Devorim 33:4 “תורה צוה לנו משה, מורשה קהלת יעקב”
“The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the Congregation of Yaakov.” The Torah uses the word, “מורשה” here – an inheritance. What is the difference between a נחלה and a מורשה; both translate to mean an inheritance? The Torah does not speak about Hakafos which we have the Minhag to do on Simchas Torah, nor is it mentioned anywhere in Torah Shebal Peh. It is a Minhag dating all the way back to the Nevi’im, and seems to be of great significance. Why isn’t it mentioned in Torah Shebal Peh, and how can we make the most of these Hakafos?
Klal Yisroel sit in the Sukkah for seven days during Sukkos, and then on the eighth day, on Shemini Atzeres, it is like a farewell meal together with Hakodosh Boruch Hu (Meseches Sukkah 55b). During the seven days of Sukkos, Klal Yisroel bring seventy Korbonos on behalf of the seventy nations of the world, being that it is a time of judgment for rain, so that it should rain all around the world. On Shemini Atzeres, Klal Yisroel bring one ox as a Korbon; it is only for them. Moshol – A king tells his servants that they should prepare a large banquet for him, that will last for days. On the last day, the king tells the servant who he loves, that he should prepare for him a small meal, so that the food won’t be a distraction, so that the king can spend quality time with this servant. For the other nations of the world, there is a lot of food (Korbonos) for they are mere servants, and their main focus is on matters of Gashmiyos, thus they can focus on the food – as there is a lot of it. However, for the special servant, the one which the king loves, that one is not focused on the Gashmiyos, but on the Ruchniyos. The physical food is there to express that there is a connection between them, but the focus is each other, not the food – the food is secondary. On Shemini Atzeres, there is but one ox brought as a Korbon to be eaten. The focus is not the food, but Hakodosh Boruch Hu wants to focus on Klal Yisroel, and Klal Yisroel want to focus on Him. (בינה לעיתים )
A נחלה is an inheritance that is passed down from father to son, and a מורשה, is an inheritance that comes from elsewhere. The Torah is telling us that the Torah Hakdosha is a מורשה – it is an inheritance that is passed down from a father to his Talmid. (A Rebbe is considered to be the father of his Talmidim – and a father should also be a Rebbe to his child). (ילקוט ראוביני)
שישו ושמחו – 40 – Hakafos on Simchas Torah – The Minhag to have Hakafos on Simchas Torah is not mentioned in the Torah Shebiksav, nor in the Torah Shebal Peh. It comes from a Minhag from the Nevi’im, as they had the Minhag of taking out the Sifrei Torah and dancing with great gusto in circles. Hakafos are a great Inyan of Kedusha, so much so, that it was not to be written down. Unfortunately, nowadays, we don’t really know or understand the great Kedusha of the Hakafos, of taking the Sefer Torah around in circles, and dancing with it with great joy. However, we should not despair, for the Yismach Moshe says in Parshas Chukas, on the Posuk of Parah Adumah, that in the performance of all Mitzvos, there are Tikunim (fixing and creating spiritual matters) to be made, and it is done through having the proper Kavonos. Does that mean that one who does not know how to have the proper Kavonos, that the Mitzvah does not create any Tikunim? The answer is, that even if one does not have the Kavonos, he can still create Tikunim. From the great Chesed of Hakodosh Boruch Hu, He made it that if one person performs the Mitzvah properly, with all the Kavonos, it is as if that person created a ladder which goes all the way up to Shomayim, and then every person after him who performs that Mitzvah, can go up that ladder – he creates Tikunim, even though he does not know how to do it. Moshe Rabbeinu brought the first Parah Adumah, and he knew all the Kavonos. Every successive Parah Adumah that was brought, had the Kavonos from Moshe Rabbeinu, although they themselves didn’t really understand it. “ויקחו אליך” – Moshe Rabbeinu is told, “Take with you” – that he would