A Crown of Slippers

One Simchat Torah, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem told his disciples:

On Simchat Torah everyone sleeps in a little, because of the hakafot and the festivities of the previous evening. The heavenly angels, however, don't say lchaim on Simchat Torah, and they arose for the morning prayers at the usual time. But the angels found themselves with nothing to do: as the Talmud tells us, the angels cannot sing G-d's praises in the heavens until Israel sings G-d's praises on earth. So they decided to do some cleaning up in heaven in the meantime.

They found heaven littered with strange objects: torn slippers and broken heels. The angels are accustomed to finding tzitzit, tefillin, and similar things up there, but they had never come across the likes of these. They decided to ask the angel Michoel, the supernal advocate of the Jewish people, if he knew what this was all about.

"Yes," admitted Michoel, "this is my merchandise. These are the remains of last night's hakafot, at which Jews danced with the Torah. Michoel proceeded to sort the tattered shoes by community: these are from Kaminkeh, these are from Mezeritch, etc.

"The archangel Metat," boasted Michoel, referring to the most prestigious angel in the heavenly court, "ties crowns for G-d out of Israel's prayers. Today, I shall fashion an even more glorious crown for the Almighty out of these torn shoes."