SHEMINI ATZERES AND SIMCHAS TORAH

The chagim of Tishei culminate with Shemini Atseres. Chazal enacted that we also celebrate Simchas Torah on this day by completing the annual cycle of reading the Torah. The commentaries ask why Chazal chose to coincide the completion of the Torah with Shemini Atseres in particular, as opposed to the other chagim. In order to explain this, it is first necessary to understand the essence of Shemini Atseres.

Chazal bring an analogy to explain the difference between Sukkos and Shemini Atseres. They compare Sukkos to a large feast, in which all the King's servants are invited. After the feast ends, the King invites his closest friend to join him for a small meal one last time. Similarly, on Sukkos we offer up 70 paros to Hashem on behalf of the 70 nations, whereas on Shemini Atseres we only bring one, on behalf of the Jewish nation to demonstrate our unique relationship with Hashem.. In giving these instructions, Hashem tells the Jewish people, "it is difficult for Me that you are separating from me, stay one more day." Shemini Atseres is that extra day dedicated purely to the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people. Rav Chaim Friedlander zt"l asks a very strong question on this Chazal: The reason that Hashem makes this extra day of Shemini Atseres is because it is difficult for Him to separate from the Jewish people. How does this allay the pain of separation, all it achieves is to prolong the festivities for one more day, and then the separation will take place. Indeed this the extra day will likely make the ultimate parting even more painful.

In order to explain this, the Sifsei Chaim outlines the difference between Sukkos and Shemini Atseres. He brings the Sefer HaChinuch who tells us that Sukkos is a time of natural joy because it is when we gather in the produce and bring it into our homes. Hashem wants us to direct that joy to spirituality by providing us with numerous mitzvos, such as holding the arba minim (four species), and dwelling in a Sukkah. By engaging in physical actions dedicated to Hashem, we are supposed to direct our natural physical joy to connection to Him. However, on Shemini Atseres there is no mitzvo of arba minim or sukkah, because there is no need for all these 'tools' for bringing us close to Hashem, the connection is intrinsic. After the holy days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and then the 7 days of Sukkos, a person is supposed to have brought himself so close to Hashem that there is no necessity for external tools in developing that connection. Accordingly, there is no need for extra mitzvos on Shemini Atseres. This helps understand how the extra day of Shemini Atseres allays the pain of Hashem's separation from the Jewish people. The Sifsei Chaim explains that the extra day without any external tools teaches us that there is in fact no separation at all. By spending that extra day alone with the Jewish people, Hashem shows us that we don't need the mitzvos of arba minim and sukkah on a permanent basis in order to have a relationship with Him, He is constantly involved in our lives and desires that we come close to Him.

There is one 'tool' that we do need to maintain that connection with Him - that of the Torah. Without the Torah it is impossible to build a relationship with Hashem. This is because the Torah is Hashem's means of communicating with us. Without the Torah, one can have no understanding of what Hashem wants from us, or how He views the world. We can now understand why Chazal saw fit to celebrate the completion of the Torah on Shemini Atseres. Shemini Atseres is the day that teaches us that there is never any separation from Hashem. We can permanently be connected to Him, but only through the means of the Torah. Accordingly, we express our joy at the Torah on this day, to remind us that by continuing to study it, we can maintain our closeness to Him through the long winter days.

We now understand the relevance of Torah to Shemini Atseres. However, one may ask why there is such an emphasis on expressing our joy through dancing with the Torah. Would it not make more sense to spend the entire day engrossed in the actual study of Torah? It seems that the emphasis on expressing our joy at the Torah teaches us a fundamental lesson about our relationship to Torah. It is of course, essential that a person learn Torah as much as possible, however it is also essential that he develop a sense of joy through his learning Torah. There would seem to be a lacking for a person who spends all his time learning Torah and never appreciating the actual Torah that he is learning. There are a number of reasons for this: One is that if a person doesn't truly enjoy his learning as a spiritually uplifting experience, then there is always the risk that other, more temporal pleasures may draw him away from his learning. It is well-known that young men who truly love learning Torah, are far less likely to be lured by the temptations of the secular world. A second reason for the importance of feeling joy at learning Torah is that a person's learning will be far more effective when he enjoys it.

