Internalizing the joy of Sukkos through Simchas Torah

בענין שמיני עצרת תהי' לכם.

Concerning the matter of "Shemini Atzeres — it shall be for you" (Bamidbar 29:35).

The Sefas Emes takes up the verse describing Shemini Atzeres, focusing on the words "it shall be for you."

ובנ"י נהגו לעשות שמחת תורה כדאיתא בזוה"ק ברע"מ פרשת פינחס.

And Bnei Yisrael adopted the custom of celebrating Simchas Torah, as is taught in the Zohar HaKadosh, in the Ra'aya Mehemna, Parshas Pinchas.

The custom of rejoicing with the Torah on this day has its roots in the Zohar's Ra'aya Mehemna, which connects the day to joy in Torah.

כי בחג הסוכות הקב"ה מראה לבנ"י חיבה ואהבה יתירה וצריכין בנ"י עי"ז להתקרב אליו.

For on Chag HaSukkos, Hashem shows Bnei Yisrael extra affection and love, and through this Bnei Yisrael must draw close to Him.

Sukkos is a time when Hashem displays special chibah (endearment) toward Bnei Yisrael, and this outpouring of love is meant to awaken them to come closer to Him in return.

כמ"ש במ"א ביאור הפסוק כי ידבר שלום אל כו' חסידיו כו' ולא ישיבו לכסלה.

As is explained elsewhere on the verse, "For He speaks peace to His people and to His devoted ones… but let them not turn back to folly" (Tehillim 85:9).

He references his explanation elsewhere of this verse: Hashem extends peace and closeness to His chassidim, with the caution that they not waste it by returning to foolishness — they must respond to the love rather than squander it.

על פי המשנה הוי מתלמידיו של אהרן אוהב שלום ורודף כו' אוהב את הבריות ומקרבן לתורה והוא מדותיו של הקב"ה ע"ש בפ' נשא מ"ש בזה.

Based on the Mishnah, "Be among the disciples of Aharon — loving peace and pursuing peace, loving the creatures and drawing them near to the Torah" (Avos 1:12); and this is among the attributes of Hashem, as is explained at length in Parshas Naso regarding this.

Aharon's way — loving peace and drawing people close to Torah through love — reflects Hashem's own middos. Just as Aharon drew people near with affection, Hashem draws Bnei Yisrael near to Torah through the love He shows on Sukkos.

ובסוכות מתקיים הנהגה זו ובנ"י מתקרבין לתורה על ידי החיבה הנ"ל.

And on Sukkos this conduct is realized, and Bnei Yisrael are drawn near to the Torah through the aforementioned affection.

Sukkos enacts this very dynamic: Hashem's display of love (chibah) is what draws Bnei Yisrael close to the Torah, culminating in Simchas Torah.

והיית אך שמח כתבו חז"ל לרבות יו"ט האחרון.

"And you shall be only joyful" (Devarim 16:15) — Chazal expounded this to include the final Yom Tov.

Chazal derive from "you shall be only joyful" that the joy extends to the last day, Shemini Atzeres, which carries its own heightened simchah.

היינו שבנ"י יקבלו השמחה בעצמותן.

That is, that Bnei Yisrael should absorb the joy into their very essence.

The "only joy" of the final day means the joy is no longer external; Bnei Yisrael internalize it so that it becomes part of their very being.

וז"ש עצרת תהי' לכם דמקודם כתיב ושמחתם לפני ה' אלקיכם בד' מינים ובמצות הסוכה שהיא השמחה הבאה משמים.

And this is the meaning of "Atzeres — it shall be for you": for beforehand it is written, "And you shall rejoice before Hashem your God" (Vayikra 23:40), with the four species and with the mitzvah of the sukkah, which is the joy that comes from Heaven.

During Sukkos proper, the joy is "before Hashem" — channeled through external mitzvos (the four minim and the sukkah) and descending from Above. The added word "for you" on Shemini Atzeres signals that now the joy belongs to and is absorbed within Bnei Yisrael themselves.

וכ' הביאני אל בית היין כו'.

And it is written, "He brought me to the house of wine…" (Shir HaShirim 2:4).

He brings the verse of being led into the "house of wine" as an image of the intimate dwelling of love into which Hashem brings Bnei Yisrael.

יש לפרש על הסוכה שהיא הדירה שהקב"ה נותן לבנ"י ור"ת הביאני כו' אהבה והוא אהבה באתכסיא.

