Torah's power and Bnei Yisrael's kingship

בענין שמחת תורה בשמיני עצרת.

Concerning the matter of Simchas Torah on Shemini Atzeres.

The Sefas Emes turns to the joy of the Torah celebrated on Shemini Atzeres.

להראות כי הכל נעשה בכח התורה.

To show that everything is accomplished through the power of the Torah.

The purpose of Simchas Torah is to reveal that all of creation comes about through the koach (power) of the Torah.

דכ' מפי עוללים כו' יסדת עוז כו' להשבית אויב כו' מה אנוש כי תזכרנו כו'.

As it is written: "Out of the mouths of babes... You established strength... to silence the enemy... what is man that You remember him..." (Tehillim 8).

The Sefas Emes cites the chapter of Tehillim that moves from the praise of the lowly to the wonder that Hashem takes note of frail man at all.

דרשו חז"ל שהי' קטרוג בשמים על בריאות האדם.

Chazal expounded that there was an accusation in Heaven against the creation of man.

The angels prosecuted against man being created at all, asking "what is man that You should remember him."

וכמו כן בכל [שנה] שמתחדש הבריאה יש זה הקטרוג.

And likewise, every [year] when the creation is renewed, this same accusation arises.

Each year at the renewal of creation, the same heavenly challenge against man's worthiness returns.

וזה המשפט שצריכין לברר שכדאי התחתונים לזה.

And this is the judgment, in which it must be clarified that the lower beings are worthy of this.

The din of the Yamim Noraim is precisely the process of proving that man, the lower creature, is worthy of existence and of receiving Hashem's gifts.

מה אנוש כי תזכרנו כו' הוא ביום הזכרון.

"What is man that You remember him (tizkerenu)" — this is on the Day of Remembrance (Yom HaZikaron, Rosh Hashanah).

The word "remember" points to Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Remembrance, when Hashem "remembers" man in judgment.

ותחסרהו מעט מאלקים הוא ביוהכ"פ שנדמין למלאכים.

"And You made him only slightly less than the angels" — this is on Yom Kippur, when we resemble the malachim.

On Yom Kippur Bnei Yisrael rise nearly to the level of angels, fulfilling "slightly less than Elokim."

וכבוד והדר תעטרהו הוא בסוכות ענני הכבוד ופרי עץ הדר.

"With glory (kavod) and splendor (hadar) You crown him" — this is on Sukkos: the Ananei HaKavod (Clouds of Glory) and "the fruit of the beautiful tree" (pri eitz hadar).

The "kavod" and "hadar" of the pasuk are fulfilled on Sukkos through the Clouds of Glory and the esrog, the "fruit of splendor."

תמשילהו במעשי ידך הוא שמיני עצרת תהי' לכם.

"You give him dominion over the works of Your hands" — this is Shemini Atzeres: "it shall be for you."

The verse's crowning phrase, granting man rulership, corresponds to Shemini Atzeres, the day reserved "for you" — for Bnei Yisrael alone.

עצרת הוא לשון מלכות כמו זה יעצור בעמי.

"Atzeres" is a term of kingship, as in "this one shall rule (ya'atzor) over My people" (Shmuel I 9:17).

The word "atzeres" connotes dominion and rule, the same root used for a king governing his people.

שע"י המשפט נשאר הממשלה ביד בנ"י וזהו עצרת תהי' לכם.

For through the judgment, the rulership remains in the hands of Bnei Yisrael, and this is "Atzeres shall be for you."

Having passed through the judgment, Bnei Yisrael retain the dominion — "Atzeres" is their day of kingship granted to them.

והכל בכח התורה דכתיב בה בי מלכים ימלוכו.

And all of this is through the power of the Torah, of which it is written, "Through Me kings reign" (Mishlei 8:15).

This rulership flows entirely from the Torah, which declares that all sovereignty derives from it.

ואמרו חז"ל למה פתח התורה בבראשית כח מעשיו הגיד לעמו.

And Chazal said: why did the Torah begin with "Bereishis"? "The power of His works He told to His people" (Tehillim 111:6).

Rashi's opening (citing the Midrash) explains that the Torah begins with creation to demonstrate Hashem's power to His people — the "koach ma'asav" — their claim to Eretz Yisrael.

וזה מתקיים בחודש הזה.

And this is fulfilled in this month.

The theme of "the power of His works" given to His people is realized in Tishrei.

כי עיקר קבלת התורה בחג השבועות הוא המיוחדת לבנ"י.

