Shemini Atzeret (—"Eighth ayof Assembly") is a

Jewish holiday Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' (, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed by Jews throughout the Hebrew calendar.This article focuses on practices of mainstream Rabbinic Judaism. ...

. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew calendar, Hebrew month of

Tishrei Tishrei () or Tishri (; ''tīšrē'' or ''tīšrī''; from Akkadian ''tašrītu'' "beginning", from ''šurrû'' "to begin") is the first month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year (wh ...

, usually coinciding with late September or early October. It directly follows the festival of

Sukkot Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelite ...

, which is celebrated for ''seven'' days; thus, Shemini Atzeret is literally the ''eighth'' day f assembly It is a separate—yet connected—holy day devoted to the spiritual aspects of the festival of Sukkot. Part of its duality as a holy day is that it is simultaneously considered to be connected to Sukkot and a separate festival in its own right. Outside the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine. The definition ...

, this is further complicated by the additional day added to all Biblical holidays except

Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah (, , ) is the New Year in Judaism. The Hebrew Bible, biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , ). It is the first of the High Holy Days (, , 'Days of Awe"), as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25, that occur in the late summe ...

and

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur ( ; , ) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and ...

.Talmud, '' Beitza'' 4b. Shemini Atzeret is thus sometimes wrongly regarded as the eighth day of Sukkot outside the Land of Israel, leading to sometimes involved analysis as to which practices of each holiday are to apply. The celebration of

Simchat Torah Simchat Torah (; Ashkenazi: ), also spelled Simhat Torah, is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle. Simchat Torah is a component of the Hebrew Bible ...

is the most distinctive feature of the holiday, but it is a later rabbinical innovation. In the Land of Israel, the celebrations of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are combined on a single day, and the names are used interchangeably. In the

Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...

, the celebration of Simchat Torah is deferred to the second day of the holiday. Commonly, only the first day is referred to as ''Shemini Atzeret'', while the second is called ''Simchat Torah''.

Karaite Jews Karaite Judaism or Karaism is a non-Rabbinical Jewish sect characterized by the recognition of the written Tanakh alone as its supreme authority in ''halakha'' (religious law) and theology. Karaites believe that all of the divine commandme ...

and

Samaritans Samaritans (; ; ; ), are an ethnoreligious group originating from the Hebrews and Israelites of the ancient Near East. They are indigenous to Samaria, a historical region of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah that ...

also observe Shemini Atzeret, as they do all Biblical holidays. However, due to differences in

calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A calendar date, date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is ...

calculations, it may occur on a different day from the conventional Jewish celebration. Karaites and Samaritans do not include the rabbinical innovation of Simchat Torah in their observance of the day and do not observe a second day—of any holiday—in the Diaspora.

Biblical origins

According to ''

The Jewish Encyclopedia ''The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'' is an English-language encyclopedia containing over 15,000 articles on the ...

'', ''atzeret'' () is the name given to this day in four different locations in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' Deuteronomy 16, and is found only in those parts of the Bible known as the

Priestly Code The Priestly Code (in Hebrew ''Torat Kohanim'', תורת כהנים) is the name given, by academia,The book of Leviticus: composition and reception - Page 55 Rolf Rendtorff, Robert A. Kugler, Sarah Smith Bartel - 2003 "Research agrees that its ...

. Like ''atzarah,'' ''atzeret'' denotes "day of assembly", from ''atzar'' ("to hold back" or "keep in"); hence the name ''atzeret'' given to the seventh day of

Pesaḥ Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt. According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...

. Owing, however, to the fact that both Shemini Atzeret and the seventh day of Pesaḥ are described as ''atzeret'', the name was taken to mean "the closing festival".

Significance

''Shemini:'' "Eighth Day" of Sukkot

When Shemini Atzeret is mentioned in the

Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

(known in Greek as the ''Pentateuch''), it is always mentioned in the context of the seven-day festival of

: the holiday Shemini Atzeret immediately follows. For example, Sukkot is described in detail in Leviticus 23:33–43. Shemini Atzeret is mentioned in only verses 36 and 39. The

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

word ''shemini'' means ''eighth''. This refers to the date of Shemini Atzeret relative to Sukkot; it falls on the latter’s eighth day.In the terminology of the modern

Hebrew calendar The Hebrew calendar (), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance and as an official calendar of Israel. It determines the dates of Jewish holidays and other rituals, such as '' yahrze ...

