Sing a Song

Simchas Torah Sing a Song As we approach the final days of Sukkos, our task is to not only to prepare for Shmini Atzeres and Simchas Torah in the abstract, as their own Yomim Tovim, but also in the context of the process that we began fifty-two days ago on Rosh Chodesh Elul. Just as the days of Elul and Slichos, the Yomim Noraim themselves, and Sukkos are part of our journey, these days must also be seen as such—they too can contribute to the growth that we ultimately hope to take from this period of time.

SImchas Torah itself, celebrated as its own Yom Tov here in Chutz L’Aretz, sometimes feels as if it belongs at a different time of year. Whereas the preceding Yomim Tovim are filled with Avodah of a more serious mien—even the days of Sukkos, which are of course Zman Simchoseinu, have a more weighty aspect of Na’anuim and Hoshanos—Simchas Torah is a day that, for the most part, is marked by joyous song. Indeed this is the Avodas Hayom as explained by the Rama in Hilchos Simchas Torah: to remove the Sifrei Torah from the Aron Kodesh while singing Shiros V’Sishbachos.

It is understood that this is all a celebration of the completion of the yearly cycle of Krias Hatorah, but the question remains: why? When we celebrate Matan Torah, on Shavuos, we do so with an increase in learning the Torah itself—there is virtually no outward celebration of the Torah and certainly not of the type that we experience on Simchas Torah. Yet we know that Chasidim and Anshei Ma’aseh exerted themselves to great lengths during the Hakafos on Simchas Torah—it is said that the Gr”a himself sang and danced with much fervor on this one day. It would therefore seem that the Shiros V’Sishbachos are not just a nice Minhag, but indeed a form of Avodah and we must understand why we celebrate the completion of the Torah, at this point in the calendar, in specifically this manner.

We may be able to understand this essence of Simchas Torah based on a Passuk we read not that long ago, in Parshas Vayelech: "V’Ata Kisvu Lachem Es HaShira HaZos V’Lamda Es Bnei Yisroel” Hashem tells Moshe to write down “this Shira” and teach it to Bnei Yisroel. Rashi there explains the Pashut Pshat in the Passuk—that the “Shira” of which Hashem speaks is Shiras Ha’azinu which follows soon after. Because the previous Pessukim speak about the times that Klal Yisroel would experience Hester Panim, and the ideas contained in Shiras Ha’aziznu are meant to help us face those terrifying moments, Hashem instructed Moshe to write down the Shira for future generations. We may, however, be able to understand this Passuk in a different way.

The last Mitzvah counted by the Chinuch is “Ksivas Sefer Torah”, the Mitzvas Asei to be involved in the writing of Sifrei Torah. The source of this Mitzvah is this very Passuk: “V’Ata Kisvu Lachem Es HaShira HaZos”. Based on this, it would seem that the Shira referred to in the Passuk is not just Hazinu, but the Torah itself—a conclusion drawn by the Netziv and others. This understanding, however, leads to yet another question. If the Mitzvah is to write the entirety of the Torah, and not just Shiras Ha’azinu, why does the Passuk speak of “HaShira HaZos”? There are other terms, such as Devarim, which could have been used—why is the Torah itself referred to as Shira?

In order to answer this question, and the words of the Passuk, we must really understand what Shira is.

Really, the concept of Shira is prevalent in Yiddishkeit. Besides the instances of Shira that appear in the Torah—Shiras HaYam, Shiras Chana and Shiras Devorah, and others—there are other types of Shira. We know, for example, that Malachim are said to sing Shira to Hashem. In addition, there is something called Perek Shira which discusses the Shirah said by the various creations in the world, from the Heavens themselves to the lowliest of animals.

An examination of these various types of Shira reveals a common thread. Just as each Malach has his own Shira to say, the Shiros cited in Perek Shira are specific to each being—no two animals or birds sing Shira. It would appear, then, that the hallmark of Shira is individuality.