For the essential receiving of the Torah on Shavuos is what is uniquely Bnei Yisrael's own.

Shavuos marks the giving of the Torah as Bnei Yisrael's special, private inheritance.

ובשמחת תורה הוא בחי' כח מעשיו.

But on Simchas Torah it is the aspect of "the power of His works."

Simchas Torah celebrates a different dimension — the Torah as the power behind all of creation, reaching even the nations.

דכתיב ה' מסיני בא כו' משעיר כו' מהר פארן ודרשו חז"ל שהחזיר לבני עשו וישמעאל כו'.

As it is written, "Hashem came from Sinai... from Se'ir... from Mount Paran" (Devarim 33:2), and Chazal expounded that He first offered the Torah to the children of Eisav and Yishmael.

Before giving the Torah to Bnei Yisrael, Hashem offered it to the nations — Se'ir representing Eisav and Paran representing Yishmael — who refused it.

כי מצד האבות אברהם עמוד הימיני יש אחיזה לבני ישמעאל.

For from the side of the Avos: Avraham, the right-hand pillar, gives a grip to the children of Yishmael.

Yishmael descends from Avraham (the attribute of chesed, the "right pillar"), so he has a certain hold on that side.

ומצד יצחק לבני עשו.

And from the side of Yitzchak, to the children of Eisav.

Eisav descends from Yitzchak (the attribute of gevurah/din), giving him a hold on that side.

והוא בחי' כח מעשיו ב' הידים.

And this is the aspect of "the power of His works" — the two "hands."

These two sides, right and left, are the "two hands" of creation, the full "power of His works" that the nations partially share through the Avos.

וזהו בחי' מעשה בראשית היינו תיקון הטבע.

And this is the aspect of Ma'aseh Bereishis (the work of creation), that is, the rectification of nature.

This dimension of the Torah is its power over the natural order — the tikkun of the physical world itself.

ובימים הנוראים נדחה בחי' שעיר.

And on the Yamim Noraim the aspect of Se'ir is pushed away.

During the Days of Awe the power of Eisav (Se'ir) is rejected — recall the sa'ir (goat) sent away on Yom Kippur.

ובסוכות היא לדחות קליפות בני ישמעאל, והוא עבודה יתירה כדאיתא שהוא מעכב גאולתן של בנ"י.

And on Sukkos the avodah is to push away the kelipos (husks) of the children of Yishmael, which is an extra labor, as is brought that this is what holds up the geulah of Bnei Yisrael.

Sukkos demands the harder work of subduing Yishmael's kelipos, since the dominion of Yishmael is said to delay the redemption of Bnei Yisrael.

ועליו נאמר מושיע חוסים ממתקוממים בימינך שבא לאחוז בצד הימין בכחו של אברהם אע"ה.

And concerning him it is said, "Savior of those who take refuge, from those who rise up against Your right hand" — for he (Yishmael) comes to seize the right side, in the strength of Avraham Avinu.

Because Yishmael lays claim specifically to the "right side" of Avraham's chesed, special siyata diShmaya is needed to save those who shelter under Hashem's right hand.

ובכח התורה שהיא כחו של יעקב אבינו גוברים בנ"י על כל אלה ונוטלין המלכות מידיהם.

And through the power of the Torah, which is the strength of Yaakov Avinu, Bnei Yisrael overcome all of these and take the kingship from their hands.

Yaakov's portion is the Torah itself; through it Bnei Yisrael subdue both Eisav and Yishmael and reclaim the malchus for themselves.

וזהו עצרת תהי' לכם:

And this is "Atzeres shall be for you."

Shemini Atzeres, the day of kingship "for you," is the moment Bnei Yisrael fully reclaim dominion through the power of the Torah.

Summary: Simchas Torah on Shemini Atzeres reveals that all of creation stands on the power of the Torah. Reading the chapter of "what is man," the Sefas Emes maps the Yamim Noraim and Sukkos onto its verses: Rosh Hashanah ("remember him"), Yom Kippur ("less than the angels"), Sukkos ("glory and splendor"), and Shemini Atzeres ("dominion over the works of Your hands"). "Atzeres" denotes kingship, and through the judgment Bnei Yisrael retain that rulership. While Shavuos is the Torah as their private inheritance, Simchas Torah is the Torah as the "power of His works" — by which, in the strength of Yaakov Avinu, Bnei Yisrael subdue the holds of Eisav and Yishmael and reclaim the malchus.