, Sukkot occurs on 15–21 Tishrei and Shemini Atzeret on 22 Tishrei. It is often assumed that Shemini Atzeret is simply the eighth day of Sukkot. That characterization, however, is only partly accurate. The celebration of Sukkot is characterized by the use of the ''

sukkah A or succah (; ; plural, ' or ' or ', often translated as "booth") is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic ...

'' (booth or tabernacle) and the Four Species (tree branches and fruit used in the celebration).These are known as the ''

lulav ''Lulav'' (; ) is a closed frond of the date palm tree. It is one of the Four Species used during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The other Species are the '' hadass'' ( myrtle), ''aravah'' (willow), and ''etrog'' (citron). When bound together, ...

'' (branches of the

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera **Palm oil * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music ...

, myrtle and

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

trees) and ''

etrog Etrog (, plural: ; Ashkenazi Hebrew: , plural: ) is the yellow citron (''Citrus medica'') used by Jews during the weeklong holiday of Sukkot as one of the four species. Together with the ''lulav'', ''hadass'', and ''Aravah (Sukkot), aravah'', th ...

'' (fruit of the

citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick Peel (fruit), rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the Citrus taxonomy#Citrons, original citrus fruits from which al ...

). However, the Torah specifies using those objects for only seven days, not eight. The observance of Shemini Atzeret, therefore, differs in substantial ways from that of Sukkot. The

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

See Tractate Sukkah 48a describes Shemini Atzeret with the words "a holiday in its own right" (''regel bifnei atzmo''). The Talmud describes six ways in which Shemini Atzeret differs from Sukkot. Four of these relate principally to the Temple service, but two others remain relevant to the modern celebration of the holiday. First, the blessing known as '' Shehecheyanu'' is recited on the night of Shemini Atzeret just as it is on the first night of all other major Jewish holidays. Second, the holiday is referred to distinctively as "Shemini Atzeret" and not as "Sukkot" in the prayer service. Immediately following that discussion, however, the Talmud describes Shemini Atzeret as the "end holiday of the festival f Sukkot. The context here is that the Sukkot obligations of joy and recitation of

Hallel Hallel (, 'Praise') is a Jewish prayer, a verbatim recitation from Psalms which is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays as an act of praise and thanksgiving. Types Full Hallel Full Hallel () consists of all six Psalms of the Hallel, in ...

(

Psalm The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of H ...

s 113–118) last eight days. This is also why one of Sukkot's liturgical aliases, "Time of Our Happiness" (''zman simḥatenu''), continues to be used to describe Shemini Atzeret—and, by extension, Simchat Torah—in the liturgy. Shemini Atzeret is, in conclusion, simultaneously "a holiday in its own right" and the "end holiday of ukkot.

''Atzeret:'' A day for assembly—or pause

Spiritually, Shemini Atzeret can also be seen to "guard the seven days of Sukkot". The Hebrew word ''atzeret'' is generally translated as "assembly", but shares a linguistic root with the word ''atzor'', meaning "stop" or "tarry". Shemini Atzeret is characterized as a day when the Jewish People "tarries" to spend an additional day with God at the end of Sukkot.

Rashi Shlomo Yitzchaki (; ; ; 13 July 1105) was a French rabbi who authored comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. He is commonly known by the List of rabbis known by acronyms, Rabbinic acronym Rashi (). Born in Troyes, Rashi stud ...

cites the parable of a king who invites his sons to dine with him for a number of days, but when the time comes for them to leave, he asks them to stay for another day, since it is difficult for him to part from them. According to this idea, Sukkot is a universal holiday, but Shemini Atzeret is for only the

Jewish People Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

. Moreover, Shemini Atzeret is a modest holiday intended to honor od'sspecial relationship with his beloved nation. A different but related interpretation is offered by Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg, who translates ''atzeret'' as "retain": "During the holiday season, we have experienced a heightened religious fervor and a most devout spirit. This last day is devoted to a recapitulation of the message of these days, with the hope that it will be retained the rest of the year".