A third, key reason for feeling the joy of learning Torah is demonstrated by the following story involving two Gedolim, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky zt"l and Rav Elazar Shach zt"l. Rav Shach tragically lost his eldest daughter to illness when she was only 14 year of age. Soon after her death, Rav Shach went to visit Rav Chaim Ozer. Rav Chaim Ozer quoted to him a passuk from Tehillim, "Were your Torah not my delight, I would have perished in my affliction." Rav Chaim Ozer then told Rav Shach, "without Torah, there would be no meaning to my life." From that time on, Rav Chaim Ozer would repeat that verse every time he saw Rav Shach.

Many years later, Rav Shach offered an explanation of what Rav Chaim Ozer had said: He gave an analogy of two prisoners both sitting in jail in a state of utter humiliation, their heads shaved, wearing prison uniforms. However, despite their identical appearance, their is a difference between them. One smiles and says a friendly word to someone now and then, whereas the other is always grim and silent. The difference between the two prisoners is that one knows that his present situation is temporary, soon he'll be released and allowed to go home. The other has been sentenced to life imprisonment and so there is nothing for him to look forward to. In a similar way, two people can endure tragic situations and react in very different ways. One who has no Torah has nothing to hold on to, nothing to comfort him. Accordingly, he may well be unable to recover from such a blow. Rav Shach pointed out that this was, in fact the case with many people who were not connected to Torah and suffered tragedies. In contrast, one who has love of Torah, can cling to the realization that he can continue to learn and grow closer to Hashem through the Torah. This attachment to Torah, Rav Chaim Ozer was telling Rav Shach, can keep a person sane whilst enduring terrible pain. Thus, the joy of learning Torah enables a person has the vital benefit that it enables a person to withstand great suffering.

We have seen how Shemini Atseres is a day of great connection to Hashem, and that the Torah is the means to achieving this connection. It is essential that we bring this lesson with us into the long winter. One possible way of developing one's love of Torah is discovering which areas of Torah and styles of learning most appeal to him. Three Gedolim were once asked what was the correct way of learning. They all answered that there is no single 'correct' way', rather a person must find what his heart desires and learn in that way. This is because a person will not be able to thrive if he derives no enjoyment from his style of learning. It is instructive, with the advice of one's Rav, to find areas of Torah that he relates to.

Simchas Torah is a time of great joy at the gift of Torah. May we take this joy and apply it throughout the year.

CHAYECHA KODMIM - SHEMINI

Among the list of non-kosher birds in Parshas Shemini is the interestingly named ‘Chasida’. Rashi quotes the Gemara in Chullin that explains that this bird is renowned for its trait of chesed because it shares it’s food with its friends.[1] The Rizhiner Rebbe zt”l asks that if this bird is endowed with such a favorable mida, why is it considered non-kosher[2]? He answers that the Chasida only does chesed with its own kind, but does not display any kindness to other species of birds. This form of chesed is not compatible with the Torah outlook, indeed it is a ‘treif’ form of chesed, consequently, it is listed among the non-kosher birds.

The implication of the Rizhiner Rebbe’s answer is that the ‘kosher’ form of chesed is to bestow kindness equally to all people, not just those closest to us. However, this does not seem to actually be the case: The Gemara discusses a case in which two people find themselves stranded in a desert and one of them has a bottle of water that can provide enough water for one of them to survive until they reach civilization. The Tannaim argue as to the correct hanhago in this case; Ben Peturah says that the one in possession of the bottle should share it with his friend even though it is very likely that as a result both men will die. Rebbe Akiva argues, introducing the concept of Chayecha Kodmim, which teaches that a person should look after his own needs before those of his friend. Consequently, the man in possession of the bottle should keep it for himself and thereby assure himself of his own survival despite the sad results this behavior will have for his friend[3]. The halacho follows Rebbe Akiva and applies to many aspects of our lives. The halacho states that that a person must provide for his own needs before those of others. Moreover, there is a list of priorities in the laws of charity, whereby a person must provide for those closer to him before others[4]. The Chofetz Chaim zt”l writes that these priorities do not just apply to charity, but to all forms of chesed[5]. It could seem that this concept of chayecha kodmim does not seem so different from the actions of the chasida; both seem to embody the attitude that it is acceptable to give to one’s own kind[6] at the expense of others.

