A Quiet Boisterousness

BS"D

Ever wonder why we celebrate simchas torah after sukkos ?

In chu"l there are two days of yom tov – so it is common to separate, in our minds at least, the core meaning of shmini atzeres and simchas torah. This is of course, totally wrong.

The essence of shmini atzeres is the final few moments of this incredible sukkos festival – comparable to a simcha where only those who are really close to the baalei simcha stay until the very end. Hashem tells us – that we all made this incredible big show over the entire chag – we brought seventy oxen as part of the mussaf offerings, representing the seventy nations of the world. Now He wants us, just us, to hang around for another day (or two).

The heart of simchas torah is seemingly totally different. Instead of the quiet intimacy with Hashem - we participate in a loud, almost raucous, celebration that practically outstrips the decibel levels of the simchas beis hashoeva of sukkos. It is almost forgivable to think this day separate from the shmini atzeres that came before it.

Almost.

The last words of the Torah are "לעיני כל ישראל" "…before all the people of Israel" – Rashi teaches us that Hashem is praising Moshe for breaking the tablets during the episode with the golden calf. That's it ?! That's the big finale ?!

The torah is teaching us an incredibly valuable lesson – Moshe Rabbeinu was willing to throw away forty nine days of preparation – willing to forgo certain attributes of the first tablets that were forever lost (Chazal state that if we had kept the first luchos we would never have forgotten any words of torah that we learnt) all because we were no longer pristine. And why ? Because without cleanliness and purity we would just muddy up everything we touched – including G-d's perfect torah. Our only chance to acquire torah and fuse it into a part of ourselves lies in becoming as pure as possible so as not to contaminate Hashem's flawless words.

Now we can comprehend why shmini atzeres and simchas torah are one and the same – after 51 intense days since rosh chodesh elul, after ten days of "סור מרע" and seven days of being surrounded in the most pervasive "עשה טוב" possible – we are as purified as we get the whole year! This is precisely why Hashem wants us to 'hang around' for another intimate day with Him. And nothing exemplifies this intimacy more than Hashem's own treasure trove of wisdom. And there is no more natural reaction to receiving G-d's word anew than extreme, bursting-at-the-seams, jubilation.

This year let us merit becoming as one with the torah and it's Giver – and let this oneness generate unparalleled simcha that will carry us through the entire year!

Hatzlacha !