Connections to the prior Jewish holy days

The day before Shemini Atzeret is the last day of Sukkot. It is called

Hoshana Rabbah Hoshana Rabbah (, ) is the seventh day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, the 21st day of the month of Tishrei. This day is marked by a special synagogue service, the Hoshana Rabbah, in which seven circuits are made by the worshippers with their ...

and is unique and different from the other days of Sukkot. While it is part of the “intermediate” days of Sukkot known as ''

Chol HaMoed ''Chol HaMoed'' (), a Hebrew phrase meaning "mundane of the festival", refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. As the name implies, these days mix features of ''chol'' (mundane) and ''moed'' (festival). On Passover, ''Chol HaMoe ...

'', Hoshana Rabbah has extra prayers and rituals and is treated and practised much more seriously and festively than are the previous days of ''Chol HaMoed''. In particular, during the morning prayer service of Hoshana Rabbah, there are seven ''hoshanot'' with their own seven ''

hakafot A hakafah (; plural hakafot ) is a Jewish '' minhag'' (tradition) in which people walk or dance around a specific object, generally in a religious setting. In Judaism, there is a custom on Sukkot to encircle the reader's platform ( bimah) with t ...

'' or "seven processions". That sets the stage for the ritual, mood, tenor, and heightened sense of festivity for the days that follow it—namely, of Shemini Atzeret when seven ''hakafot'' are again performed.{{refn, group=note, The ''hakafot'' of Shemini Atzeret are the same as those used in the Simchat Torah celebration, which is observed in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

in tandem with Shemini Atzeret. Outside the Land of Israel, the ''hakafot'' are performed by some congregations on the evening preceding Shemini Atzeret, and then by all on both the night and during the day of

. ''

'' states that during the time of the

Second Temple The Second Temple () was the Temple in Jerusalem that replaced Solomon's Temple, which was destroyed during the Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC), Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. It was constructed around 516 BCE and later enhanced by Herod ...

, the festival of

Shavuot (, from ), or (, in some Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi usage), is a Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday, one of the biblically ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan; in the 21st century, it may ...

received the specific name of "'Atzarta" as cited by

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; , ; ), born Yosef ben Mattityahu (), was a Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing '' The Jewish War'', he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Roman province of Judea—to a father of pr ...

Antiquities of the Jews ''Antiquities of the Jews'' (; , ''Ioudaikē archaiologia'') is a 20-volume historiographical work, written in Greek, by the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus in the 13th year of the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian, which was 94 CE. It cont ...

(iii. 10, § 6) and in the

's tractate Pesahim (42b, 68b), signifying "the closing feast" of

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt. According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...

. Commenting on this, the

Rabbis A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as '' semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

in Tractate Pesahim say that:

The closing feast of Sukkot (i.e., Shemini Atzeret) ought rightly to have been, like that of Passover (i.e., Shavuot) on the fiftieth day, but, in order not to force the people to make another journey to
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
in the rainy season, God fixed it as early as the eighth day.

Shemini Atzeret thus concludes the process of judgment, repentance, and atonement begun on

: the Jewish New Year. Four days after the conclusion of

, the Day of Atonement, Sukkot begins and is regarded as the celebration of the anticipated Divine "good judgment" that was, religious Jews hope, granted while observing the

High Holy Days In Judaism, the High Holy Days, also known as High Holidays or Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim; , ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm'') consist of: #strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah ("Jewish New Year") and Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"); #by extension, th ...

. (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the week between them are known as the Ten Days of Repentance.) Hoshana Rabbah, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah then culminate the process with open celebration and festivity with joyous prayers, festive meals, and dancing, with the

Torah scroll A Sephardic Torah scroll rolled to the first paragraph of the Shema An Ashkenazi Torah scroll rolled to the Decalogue file:Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Interior, Tora Cases.jpg">Torah cases at Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, Mumbai, India ...

s held as the center of attention during the ''hakafot'' in the

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

.{{cite web , last1=Shaviv , first1=Rabbi Yehuda , title=Sukkot in the Cycle of Festivals , url=https://www.ou.org/holidays/sukkot/sukkot_in_the_cycle_of_festivals/ , publisher=Orthodox Union , access-date=September 28, 2018 , archive-date=September 28, 2018 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928201114/https://www.ou.org/holidays/sukkot/sukkot_in_the_cycle_of_festivals/ , url-status=live

