[Avodah] What is the source for the minhag of Chasidim to have HaKafos on Shmini Atzeres night?

[Prof. Levine]

At 01:13 AM 10/22/2006, Chaim G Steinmetz wrote:

> From 266 he quotes Shaar Hakavonos (SH) of R' Chaim Vital (RCV), that the
>minhog was to go around 7 times, and that this took place ST after
>Shacharis, Mincha and Motzei ST. Then he quotes R' Yaakov Tzemch (RYT) in
>Nogid Umtzaveh, this minhog in the name of Ari, but with the 
>important difference, that RYT brings it as if hakofos took place 
>the NIGHT of ST and the morning. The same in Chemdas Hayomim (CH), 
>where after he brings similar to what RYT writes, he complains about 
>those that don't do hakofos the night of ST.
>
>
>Yaari assumes that the discrepancy between the Shaar Hakavonos and RYT and
>CH, is explained by the fact that RYT and CH used corrupted manuscripts,
>while the "proper version" of the Shaar Hakavonos was only printed 
>much (almost 150) later, in 1852.
>
>
>He then goes on the bring the Shelah, who apparently does not mention
>hakofos at all, and several Sefardim from a hundred years later,
>that do mention it concerning the night of ST.  Ad kan devorov.

The ARI did nothing on Simchas Torah when he was in Sefas, because 
there is no Simchas Torah (second day of Shmini Atzeres, eighth day 
of Yom Tov in Chutz L'aretz) in EY. The dancing he did was on Isru 
Chag, not on Shmini Atzeres. This is the whole point of the "mistake" 
in the text which you have chosen to dismiss.

I believe that the reason why the ARI did not dance on SA in EY is 
because SA is, of course, D'Oraisa in EY. The heter of dancing on ST 
in Chutz L'Aretz seems to me to come from the fact that ST is 
D'Rabbonon. For those who hold that one may not dance on Shabbos and 
Yom Tov, dancing on SA in EY should be problematic, to put it mildly. 
Dancing on ST in Chutz L'Aretz seems to me to have been permitted for 
Kovod Hatorah and because ST is D'Rabbonon.


Yitzchok Levine 
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