In truth, there are two crucial differences between Chayecha Kodmim and the chasida. Firstly, the chasida only does chesed with its own kind, to the total exclusion of all other creatures. In contrast, chayecha kodmim does not preclude giving to all kinds of people, rather it simply makes a list of priorities but does not exempt us from the obligation of helping those less close to us[7]. Moreover there is a very significant factor that limit’s the effect of chayecha kodmim. The poskim write that it applies in a situation where two people have identical needs, for example they both need bread to eat. In such a case, chayecha kodmim instructs us to give to the person closer to us. However, if their needs are not the same, and the more distant person is more needy then we are obligated to provide for him first because he is more lacking For example, if the closer person has bread but lacks meat, and the other does not even have bread, then we are obligated to provide him with bread ahead of giving meat to the person closer to us[8].

There is a second, even more crucial difference between the chesed of the chasida and the Torah outlook of chesed. That is the attitude behind giving priority to those closer to us. The root of the chasida’s limited chesed is the fact that it only cares about its own kind but has no concern for other species. The chasida is essentially a selfish bird whose sense of self extends to its own species but stops there. In stark contrast, we are obligated to care equally about all other Jews. Given this fact, what is the reasoning behind chayecha kodmim? The answer is that chayecha kodmim is based on a sense of responsibility, not selfishness; the reason that we must give to ourselves and family before others is that we have more responsibility for their well-being. Thus, a person is required to provide for the financial needs of his family before other families because he is the person most responsible for their well-being. The implication of this is that chayecha kodmim is not a privilege whereby I am allowed to look after myself before others because I am more important than them. Rather, it is an obligation - I am duty-bound to look after myself before others and neglecting this duty is no different from failing to observe any Torah requirement.

We have seen that the chesed of the chasida is treif according to Torah because it is based on selfishness. In contrast, chayecha kodmim is based on a sense of responsibility for those closest to us. It does not in any way take away from the need to care about every Jew, and it does not preclude doing chesed for all Jews, rather it teaches us a list of priorities. It is no easy task to decide how much time and effort should be allotted towards the various groups of people in one’s life, ranging from ones wife and kids. To his other family, friends, community members and strangers. Moreover, each person has a different level of responsibility in each area based on his own personal circumstances.

Whilst there is no single ‘correct’ hanhago in this area, in a general sense it seems that one must be careful to strike a right balance - on the one hand providing enough , financial physical and emotional support to his immediate family whilst also fulfilling his obligations to the wider community. Over-emphasizing one area can have dire consequences in another. The story is told of a ten year old boy from an observant home who had already strayed from the Torah derech and was involved in highly undesirable activities. A certain organization that specializes in such cases decided that this boy needed to develop a close connection with a warm and caring family, something that he was obviously lacking. They made a thorough search and finally found a family renowned for their overflowing chesed to members of the community. To their absolute shock, they discovered that this dysfunctional child was a member of this family! This boy’s parents were so interested in helping others that they neglected the person whom they were most obligated to provide for. This is a challenging nisayon for anyone who wants to help the community at large. On the other hand, this does not mean that a person should completely neglect those outside his immediate family. Many people have shown that there need not be any contradiction between providing for one’s family and simultaneously helping others. Indeed doing chesed with others can be a tremendous tool in educating one’s own children in midos such as generosity and empathy. If the right balance can be struck then a person can fulfill all his various responsibilities to everyone.


[1] Rashi, Shemini, 11:19.
[2] Quoted in Artscroll Stone Chumash. The ultimate reason that certain animals are kosher and other are treif, is of course a Gezeiras Hakasuv and is beyond our intellectual reasoning. Nonetheless, like all mitzvos, there are taamim for the laws of kosher from which lessons can be derived. For example, carnivorous animals are generally non-kosher. In this vein, the Rizhiner Rebbe’s question is valid.
[3] Bava Metsia, 62a.
[4] See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah, Simun 251.
[5] Ahavas Chesed, 1st Chelek, Ch.6, Sif 14.
[6] Which in this context refers to family members.
[7] Heard from Rav Yitzchak Berkovits Shlita.
[8] Pischei Teshuva Yoreh Deah, simun 251, sk,4. Igros Moshe - Even Haezer, Chelek 4, Simun 26, Os 4 See also the Gemara in Nedarim,80b,81a with the commentaries of Ran, Rosh and Tosefos, where the extent of chayecha kodmim is subject to a machlokes among the tannaim.