Evolution of observances and customs

The Torah explicitly mentions Shemini Atzeret three times, all in the context of Sukkot. Only two observances are specified for Shemini Atzeret. One relates to the Temple service, and is not relevant to modern observance. The other is the avoidance of "servile labor" ''(melechet avodah),'' as on other major Jewish holidays.{{sfn, Ribiat, 1999 ''(See also Jewish holidays — "Work" on Sabbath and biblical holidays.)'' No other specific rituals or ritual objects are specified, making Shemini Atzeret unique in that regard among the festivals mentioned in the Torah. Two observances of Shemini Atzeret are mentioned in the

Prophets In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the ...

and Writings portions of the

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. ''

Babylonian exile The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile was the period in Jewish history during which a large number of Judeans from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were forcibly relocated to Babylonia by the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The deportations occurre ...

. In both cases, however, the mention is limited to the observation that an "assembly '' tzeret' was held on the eighth day". According to the

Apocryphal Apocrypha () are biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of scripture, some of which might be of doubtful authorship or authenticity. In Christianity, the word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to ...

Second Book of Maccabees 2 Maccabees, also known as the Second Book of Maccabees, Second Maccabees, and abbreviated as 2 Macc., is a deuterocanonical book which recounts the persecution of Jews under King Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Maccabean Revolt against him. It c ...

, the first celebration of

Hanukkah Hanukkah (, ; ''Ḥănukkā'' ) is a Jewish holidays, Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd ce ...

mimicked that of Sukkot, which the

Maccabees The Maccabees (), also spelled Machabees (, or , ; or ; , ), were a group of Jews, Jewish rebel warriors who took control of Judea, which at the time was part of the Seleucid Empire. Its leaders, the Hasmoneans, founded the Hasmonean dynasty ...

and their followers had been unable to celebrate earlier that year. However, the only allusion to Shemini Atzeret in that narrative is that the Hanukkah celebration was fixed for eight days—in remembrance of both the seven days of Sukkot and the additional day of Shemini Atzeret. Torah and jad

Like most Jewish holidays of Biblical origin, Shemini Atzeret is observed for one day within the

, and traditionally for two days outside Israel.

Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...

and Reconstructionist communities generally celebrate this and most Biblical holidays for one day, even outside Israel. The second day observed outside Israel is called ''Simchat Torah'' (see next section).

Simchat Torah

{{Main, Simchat Torah The practice of reading the Ve-zot ha-berakhah, the last of the

weekly Torah portion The weekly Torah portion refers to a lectionary custom in Judaism in which a portion of the Torah (or Pentateuch) is read during Jewish prayer services on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The full name, ''Parashat HaShavua'' (), is popularly abbre ...

s on Shemini Atzeret is documented in the Talmud. That Talmudic source does not refer to the occasion as "Simchat Torah", but simply as he second day ofShemini Atzeret, and it is also not clear from that source if it is read as the last Torah portion (as is our custom) or as a special Festival reading. The Simchat Torah celebration of today is of later

rabbinic Rabbinic Judaism (), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, Rabbanite Judaism, or Talmudic Judaism, is rooted in the many forms of Judaism that coexisted and together formed Second Temple Judaism in the land of Israel, giving birth to classical rabb ...

and customary origin. The day (but not the name) is mentioned in the ''

siddur A siddur ( ''sīddūr'', ; plural siddurim ) is a Jewish prayer book containing a set order of daily prayers. The word comes from the Hebrew root , meaning 'order.' Other terms for prayer books are ''tefillot'' () among Sephardi Jews, ''tef ...

'' of Rav

Amram Gaon Amram bar Sheshna or Amram Gaon ( or ; died 875) was a gaon or head of the Academy of Sura in Lower Mesopotamia in the ninth century. He authored many responsa, but his chief work was liturgical. He was the first to arrange a complete liturg ...

(9th century CE); the assignment of the first chapter of

Joshua Joshua ( ), also known as Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' Literal translation, lit. 'Yahweh is salvation'), Jehoshua, or Josue, functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Book of Exodus, Exodus and ...

as the ''

haftarah The ''haftara'' or (in Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazic pronunciation) ''haftorah'' (alt. ''haftarah, haphtara'', ) "parting," "taking leave" (plural form: ''haftarot'' or ''haftoros''), is a series of selections from the books of ''Nevi'im'' ("Pr ...