One may explain this as referring to the sukkah, which is the dwelling that Hashem gives to Bnei Yisrael; and the initials of "Hevi'ani el bais hayayin" spell ahavah (love) — and it is a hidden love (ahavah b'iskasya).

The "house of wine" alludes to the sukkah, the dwelling of love Hashem provides. The acronym of the verse's opening words spells ahavah, hinting that the sukkah holds a concealed, inward love (ahavah b'iskasya).

ודגלו עלי אהבה היא רמז לד' מינים שבלולב.

"And His banner over me is love" (Shir HaShirim 2:4) — this alludes to the four species of the lulav.

The continuation, "His banner (diglo) over me is love," points to the four minim taken with the lulav, which display this love outwardly.

ורמוזין לארבעה דגלים שהי' לבנ"י במדבר.

And they allude to the four banners (degalim) that Bnei Yisrael had in the wilderness.

The four species correspond to the four degalim under which the tribes camped in the midbar, an expression of their love and order around the Mishkan.

והסוכה רומז לענני הכבוד.

And the sukkah alludes to the Ananei HaKavod (the Clouds of Glory).

The sukkah recalls the protective Clouds of Glory that surrounded Bnei Yisrael in the wilderness, another sign of Hashem's enveloping love.

לכן כ' חז"ל ודגלו כמה פי' ודילגו ולגלגו ע"ש במד' פ' במדבר.

Therefore Chazal expounded "v'diglo" in several ways — "v'dilugo" (his leaping) and "v'gilgulo" (his rolling/transposing), see there in the Midrash, Parshas Bamidbar.

Because the word diglo (His banner of love) is rich with meaning, the Midrash reads it through wordplay — leaping, rolling, transposing letters — to draw out the many facets of Hashem's love expressed through the four minim and the degalim.

והוא ד' מינים שנמצאו בבנ"י טעם וריח כו' כמ"ש במד' אמור.

And this is the four species, in which are found "taste and fragrance," as taught in the Midrash, Parshas Emor.

The four minim, with their varying tastes and fragrances, represent the range of types within Bnei Yisrael — those with Torah ("taste") and good deeds ("fragrance") — all bound together, as the Midrash explains.

[ולכן כתיב אח"כ סמכוני באשישות דרשו חז"ל על ב' התורות שבכתב ושבע"פ אש דת כו'.

[Therefore it is written afterward, "Sustain me with cakes (ashishos)" (Shir HaShirim 2:5) — Chazal expounded this to refer to the two Torahs, the Written and the Oral, "a fiery law (aish das)…" (Devarim 33:2).

The next verse, "sustain me with ashishos," is read by Chazal as the "two fires" (ishos) — the Written and Oral Torah, the "fiery law." After the love of Sukkos, the soul is sustained by Torah itself.

שעתה חולת אהבה אני ואין שיור רק התורה]

For "now I am lovesick" (Shir HaShirim 2:5), and nothing remains but the Torah.]

Having been overwhelmed by Hashem's love on Sukkos, Bnei Yisrael are "lovesick," and the only thing that remains to express and sustain that love is the Torah — which is why the day culminates in Simchas Torah.

ומאהבת המקום מתקרבין בנ"י ומקבלין השמחה בעצמותם.

And out of the love of the Omnipresent, Bnei Yisrael draw near and absorb the joy into their very essence.

It is Hashem's love that draws Bnei Yisrael close and enables them to internalize the simchah, making it part of their very being on Shemini Atzeres.

לכן כ' והיית אך שמח הוא בשמחת התורה שמתעורר בלבות בנ"י כמ"ש וחיי עולם נטע בתוכנו:

Therefore it is written, "And you shall be only joyful" — this is the joy of the Torah that is awakened in the hearts of Bnei Yisrael, as we say, "and eternal life He planted within us."

The "only joy" is fulfilled through Simchas Torah, when love of Hashem awakens in the hearts of Bnei Yisrael as joy in the Torah — the "eternal life He planted within us" that we praise in the berachah over Torah.

Summary: On Shemini Atzeres the added word "for you" signals that the joy of Sukkos, which until now came externally through the four minim and the sukkah, is now absorbed into the very essence of Bnei Yisrael. Following Aharon's way, Hashem draws His people near through the extra love (chibah) shown on Sukkos — the hidden love of the sukkah and the open love of the lulav-banner — until they become "lovesick" and the only thing that remains to hold that love is the Torah itself, expressed in the heart-awakened joy of Simchas Torah.