ACQUIRING A FRIEND - SHEMINI

The Parsha begins with the joyful celebrations of the Inauguration of the Mishkan (tabernacle), however this joyous occasion becomes a time of mourning with the sudden deaths of Aaron’s two oldest sons, Nadav and Avihu. "The sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, each took his fire pan, they put fire in them and placed incense upon it; and they brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them. A fire came forth from before Hashem and consumed them, and they died before Hashem.[1]"

Chazal offer a number of explanations as to the exact wrongdoing of these two great men which caused them to receive such a strict punishment. The Toras Kohanim[2] writes: “...Nadav and Avihu did not seek advice from Moshe.. and each man went on his own accord and they did not seek advice from each other.” This Midrash teaches us that Nadav and Avihu did not actually go to offer the incense together, rather they each had the same idea and went alone to offer the incense in the Mishkan. They are criticized because they did not seek advice from their Rebbe, Moshe Rabbeinu, before undertaking this bold act, and also because they did not seek advice from each other. Rav Berel Soleveitchik zt”l asks that this Midrash is very difficult to understand; it is obvious why they should have consulted Moshe Rabbeinu because he would have surely advised them to not offer the incense, however why are they criticized for not consulting with each other? They both evidently believed in the correctness of their plan and so what benefit would have been gained from consulting each other - surely they would have merely confirmed that the plan was a good one?!

Rav Soleveitchik answers that we learn from here a fundamental principle in human nature; A person may want to commit a certain sin and yet he may simultaneously see the flaw in such an action when his friend is about to commit the very same sin. This is because each person is greatly influenced by his yetser hara which prevents him from making decisions with objectivity. Rather, the yetser hara clouds his reasoning and causes him to rationalize that it is acceptable to undertake certain forbidden actions. However, when this same person looks on his friend about to perform the very same sin he is able to take a far more objective attitude towards his friend’s actions. This is because with regard to others a person is not clouded by a desire for self-gratification and he can more accurately assess the validity of his friend’s plans. Accordingly, had Nadav consulted Avihu about his plan (or vice versa) then there would have been a good chance that Avihu would have seen the flaw in his brother’s reasoning despite the fact that he planned to do the very same act! That is why they are criticized for not consulting each other despite the fact that they both planned to do the same sin[3].

Rabbeinu Yonah brings out this principle from the teaching in Avos: “...Acquire for yourself a friend.[4]” He writes that one of the benefits of having a friend is that he can help you in observing Mitzvos. “Even when a friend is no more righteous than him and sometimes he even acts improperly, nonetheless he does not want a friend to do the same [action], because he has no benefit from it.[5]” He then brings as a proof to this idea the principle that “a person does not sin on behalf of someone else.” This means that a generally observant person usually sins because he is blinded by some kind of desire for pleasure, however with regard to someone else we presume that he is not blinded in the same way and therefore we do not suspect him of sinning on behalf of others. This idea is applied in a number of places throughout the Gemara[6]. Rabbeinu Yonah thus teaches us the importance of acquiring at least one friend who can act as an objective onlooker towards our own actions, and that this friend need not necessarily be on a higher level than ourselves.

We learn from these ideas a very important life lesson; a person should not rely on his own assessments of his actions - it is impossible to be purely objective when making decisions because of one’s natural subjectivity that causes him to rationalize the validity of doing certain aveiros. Rather, he must realize the necessity of finding a friend who will be prepared to offer advice and even rebuke when necessary when he sees that his friend is blinded by his desires. May we all merit to acquire true friends who can help us find the true path of Avodas Hashem.


[1] Shemini, 10:1-2.
[2] Toras Kohanim, 1:32; this is a Midrashic work written specifically on the book of Vayikra.
[3] Quoted by Tallelei Oros, Parshas Shemini, p.165-6.
[4] Avos, 1:6.
[5] Rabbeinu Yonah, Avos, 1:6.
[6] Bava Metsia, 5b, Kiddushin, 63b, Shevuos, 42b, Arachin, 23a.

THE BATTLE OF CHANUKAH - CHANUKAH

On Chanukah we celebrate the momentous defeat of the Hashmonaim over the mighty Greek army and the subsequent miracle of the shemen that lasted eight days. The war with the Yavanim (Greeks) was far more than a standard military confrontation between two nations striving to attain power. This was the first ideological war in the history of mankind; it was a clash of two outlooks who could not peacefully co-exist. Initially, the Yavanim had no desire to harm the Jewish people, rather they hoped to influence them through their ‘enlightened’ ideology of Hellenism to leave Torah observance for what they perceived to be a superior way of life. However, once the majority of Jews resisted their attempts they became hostile and attempted to coerce the Jews to abandon the Torah. After the Hashmonaim successfully resisted the Greeks and forced them out of the land, Chazal decided to set up a permanent commemoration of this event through the festival of Chanukah. Thus every year we are reminded of the Judaic-Hellenistic conflict that took place so long ago. Why is it so important to remember such a distant event? In truth, it seems that the ideological battle of Chanukah remains highly significant to every Jew. Understanding this conflict on a deeper level can help us derive vital lessons that are relevant to our lives today.