'' of the day is mentioned there. The reading of the first section of

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...

immediately upon the conclusion of the last section of

Deuteronomy Deuteronomy (; ) is the fifth book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called () which makes it the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. Chapters 1–30 of the book consist of three sermons or speeches delivered to ...

—as well as the name "Simchat Torah"—can be found in the 14th century ''halachic'' work ''

Arba'ah Turim ''Arba'ah Turim'' (), often called simply the ''Tur'', is an important Halakha#Codes of Jewish law, Halakhic code composed by Yaakov ben Asher (Cologne, 1270 – Toledo, Spain c. 1340, also referred to as ''Ba'al Ha-Turim''). The four-part stru ...

.''{{cite book, title=Arba'ah Turim, page=227, url=https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=42478&st=&pgnum=227, author=Jacob ben Asher (c. 1270-c. 1340), edition=1610 Hannover, author-link=Jacob ben Asher, access-date=October 8, 2013, chapter=Orach Chayim 669, language=he, archive-date=October 29, 2013, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192629/http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=42478&st=&pgnum=227, url-status=live By the 16th century CE, most of the features of the modern celebration of Simchat Torah were in place in some form. The Simchat Torah celebration is now the most distinctive feature of this festival—so much so that in the Land of Israel, where Shemini Atzeret lasts only one day, it is more common to refer to the day as "Simchat Torah" than as "Shemini Atzeret". In the 20th century, Simchat Torah came to symbolize the public assertion of Jewish identity. The Jews of the Soviet Union, in particular, would celebrate the festival ''en masse'' in the streets of

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. On October 14, 1973, more than 100,000 Jews took part in a post-Simchat Torah rally in New York city on behalf of

refuseniks Refusenik (, ; alternatively spelled refusnik) was an unofficial term for individuals—typically, but not exclusively, Soviet Jews—who were denied permission to emigrate, primarily to Israel, by the authorities of the Soviet Union and othe ...

and Soviet Jewry. Dancing in the street with the Torah has become part of the holiday's ritual in various Jewish congregations in the United States as well. In Israel, many communities conduct ''Hakafot shniyot,'' or "Second ''

",'' on the day after Shemini Atzeret. In part, this shows solidarity with Jewish communities outside Israel, which are still celebrating Simchat Torah (on the second day of the festival). At the same time, it allows for a Simchat Torah celebration unconstrained by festival work restrictions, since the festival is over in Israel according to Jewish law. Outside Israel, where Shemini Atzeret is observed for two days,{{sfn, Hoffman, 2011, p=41 Simchat Torah is deferred to the second day, when all agree there is no obligation of ''sukkah''.

Carryover of Sukkot observances outside the Land of Israel

{{main, Sukkot Sukot in chabad of hong kong

In Israel—and for different reasons in Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism—none of the unique observances of Sukkot (''sukkah'', ''lulav'' and ''etrog'') carry over to Shemini Atzeret. Shemini Atzeret is a holiday in its own right, without ''sukkah'', ''lulav'' and ''etrog''. At the same time, by the rabbinic decree to add one day to all holidays outside the Land of Israel, both Passover and Sukkot, although described in the Torah as seven-day holidays, are observed outside the Land of Israel for eight days. Accordingly, the "eighth day of Sukkot" outside Israel coincides with the separate holiday of Shemini Atzeret. Psalm 27, which is recited in most communities twice daily starting at the beginning of

Elul Elul (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ) is the twelfth month of the civil year and the sixth month of the Jewish religious year, religious year in the Hebrew calendar. It is a m ...

, continues to be recited on Shemini Atzeret outside the Land of Israel.{{sfn, Sacks, 2009 When Shemini Atzeret falls on the Shabbat, the Scroll of

Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes ( ) is one of the Ketuvim ('Writings') of the Hebrew Bible and part of the Wisdom literature of the Christian Old Testament. The title commonly used in English is a Latin transliteration of the Greek translation of the Hebrew word ...

, or Kohelet ({{lang, he, קהלת, otherwise read in Ashkenazi synagogues on the

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...

of Sukkot), is read on that day outside the Land of Israel. In the Land of Israel, it would have been read on the first day of Sukkot, which would also have been on Shabbat. The Torah reading (Deuteronomy 14:22–16:17) is the same as on the Final Day of Passover and Second Day of

. However, in the Eastern Ashkenazic rite, unlike Passover and Shavuot, the longer version of the Torah reading is included on Shemini Atzeret even when the day does not fall on the Shabbat because the reading refers to separation of agricultural gifts (like

tithes A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques or via onli ...

and ''

terumah A ''terumah'' (), the priestly dues or heave offering, is a type of offering in Judaism. The word is generally used for offerings to God, but can also refer to gifts to a human. The word ''terumah'' refers to various types of offerings, but mos ...

