There is a famous Gemara in Shabbos that describes the experience Moshe Rabbeinu had in heaven when he went to receive the torah for the Jewish people. The Gemara describes how the angels wanted to burn Moshe for taking away the Torah. The Gemara relates an argument that took place between Moshe and the angels as to whether it makes more sense for the Torah to be given to the humans or to stay with the angels. One of the main arguments that Moshe makes is the fact that the laws simply don’t apply to angels, especially that fact that they don’t have a yetzer hara and we humans do. The common theme that Moshe argues is that the Torah seems to be a better match for us humans than for angels. Let’s understand that a bit deeper.
The midrash in fact has a different picture of what happened that enabled Moshe to convince the angels to let Moshe take the Torah down to earth. The midrash describes how Moshe Rabbeinu’s face turned into the face of Avraham Avinu and Hashem said to the angels didn’t you eat with Avraham Avinu in his tent? Therefore, you should allow the Torah to be taken down to earth. The question is obvious; how did this convince the angels? The midrash Tehillim actually explains that the claim against the angels was that they eat meat and milk in Avraham Avinu tent, and therefore clearly the Torah is not for them.
I think we can explain all of the points mentioned above with an idea that came to me on Simchas Torah, and I saw recently a similar idea quoted in the name of Rav Simcha Bunim Auerbach, a grandson of Rav Shlomo Zalman z”l.
In our shul on Simchas Torah, yedidi Rav YY Jacobson, shlita shared a powerful message with us that he heard from the Lubavitcher Rebbe z”l. The Rebbe asked on the words of Rashi in Parshas Pinchos קשה עלי פרידתכם Hashem says that the reason why he wants us to have another day called Shmini Atzeres is because our leaving is “difficult” for Him. There is much commentary just on the exact mashal that Rashi quotes; however, the main difficulty is that how does adding another day for Klal Yisrael staying in the Bais Hamikdash help solve the problem of the Jewish people departing and leaving Hashem? The Rebbe said that the word פרידתכם can be interpreted differently than usually assumed; it is not referring to the departure of the Jewish people from Hashem. Rather it is referring to separation of the Jews amongst themselves. (Part of his proof is that it should have said פרידתנו - our separation not your separation.)
During all of Sukkos, as Chazal tell us in the midrash in Parshas Emor, we are all like the four species. Although we are different, but we are all bound together. Even the arava, that represents a Jew with no Torah and no mitzvos is somehow connected to everyone else. Therefore, Hashem says it’s difficult for me to see the separation between you now that Sukkos is over. Therefore, Hashem added another day on which Is not Sukkos; rather it’s the day of Simchas Torah, on which everyone comes and lifts the Torah to their level and that is what will keep us connected even when we leave.
I hope I related correctly the beautiful message from the Rebbe.
To be continued
