Lets Dance!

On Simchas Torah we complete the Torah – the five Books of Moshe – with the reading of the portion called, V’zos Habrocha.

The final eight verses describe our leader Moshe’s death, his burial, and the thirty day mourning period that the nation observed.

The Torah tells us that Moshe was buried in a place called Gai, in the land of Moav, opposite the idol of Peor – and that no one knows Moshe’s exact burial spot.

The question raised is, why was Moshe buried specifically opposite the idol of Peor?

Rashi explains that Moshe was interred opposite Peor in order that his righteousness counteracts any harmful claim against the Jews on account of Peor, since the Jews were swayed by the Moavites to (unintentionally) worship Peor during their travels in the desert.

Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin o.b.m. offers the following insightful explanation. Moshe was a man of G-d. In fact, G-d called Moshe, “G-d’s servant.” Moshe represents the purity of our true Torah and our ironclad belief in G-d and His control over all. This holiest of men was buried opposite the most disgustingly worshiped idol that existed. Peor was worshipped by defecating in front of it.

G-d specifically placed the two opposite each other to show people the contrast. Here is the most holy and here is the lowliest. Should a person find himself wallowing in the filth of any type of worship or self-worship, he should look and see that Moshe, the most devout and holy person, is buried right across from Peor. Thus, the sinner will refocus and reflect on Moshe and all that he represents and acquire the ability and opportunity to change his life around and cling to the Almighty.

I recall hearing a story about the Klausenberger Rebbe, Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Halbershtam o.b.m. while he was in the concentration camps.

The Rebbe felt stripped from everything he once had. Rosh Hashana went by and he didn’t hear the Shofar. Yom Kippur, although he fasted, was no different then any other day. Succos arrived and he had no Succah. He therefore decided that on Shemini Atzeres he was not going to do any work, this way at least he would observe the Yom Tov.

Of course, all of the inmates had to report to work each day, so he concocted some ailment and arranged that he be admitted into the hospital so he wouldn’t have to work on the Holiday of Shemini Atzeres. The person who arranged his hospital stay, received information that all the patients in the hospital would be gassed. Without explaining, he had the Klausenberger Rebbe transported back to his barracks. The Rebbe was upset, but adamant that he was not going to work the next day. Sure enough, when his name was called for roll call and he was not present, the Nazis searched for him and found him. They dragged him to the center, where the roll call was held, and sentenced him to be whipped with twenty-five double lashes. That meant two Nazis whipped him simultaneously twenty five times. Most inmates didn’t make it past 12. To the horror of his fellow brethren, they watched his body as it became limp, and didn’t expect him to be alive by the time they came back from work. Sure enough when they returned at night and checked the area where he received his beating, his body was not there and they feared the worst. However, when they came into their barracks they were shocked to see the Rebbe. There he was lying on the floor with welts, cuts and bruises covering his entire body. They watched as he held onto a bed post and his feet were moving – they moved closer and heard him singing a song that is typically sung when dancing with the Torah on Simchas Torah, “Baruchu Elokaynu Shabranu Lechvodo – Blessed is our G-d who created us for His glory and separated us from those who stray and gave us a Torah of truth and implanted eternal life within us!”

The Rebbe was moving his feet to dance for it was Simchas Torah night!

In the heart of the death camp there was a man who emulated our leader Moshe as only feet away, stood the most evil Nazi beasts who worshiped evil and defied G-d.

The Rebbe, although he lost his wife and eleven children, survived, and with his amazing tenacious spirit injected his spiritual holiness upon thousands upon thousands and merited to see the fruition of his visions and dreams!

So wherever we find ourselves this Simchas Torah, whether in the Synagogue, at home, or elsewhere, let us lift our feet and do a dance to the words of a song that is traditionally sung on Simchas Torah, ‘Moshe Emes V’Soroso Emes’ – Moshe is true and his Torah is true! It will show how thrilled we are to identify with Moshe and the ultimate purpose of life!