Simchat Torah: What's inside Counts. Rabbi Tuvia Bolton, Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim, Kfar Chabad, Israel

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(Israeli time) 8:15 a.m. Chassidut.  9:00 am - Sicha of the Rebbe.

3pm – 4:30 Chumash, Mishna, Halacha.

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This Shabbat will be 'Simchat Torah'; The Joy of the Torah. 

The Jews have been reading the Torah chapter by chapter in public at least once every week for over 3,300 years (thereby making it impossible to change or lose it, G-d forbid, as some religions claim) So when we finish a cycle it is a good reason for rejoicing. 

Or is it? At first glance, what exactly is there to rejoice about? What is so happy about the Torah? It's only a really old book. Why is finishing a cycle of reading a reason to be happy?

Even more, the last words of the Torah (what we read on Simchat Torah) tell us how Moses broke the Tablets when the Jews made the Golden Calf! (See Rashi 34:12)

Why finish on such a negative note? And what could breaking the Tablets possibly have to do with Rejoicing with the Torah. 

To understand this, here is a story I heard. 

Some two hundred years ago lived in Poland a great Tzadik (totally righteous Jew) named Rabbi Dovid of Lelov. 

There are many stories told of his knowledge of both revealed and mystical Torah and the many miracles that he did. But this story is about his education as a child. 

When Rabbi Dovid was three years old his father set out to find him a teacher. The child was already showing signs of genius and he would need a teacher who was really talented. 

After months of searching he finally found a G-d fearing, very learned and experienced teacher with an impeccable reputation that met his standards. 

Reb Dovid's father was so impressed that he even paid him a month in advance. 

After the first week of learning he tested his son on the material he had been learning and asked him if there was anything he could say about the new teacher. 

"Yes," little Dovid replied "I saw that before he begins to pray the morning prayers, before we begin learning, he puts on his Tallis and Tefillin (prayer shawl and phylacteries) and weeps." 

Dovid's father decided to see for himself. Early the next morning he went to the synagogue where the teacher prayed and, sure enough, it was just as his son said. The man actually wept true tears of repentance for several moments before he began to pray. 

After the prayers Dovid's father approached the teacher, apologized for spying on him and asked if he would be willing to explain why was he weeping. 

The teacher replied, "To tell you the truth I don't know.

"It began years ago after I spent a few weeks in the home of Rabbi Yissacher Dov of Rodshetz. He hired me to do some teaching there in his town and got to know him fairly well. He was a genius! Knew the entire Torah and Talmud by heart! Anyway, after he paid me he gave me a blessing that I should do 'Tshuva' (always get closer to G-d) and since then, every day just after I put on Talis and Tefillin, just before I begin to pray I burst out weeping uncontrollably for a minute or two and don't understand why. It's really amazing isn't it!" 

Dovid's father was impressed. He had heard of Rabbi Yissacher Dov of Rodshetz and wanted to hear more. "Tell me" he asked the teacher. "You say you spent several weeks by Rabbi Yissacher Dov, can you tell me any other interesting things you saw there, maybe a miracle that you saw him do?" 

The teacher thought for a moment and said. 

"Once there was a woman that came to speak to him. While she was waiting, she was crying and sobbing and told everyone there, who were also waiting, her story. Her husband had abandoned her five years earlier leaving her with several children, no money, no source of income and no chance to remarry until she either got a bill of divorce from him or there was conclusive proof that he was not alive. But she had neither and had no idea how to find him.

"Finally she entered, the Rebbe heard what she had to say, waited for a few minutes, and then told his assistant to go out into the street and bring in the first person that passes by. 

The assistant did as he was told and a few minutes later returned with a Polish wood seller who passed by with his horse and wagon full of wood. He was the first one to pass by.

"The gentile asked in Polish, how much wood you want? To which the Rebbe replied to his assistant 'Tell him to give a divorce bill! (called 'get' in Hebrew)" 

"The Pole, not understanding what the Rebbe said, shrugged his shoulders and said again in Polish, 'You wants wood or no?!' To which the Rebbe again said to his assistant in Yiddish, 'Tell him to give a get!' 

"The gentile yelled, 'What is this? You waste my time! You buy wood or I leave!!' 

"The Rebbe again said to his assistant, 'Make him give the get!' 

"The assistant, a young, healthy fellow, knew what to do. The Rebbe never had made a mistake. He grabbed the woodseller by the shirt, lifted him from the ground and began shaking him until the woodseller yelled out in Yiddish, "Nu NU! Ich vill given der Get! Rachmanus! Shlug mir nisht!" (Okay, I'll give the 'get'! Have mercy! Don't beat me!" 

"The Rebbe asked the woman if she recognized him and when she realized it was her husband, he called in a scribe, several Chassidim as witnesses, a proper bill of divorce was written and she was free! 

"All this," concluded the teacher "I saw with my very eyes!" 

Little Dovid's father was very impressed but then he became serious, his eyes narrowed and he asked a telling question. "Tell me, after seeing such holiness and such a revealed miracle, why did you leave the Rebbe of Rodshetz and come here? Why didn't you become a Chassid (follower) of his?" 

The teacher smiled, shrugged his shoulders and answered matter-of-factly, "Become his Chassid just because he knows how to do tricks? Who says that he didn't do them with magic?" 

Dovid's father's mouth dropped open in amazement. "Tricks? Magic? You didn't feel the holiness of the Rebbe, you didn't see his love of mankind?"

He took his son by the hand and said decisively, "Dovid, let's find another teacher!" 

This answers our questions; Why do we read about Moses breaking the Tablets on Simchat Torah and why are we happy?

The Torah reveals who WE are. 

The Creator chose us to complete the creation. To remove confusion and reveal the true potential within everything. In other words, we are a nation that, unlike the teacher in our story, sees beyond miracles.

 Rather we are a nation that adds meaning, blessing and love to the world.

But the only way to do this is through the Torah and being connected to Tzadikim. 

Tzadikim are Jews who feel the G-dliness in the Torah and add blessing in every detail of the world, and without them, G-d seems very distant and the Torah empty and unappealing. 

That is why Moses broke the Tablets. 

When the Jews thought Moses was gone (Ex. 32:1) the miracles they experienced and the Torah they received at Sinai wasn't enough; they could even use the Torah to justify idolatry; serving the Golden Calf.

That is why the Torah praises Moses for breaking the Tablets. He did it in order to re-awaken the Jews to believe in him and the Tzadikim after him. 

And that is the reason why we rejoice! Because today we have great Tzadikim we can connect to!

Of course, like little Dovid's father in our story, we must believe in them and read the ideas they teach. Especially the ideas of Chassidut (ask in your local Chabad House for details). 

Then our joy will spread even to the non-Jews (Seven Noahide Commandments) through their connection to the greatest Tzadik ever to walk the face of the earth - the Moshiach. 

Moshiach will be a Jew who will reveal to the entire world, Jews first, their potential for good.  

It all depends on us to reveal him even one moment sooner. And not much is lacking. We are standing on the shoulders of thousands of years of Jewish joy despite all obstacles. Now it could be that even one more good deed, word or even thought can tilt the scales and bring Moshiach NOW!!  

Wishing all our readers a happy, blessed, meaningful joyous Simchat Torah with.... 

Moshiach NOW!

 Rabbi Tuvia Bolton

Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim

Kfar Chabad, Israel

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