Torah. Recognizing that he was utterly unlearned, the tzaddik asked him what he was rejoicing about. The Yid answered, "When my brother marries off his daughter, should I not participate in his rejoicing...?"

The Rebbe explains that in fact Simchas Torah is not "a brother's chassunah," the celebration of some other Yid, but rather every individual's personal rejoicing. The joy on Simchas Torah is about the essence of the Torah, which is accessible to every Yid, for when he studies even the smallest segment of Torah, through it he is connected to the entire Torah.

(תו"מ חל"ב ע' 92, שיחו"ק תשל"א ח"א ע' 86)

The Frierdiker Rebbe once expressed himself: "It is not enough that on Simchas Torah we rejoice with the Torah; the Torah must also be happy with us."

(ספר השיחות תש"ב ע' 3)

One year after davening on Simchas Torah morning, the Tzemach Tzedek sat down to farbreng. During that time he drank a large quantity of mashke, taught a lot of Chassidus, and spoke a great deal about his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe. Whenever he mentioned his zeide's holy name his face was aflame, and his eyes filled with tears that streamed down his cheeks like two springs of water. The farbrengen extended throughout the day and continued until the early hours of the morning.

After everyone left and the Tzemach Tzedek returned to his room, some chassidim peeked through the cracks to see what he was doing. They saw him sitting with a Gemara, learning with delight and enthusiasm.

(סיפורי חסידים מועדים זוין ע' 239)

Early in the morning, after a night of hakafos on Simchas Torah, the Rebbe would return to his study. One year, a young boy was curious to know what the Rebbe was doing at such an hour, so he climbed up, peeked through the window, and saw the Rebbe sitting and learning from a big Gemara or Shulchan Aruch.

(מפי בעל המעשה)