23 Oct How to Dance With the Torah on Simchas Torah

There is a custom before Kol Nidre to walk around the shul with the sifrei Torah after saying the posuk “Ohr zerua latzdik.” Of course, everyone kisses the sefer Torah. There is also a minhag to also ask the sefer Torah for mechila, forgiveness, for not giving It enough respect. This of course includes neglecting the Torah by not spending enough time learning Torah. With this in mind, when we come to Simchas Torah, and get a hakafah and are about to do the regulatory circuit and dance with It, we should reflect on how the sefer Torah feels while we are hugging It. Does It look at us in a bemused sort of way, as if to say “Who are you? I don’t recognize you. I haven’t seen you much this year.” Does this mean if we were derelict in our Torah study that we should decline the hakafah and not dance with the Torah in merriment? Of course not. What it does mean however is that when we hold on to the Torah, it should be with a renewed commitment to spend more time with It during the coming year.

Rav Pam, zt”l, zy”a, used to say that when people drop a sefer, they are accustomed to kiss it. He said it’s even more effective to open up the sefer and learn something from it. In the same vein, when dancing and chanting, “Toras Hashem temima, meshivas nofesh – The Torah of Hashem is perfect, rejuvenating our soul,” we shouldn’t just simply sing with gusto and dance with the latest step. Rather, we should be thinking how we can upgrade our Torah output for the coming year.

A great idea is to make a commitment to be marbeh sedra, to review the weekly portion twice with the targum once. This is indeed something to be exhilarated about for the Gemora teaches us that as a reward for doing so we will have prolonged life and more quality days. Another idea to consider as we do the latest trot with the Torah is to think about perhaps starting the Daf Yomi with the rest of the world this coming January 3rd. As my good friend Dr. Purow said, we all should ask ourselves, “How many good seven and a half years do I have left?” Starting a course which has as its goal the completion of the entire Shas is something that should fill us with heady excitement on Simchas Torah. The idea that we are uniting with the rest of the world on the path of Torah learning – recommended by such greats as Rav Meir Shapiro, the Tchorkover Rebbe, Rav Chaim Ozer and the Chofetz Chaim – is something that is the real spirit of Simchas Torah.

Another idea while we frolic with the crowd is to accept upon ourselves the learning of mussar, an ethical work such as Mesilas Yesharim, Chovos HaLevovos, Orchos Tzadikim, or more contemporary works such as the seforim of Rav Avigdor Miller, zt”l, zy”a. We are told that if a person only has a half an hour to study every day, he should choose to learn mussar. Then he’ll discover that he really has more time to learn! The study of mussar is also a wonderful pursuit to do together with a spouse. I personally witnessed Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, zy”a, studying mussar with his Rebbetzin.

In the merit of our renewed commitment to learning, may Hashem bless us with long life, good health and everything wonderful.