In order to understand the relationship between Yavan and Klal Yisroel it is instructive to examine the Torah’s account of the forefathers of these great nations. In Parshas Noach the Torah tells us about the incident in which Noach’s son, Ham uncovered his drunken father’s nakedness. In response to this, Ham’s brothers, Shem and Yapheth covered their father and protected his dignity. Rashi quotes the Medrash that tells us that Shem initiated this meritorious deed and that Yapheth then joined him. Both were rewarded for their righteous actions but Shem received a far greater reward. His descendants, Klal Yisroel, were given the Mtizva of Tsitsit whilst those of Yapheth will be accorded a respectful burial. Shem’s descendants are rewarded with a new Mitzva, which offers an opportunity to grow in ruchnius whereas the reward of Yapheth will only benefit their bodies without their soul. Why did Shem’s extra zerizus in this incident earn him such a qualitatively superior reward to that of Yapheth? The commentaries explain that Shem was not merely more eager than Yapheth in covering their father, rather his kavanna in doing so was on a whole different level from that of Yapheth. Shem saw the uncovering of Noach in a spiritual sense and recognized that it was a Mitzva to save his father from such indignity. Yapheth, in contrast, looked at this incident with a more common sense approach that Noach was being physically degraded, and acted on this recognition to cover his father. He had a natural sense of indignation at the ugly nature of an uncovered human body. It was Shem’s higher motivation that spurred him to greater zerizus than Yapeth’s more logical approach. Accordingly, Shem received a great spiritual reward whereas Yapheth was merely awarded a dignified burial which only benefits his dead body.

Immediately after this incident Noach makes a seminal statement regarding the role of the two brothers in history. “Elokim will give beauty to Yapheth and he will dwell in the tents of Shem.” The commentaries explain that this means that Yapheth will be blessed with yofi, which refers to the most superficial kind of beauty, that which is only skin deep. in order for that beauty to be utilized in the correct way it must be placed in the ‘tents of Shem’ which means that it should be used to enhance spirituality. This is demonstrated by the Mishna in Megilla which learns out a very interesting halacho from this passuk. The Mishna tells us that a Sefer Torah can only be written in two languages, Hebrew and Greek. This is derived from how the Torah says that the beauty of Yapheth must dwell in the tents of Shem - the Gemara saw from this passuk that placing the yofi of Yavan within the Torah of Shem can produce a beautiful combination.

Why were Shem and Yapheth given these blessings in particular? It seems that Yapheth’s earlier actions in conjunction with Shem to cover their father earned him this blessing; he applied his logical indignation at a the ugliness of a person being physically exposed to join with his more spiritually motivated brother and as a result performed a great deed in saving his father’s embarrassment. From here Hashem blessed him that he would achieve great heights if he continued to direct his appreciation for the beauty of a covered body and logic towards achieving spirituality in conjunction with of Shem.

However, the blessing only applies when Yapheth strives to deepen his natural logic and appreciation of beauty with the depth of Shem, but if he rejects that depth then the result will be very different. Physical beauty without spiritual depth quickly degenerates into a base physicality in which superficiality rules. This was indeed the case with the Yavanim - they emphasized the natural beauty of man to the extent that they practiced gross acts of indecency and immorality.

Rav Chaim Friedlander zt”l describes another way in which Yavan failed to utilize Noach’s blessing that he place his wisdom in the tents of Shem. He explains that their chachma remained very superficial in that it had no influence on the inner greatness of its practitioners. He brings a story involving the great Greek philosopher, Aristotle, in which he was caught committing an indecent act. His students asked him how he could perform an act that so blatantly contradicted his teachings. He answered, “at the time that I did what I did I was not Aristotle.” Rav Friedlander explains that Aristotle was saying that his teachings did not obligate him to apply them to his life. This is another example of how Yapheth without Shem constitutes a dangerously superficial way of life. In contrast the ‘Torah’ of Klal Yisroel obligates us to take a far deeper approach to wisdom and apply its external lessons to our penimius. A person who learns Torah and does not internalize it cannot be considered a true Torah scholar. The Maharal writes that these differences between Yavan and Yisroel led to the great antagonism between the two nations. Instead of appreciating the great depth that Torah had to offer them, the Yavanim reacted with great jealousy and made tremendous efforts to destroy this rival form of chachma.

