All reserve disappears in the exuberant dancing of Simchat Torah. Every Jew feels a natural desire to take a Torah scroll in his arms and celebrate. Hidden resources of joy, energies which we did not know we possessed, surface at this time. The source for this happiness, the center of attention, is of course the Torah. Yet, throughout the entire Hakkafot celebrations, the Torah is never opened; we dance holding it wrapped in its mantle. Furthermore, on Simchat Torah people do not usually add to their usual schedule of Torah study; if anything, the opposite is true. Though the Torah is usually associated with disciplined study, on Simchat Torah we approach it differently, singing and dancing in a manner that bears no apparent relationship to understanding. The reason for these innovations on Simchat Torah is that intellect is not the only means through which a person can connect with the Torah. One dimension of the Torah can be defined and grasped by our minds; another dimension is infinite, beyond all human comprehension. The infinite aspect of the Torah represents its essence, for “G‑d and His Torah are one.” Just as G‑d is infinite, transcending all bounds and limitations, so too is the Torah, extending beyond the confines of human understanding. Accordingly, for man to relate to Torah, his commitment must mirror this infinity. Thus, when our ancestors received the Torah at Mt. Sinai they declared, Naaseh Venishma (“We will do and we will listen”), thereby making a superrational commitment to follow G‑d’s will, a commitment that was not conditional upon their understanding. By first stating Naaseh (“We will do”), they demonstrated a willingness to follow G‑d’s commands without reservation. The intellectual dimension of the Torah is crucial, but does not define its essence. So that man could relate to G‑dliness, the Torah was brought down from its infinite heights and invested in rational concepts, laws and principles that can be studied, understood and incorporated into our behavior. These, however, represent merely the external dimensions of Torah and not its inner core. Garbing the Torah in intellectual categories is a process of outreach by G‑d to man. On Simchat Torah man reaches out to G‑d and attempts to connect with the aspect of Torah that is one with Him. This requires stepping beyond the restrictions of one’s own rational mindset. And this is what takes place when a Jew dances with a Torah scroll on Simchat Torah. All Jews, learned and unsophisticated alike, share equally in the Simchat Torah celebrations, because these celebrations tap a point in the soul which, by nature of its infinity, defies the entire concept of rank and gradation. At this level of soul, no difference exists between one Jew and another. The basic commonality that links us makes us join hands and dance, oblivious to the personal differences that might create barriers between individuals.
From the teachings of the Rebbe; adapted from Timeless Patterns in Time, Sichos in English
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