אֵין קוֹרְאִים בַּתּוֹרָה בַּלַּיְלָה. נְשִׂיאַת כַּפַּיִם בְּשַׁחֲרִית. אֵין נוֹהֲגִים לִפְרוֹשׂ טַלִּית עַל רָאשֵׁי הָעוֹלִים לְחָתָן תּוֹרָה אוֹ לְחָתָן בְּרֵאשִׁית. גַּם הָעוֹלֶה לַתּוֹרָה אוֹמֵר חֲזַק חֲזַק וְנִתְחַזֵּק.

1 There is no public Torah Reading at night.2

The Priestly Blessing3 is recited [only] at the Morning Service.4

It is not our custom to spread a tallis as a canopy5 over the head of the Bridegroom(s) of the Torah6 or the Bridegroom(s) of Bereishis.7

The person who is called to the reading of the concluding passage of the Torah says the words Chazak, chazak, venis’chazeik together with the rest of the congregation.8

בְּשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה תק"מ אָמַר רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן: עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ — אֵלּוּ בַּעֲלֵי הֲשָׂגָה הַלּוֹמְדִים תּוֹרָה. וְתוֹמְכֶיהָ מְאוּשָּׁר — אֵלּוּ בַּעֲלֵי עֲבוֹדָה הָעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה. מְאוּשָּׁר — גְלִיקְלאַךְ, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּזֹהַר (חֵלֶק ג' נג. ב) אַל תִּקְרֵי מְאוּשָּׁר אֶלָּא מֵרֹאשׁוֹ, דְּעַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדָתָם מַמְשִׁיכִים מֵרֹאשׁוֹ הַיְּינוּ מִפְּנִימִיּוּת הָאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּכְמַעֲלַת הָרֶגֶל הַמְקַיֵּם אֶת הָרֹאשׁ דַּוְקָא.

On Simchas Torah, 5540 (1779), the Alter Rebbe declared: “It [i.e., the Torah] is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it”9 — this phrase refers to “masters of understanding,”10 the intellectual scholars who study the Torah. “Those who support it are fortunate” — these are the “masters of Divine service”11 who engage in Torah study.12

On the term “fortunate” (מאושר), the Zohar (III, 53b) states: “Do not read the word as me’ushar; rather, [by transposing its letters,] read it as meirosho (,מראשו meaning ‘from His head’).” Through their Divine service, these individuals draw down spiritual influence from G‑d’s “head,” from the innermost dimensions of the Ein Sof. This is an instance of the distinctive quality of the foot,13 in that it supports the head.14

Delving Deeply

The Divine service of Simchas Torah entails raising our feet rhythmically in joyous dancing. The joy we feel as we dance is not a reasoned product of our intellects. Indeed, we embrace the Torah scroll while it is closed. Rather, through dancing, we tap into the essence of our souls, which transcends intellectual revelation.

On these two levels — the unthinking level of the feet, and the transcendent level of our Divine essence — all Jews, whether learned or unlettered, are equal. This commonalty inspires us to join hands and dance together, oblivious to the differences that might otherwise create barriers between us.

Indeed, when our feet are lifted up with such inspiration, they become mediums for a higher mode of Divine service. As the Rebbe Rayatz would say:15 “On Simchas Torah, the Torah itself wants to dance. When we carry it around the dais in the synagogue, we act as its feet and help it rejoice.”16