Rav Zev Leff Shlita sees a fascinating allusion to Yavan’s failure to give depth to its physical beauty in the letters that make up it’s name. The yud, vav and final nun are all straight lines that have no thickness to them. This alludes to the superficiality that Yavan epitomizes.

We have seen that the battle of Chanukah was far more than a conflict between two warring nations. Rather it was a clash of two ideologies; the superficiality of Yavan against the spirituality of Yisroel. We were successful in that particular battle but it seems that the war continues to rage to this day. The Western world is greatly influenced by Greek thought, in particular the emphasis on physicality devoid of depth. One cannot walk in the street without being exposed to the Western obsession with base physicality.

This yetser hara of superficiality continues to pose a great threat to the spiritual integrity of Klal Yisroel. It is possible for a person to be completely Torah observant and yet be greatly influenced by superficial considerations in many aspects of his life. He may place greater importance to the clothing that people wear than the middos that they display. The type of yarmulke on one’s head or the length of one’s dress may merit a small amount of consideration, yet one must keep in perspective that it is the penimius of a person that is most important. A person can very easily wear the most ‘frum’ looking garb and as a result he will feel that he is succeeding in his Torah observance. Similarly, the size of a person’s home or beauty of his upholstery may take an oversized place in his hashkafos hachaim. In a similar vein, a person’s Avodas Hashem can be dominated by superficiality, for example, the way he appears to others when he davens being of more importance to what he is in his head. Furthermore, there is always the risk that the Torah that he learns can remain superficial, not influencing his internal middos.

Thus we see that the threat of Greek superficiality remains relevant to this very day. The story of Chanukah teaches us that we must remember that the Greek ideology of superficiality is a great threat to the integrity of Torah. May we all merit to achieve true depth in our Avodas Hashem.
　

SHEMINI ATZERES AND SIMCHAS TORAH

The chagim of Tishei culminate with Shemini Atseres. Chazal enacted that we also celebrate Simchas Torah on this day by completing the annual cycle of reading the Torah. The commentaries ask why Chazal chose to coincide the completion of the Torah with Shemini Atseres in particular, as opposed to the other chagim. In order to explain this, it is first necessary to understand the essence of Shemini Atseres.

Chazal bring an analogy to explain the difference between Sukkos and Shemini Atseres. They compare Sukkos to a large feast, in which all the King's servants are invited. After the feast ends, the King invites his closest friend to join him for a small meal one last time. Similarly, on Sukkos we offer up 70 paros to Hashem on behalf of the 70 nations, whereas on Shemini Atseres we only bring one, on behalf of the Jewish nation to demonstrate our unique relationship with Hashem.. In giving these instructions, Hashem tells the Jewish people, "it is difficult for Me that you are separating from me, stay one more day." Shemini Atseres is that extra day dedicated purely to the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people. Rav Chaim Friedlander zt"l asks a very strong question on this Chazal: The reason that Hashem makes this extra day of Shemini Atseres is because it is difficult for Him to separate from the Jewish people. How does this allay the pain of separation, all it achieves is to prolong the festivities for one more day, and then the separation will take place. Indeed this the extra day will likely make the ultimate parting even more painful.

In order to explain this, the Sifsei Chaim outlines the difference between Sukkos and Shemini Atseres. He brings the Sefer HaChinuch who tells us that Sukkos is a time of natural joy because it is when we gather in the produce and bring it into our homes. Hashem wants us to direct that joy to spirituality by providing us with numerous mitzvos, such as holding the arba minim (four species), and dwelling in a Sukkah. By engaging in physical actions dedicated to Hashem, we are supposed to direct our natural physical joy to connection to Him. However, on Shemini Atseres there is no mitzvo of arba minim or sukkah, because there is no need for all these 'tools' for bringing us close to Hashem, the connection is intrinsic. After the holy days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and then the 7 days of Sukkos, a person is supposed to have brought himself so close to Hashem that there is no necessity for external tools in developing that connection. Accordingly, there is no need for extra mitzvos on Shemini Atseres. This helps understand how the extra day of Shemini Atseres allays the pain of Hashem's separation from the Jewish people. The Sifsei Chaim explains that the extra day without any external tools teaches us that there is in fact no separation at all. By spending that extra day alone with the Jewish people, Hashem shows us that we don't need the mitzvos of arba minim and sukkah on a permanent basis in order to have a relationship with Him, He is constantly involved in our lives and desires that we come close to Him.