This idea is highlighted in Divrei Chazal as well. The Medrash in Parshas Behaloscha famously tells us that the instruments used for the Shir in the Bais Hamikdash had seven strings, but in the times of Moshiach, an eighth string will be added and L’Osid Lavo a tenth. The Sfas Emes explains that this is because Shira is tied to Zman—each Zman has a different Shira, and so the Shira of the Bayis Rishon is not the same as that of Yemos HaMoshiach.

A similar idea, on a different scale, is seen in the Shir Shel Yom. Each day of the week is connected to a different Shira, which was sung in the Bais HaMikdash and we say in Davening each day. This too, says the Sfas Emes, highlights the connection between Shira and Zman—no two days are alike in their Shira just as the different eras have different levels of Shira. This concept highlights the nature of Shira: no two Shiros are alike, each one is tailored specifically to the one who is singing it at the time that they are.

Indeed the sign of a great musician is not the ability to play the notes in the same manner as they have been before, but to put is own mark on those same notes, making an old tune sound fresh and new. Shira is not said in the same way by any two people at any two times—it is always new and relevant to the one who is singing.

This is true of the Torah as well.

Without question, the Torah itself is unchanging, and each of us is required to keep the same Taryag Mitzvos. At the same time each of us has the opportunity to make our own Kinyan on the Torah. The Passuk in Tehillim says: “Ki Im B’Torah Hashem Cheftzo, U’Visoraso Yehgeh Yomam V’Layla” Thus, there is a Toras Hashem, which must be our ultimate desire, but we can each have a “Toraso”, our own Torah, through our Yegiah B’Torah. Chazal tell us that a person should learn “Mah Shelibo Chofetz”—we can each choose the way in which we learn the Torah so that it appeals to our gifts and interests, as long as it is in the category of “Toras Hashem”.

It seems that this is reflected in the way the Gemarah in Sanhedrin explains the Halacha of Ksivas Sefer Torah: “Af Al Pi Shehinicho Lo Avosav L’Adam Sefer Torah Mitzvah Lichtov Mishelo: even if a person’s father has left him a Sefer Torah, he should write his own.” This is the Mitzvah that is learned from the Passuk of “V’Ata Kisvu Lachem Es HaShira HaZos,” but the Gemarah seems to choose an interesting definition. The Mitzvah is not to own a Sefer Torah, but to write one—why would we assume that if one inherits a Sefer Torah he does not have to do this Mitzvah?

Perhaps Chazal are sending us precisely this message: one should not be complacent with the Torah he has gotten from his forefathers—Torah is a Shira and we must make it “our own.”

This is the aspect of Torah that we celebrate on Simchas Torah. Though we are not capable of pure Shira, we can do our part by celebrating the Simchas HaTorah with with Shiros V’Sishbachos, as the Rema writes. On Simchas Torah every adult male tries to hold the Sefer Torah and have an Aliyah—signifying that the Torah is his personally, and that he can write his own Shira.

This idea is seen in the Tefilos HaYom as well. There is a Piyut, called Sisu V’Simchu that many say prior to putting the Sefer Torah way for the last time on Simchas Torah morning before Mussaf. The majority of the Teffilah is in the plural form, and speaks of Klal Yisroel’s joy and honor in having the Torah. The final stanza, though, is in the first-person singular, beginning with the words “Agel V’Esmach”. At the end of the day, right as the Avodas HaYom is complete, we speak of our own personal relationship with the Torah—out ability to access the Shirah of the Torah, singing it our own tune.

Perhaps we celebrate this aspect of the Torah at the end of the Yomim Noraim because it is at this time, after the we have complete the Avodah of these days that we are ready to take this challenge upon ourselves. After experiencing the awe of the Yimei HaDin, and the Avodas Ahava of Sukkos and Shmini Atzres, we know that we are capable of making the Torah ours, singing a beautiful Shira that will enable us to take these amazing days with us into the coming months.