take with him all the future Parah Adumahs that were brought. That was why all of them brought were said to be that Moshe Rabbeinu brought them, for he created that ladder, that everyone after him used it to get the Mitzvah to its proper place. The same is true with the Avodah of the Hakafos, whose sources are rooted in the Nevi’im; and the previous generations, specifically, the Tzaddikim, danced with great fiery passion. It is documented that the Rama would dance with the Torah Hakdosha for hours on end with great intensity. They say about the Maharsha that he would dance with the Sefer Torah until he literally did not have an ounce of strength to continue. It was the Nevi’im and all the Tzaddikim from the previous generation who built a beautiful ladder for us to be able to do Hakafos on Simchas Torah and it to create many Tikunim. Our Avodah on this holy day is to connect to the Nevi’im and the Tzaddikim of yesteryear as best as we can, and for us to have as many proper Kavonos as we can. As long as we connect to the previous generations, then our Avodah is a very holy one. (ברך משה)
Simchas Torah 4 – הנהנה מסעודת חתן ואינו משמחו – בשמחת תורה – It says in Meseches Brochos 6b that one who has benefit from a Seudah of a Chosson, and he does not make the Chosson happy, he transgresses five Kolos, and if he does make the Chosson happy, then it is as if he was Mekabel the Torah, which was given with five Kolos (קול ששון וקול שמחה... ). This Gemara needs explanation, for why is it as if one is Mekabel the Torah if he makes the Chosson happy? Rather, the Gemara is speaking about Simchas Torah, and Hakodosh Boruch Hu is called the, “Chosson” and the Torah is called the, “Kallah”, as Shlomo Hamelech says in Shir Hashirim. On Simchas Torah, the Zivug of Hakodosh Boruch Hu and the Torah, Kevayachol, is completed. We are joyous in Hakodosh Boruch Hu’s joy, and Hakodosh Boruch Hu commanded us to eat and drink and be merry on this special day, as the Posuk says, “והיית אך שמח ”. The Gemara in Pesachim 71a says that this Posuk comes to include the last day of Yom Tov – Shemini Atzeres/ Simchas Torah. One must have complete joy on this day, without any sadness. One who eats and drinks with joy of the Torah, he is called having benefit from the Seudah of the Chosson – from Hakodosh Boruch Hu, as everything is His. Thus, one who makes the Chosson happy on this day, one who is joyous in the Torah Hakdosha – with Hakodosh Boruch Hu, the Chosson, then it is like he is Mekabel the Torah anew at that time. One who Chas V’sholom does not make the Chosson happy, he transgresses the five Kolos. (קהלת יעקב)
Now we can understand the great significance of the Hakafos we do on Simchas Torah. The difference between a נחלה and a מורשה is very consequential. A נחלה goes from father to son, while a מורשה goes from father to Talmidim. (A Rebbe is considered to be the father of his Talmidim – and a father should also be a Rebbe to his child). The Torah tells us that the Torah Hakdosha is a מורשה, meaning that it does not automatically go from father to son; it must be that the son is a “Talmid”. One must transmit the Torah to the next generation and then it is passed down. The Hakafos have exalted meanings and powers, way beyond our understanding. It is so holy, that it is not even written anywhere. How can we, as simpletons, tap into this great power? We must connect ourselves to the previous Tzaddikim, to the Tzaddikim of yesteryear. The link of Mesorah, the Torah that is passed down from generation to generation. The greats of the previous generations blazed a path for us, and all we need to do is follow in their footsteps, and we can tap into the great power they brought into this world, to create Tikunim in the worlds above. This Yom Tov we must truly connect ourselves to the Torah Hakdosha, and thereby connect to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. We need to be ready to be Moser Nefesh for the Torah Hakdosha, and then we will truly be connected to it and Hakodosh Boruch Hu. May we be Zoche to dance a truly exalted dance with the Torah Hakdosha, and become one with it.