There is one 'tool' that we do need to maintain that connection with Him - that of the Torah. Without the Torah it is impossible to build a relationship with Hashem. This is because the Torah is Hashem's means of communicating with us. Without the Torah, one can have no understanding of what Hashem wants from us, or how He views the world. We can now understand why Chazal saw fit to celebrate the completion of the Torah on Shemini Atseres. Shemini Atseres is the day that teaches us that there is never any separation from Hashem. We can permanently be connected to Him, but only through the means of the Torah. Accordingly, we express our joy at the Torah on this day, to remind us that by continuing to study it, we can maintain our closeness to Him through the long winter days.

We now understand the relevance of Torah to Shemini Atseres. However, one may ask why there is such an emphasis on expressing our joy through dancing with the Torah. Would it not make more sense to spend the entire day engrossed in the actual study of Torah? It seems that the emphasis on expressing our joy at the Torah teaches us a fundamental lesson about our relationship to Torah. It is of course, essential that a person learn Torah as much as possible, however it is also essential that he develop a sense of joy through his learning Torah. There would seem to be a lacking for a person who spends all his time learning Torah and never appreciating the actual Torah that he is learning. There are a number of reasons for this: One is that if a person doesn't truly enjoy his learning as a spiritually uplifting experience, then there is always the risk that other, more temporal pleasures may draw him away from his learning. It is well-known that young men who truly love learning Torah, are far less likely to be lured by the temptations of the secular world. A second reason for the importance of feeling joy at learning Torah is that a person's learning will be far more effective when he enjoys it.

A third, key reason for feeling the joy of learning Torah is demonstrated by the following story involving two Gedolim, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky zt"l and Rav Elazar Shach zt"l. Rav Shach tragically lost his eldest daughter to illness when she was only 14 year of age. Soon after her death, Rav Shach went to visit Rav Chaim Ozer. Rav Chaim Ozer quoted to him a passuk from Tehillim, "Were your Torah not my delight, I would have perished in my affliction." Rav Chaim Ozer then told Rav Shach, "without Torah, there would be no meaning to my life." From that time on, Rav Chaim Ozer would repeat that verse every time he saw Rav Shach.

Many years later, Rav Shach offered an explanation of what Rav Chaim Ozer had said: He gave an analogy of two prisoners both sitting in jail in a state of utter humiliation, their heads shaved, wearing prison uniforms. However, despite their identical appearance, their is a difference between them. One smiles and says a friendly word to someone now and then, whereas the other is always grim and silent. The difference between the two prisoners is that one knows that his present situation is temporary, soon he'll be released and allowed to go home. The other has been sentenced to life imprisonment and so there is nothing for him to look forward to. In a similar way, two people can endure tragic situations and react in very different ways. One who has no Torah has nothing to hold on to, nothing to comfort him. Accordingly, he may well be unable to recover from such a blow. Rav Shach pointed out that this was, in fact the case with many people who were not connected to Torah and suffered tragedies. In contrast, one who has love of Torah, can cling to the realization that he can continue to learn and grow closer to Hashem through the Torah. This attachment to Torah, Rav Chaim Ozer was telling Rav Shach, can keep a person sane whilst enduring terrible pain. Thus, the joy of learning Torah enables a person has the vital benefit that it enables a person to withstand great suffering.

We have seen how Shemini Atseres is a day of great connection to Hashem, and that the Torah is the means to achieving this connection. It is essential that we bring this lesson with us into the long winter. One possible way of developing one's love of Torah is discovering which areas of Torah and styles of learning most appeal to him. Three Gedolim were once asked what was the correct way of learning. They all answered that there is no single 'correct' way', rather a person must find what his heart desires and learn in that way. This is because a person will not be able to thrive if he derives no enjoyment from his style of learning. It is instructive, with the advice of one's Rav, to find areas of Torah that he relates to.
Simchas Torah is a time of great joy at the gift of Torah. May we take this joy and apply it throughout the year.