''), which are due at this time of the year; in the Western Ashkenazic rite, as well as in most Sephardic communities, the short reading is read on Shemini Atzeret when it falls on a weekday. The Haftarah describes the people's blessing of King Solomon at the end of the dedication of the First Temple.{{sfn, Cogan, Weiss, 2002, p=162

Taking the'' lulav'' and ''etrog'' and sleeping in the ''sukkah''

The prevalent practice is that one eats in the ''sukkah'' on the eighth day, but without reciting the blessing (''

berakhah In Judaism, a ''berakhah'', ''bracha'', ', ' (; pl. , ''berakhot'', '; "benediction," "blessing") is a formula of blessing or thanksgiving, recited in public or private, usually before the performance of a commandment, or the enjoyment of food o ...

'') for sitting in a ''sukkah''. However, one does not take the ''lulav'' and ''etrog'' (nor does one sleep in the ''sukkah'' according to most opinions) on the eighth day. If someone sees a neighbor on the street with a ''lulav'' and ''etrog'' on the eighth day, the rabbis reason, they might mistakenly assume that it is still the seventh day (''ḥol hamoed''), when the ''lulav'' and ''etrog'' are still needed. They might then violate prohibitions of the '' yom tov'' of the eighth day. For that reason, the rabbis ruled that one should not take the ''lulav'' and ''etrog'' on the eighth day, even outside the Land of Israel. They are therefore '' muktzah''; that is, one may not even move them on a holiday where they are not needed.{{cite journal, last=Jachter, first=Rabbi Howard, title=Lulav and Sukkah on Shemini Atzeret, journal=Kol Torah, date=September 29, 2001, volume=11, issue=4, url=https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/lulav-and-sukkah-on-shemini-atzeret-by-rabbi-chaim-jachter, access-date=July 19, 2013, archive-date=July 19, 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719203450/https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/lulav-and-sukkah-on-shemini-atzeret-by-rabbi-chaim-jachter, url-status=live Sleeping in the ''sukkah'' brings a similar discussion. Additionally, most people would prefer to sleep indoors at this point in the year due to the weather, so sleeping in the ''sukkah'' may impinge on one's own joy during the festival. This is why many rabbis ruled that one does not sleep in the ''sukkah'' on Shemini Atzeret, even outside the Land of Israel. Other rabbis, such as the

Vilna Gaon Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, ( ''Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman''), also known as the Vilna Gaon ( ''Der Vilner Goen''; ; or Elijah of Vilna, or by his Hebrew acronym Gr"a ("Gaon Rabbenu Eliyahu": "Our great teacher Elijah"; Sialiec, April 23, 172 ...

, ruled that one should sleep in the ''sukkah'' on Shemini Atzeret outside the Land of Israel.

Eating in the ''sukkah''

Eating in the ''sukkah'' does not cause a parallel problem because many people simply enjoy eating outdoors in the shade of a ''sukkah''. Hence, seeing someone eating in a ''sukkah'' does not ''per se'' lead one to assume it is still ''ḥol hamoed''. Likewise, eating in the ''sukkah'' does not ''per se'' impinge on one's own celebration of Shemini Atzeret. Therefore, the prevalent practice is to eat in the ''sukkah'' on Shemini Azeret outside the Land of Israel, but not to recite the ''berakhah'' for sitting in a ''sukkah'', as reciting it would "impinge" on the unique status of Shemini Atzeret. There are, however, those who have different ''

minhag ''Minhag'' ( "custom", classical pl. מנהגות, modern pl. מנהגים, ''minhagim'') is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, '' Nusach'' (נוסח), refers to the traditional order and form of the pra ...

im'' (customs). Many

Hasidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...

groups have a tradition to recite the morning ''

kiddush Kiddush (; ), , is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Additionally, the word refers to a small repast held on Shabbat or festival mornings after the prayer services and before the meal. S ...

'' and then have refreshments (such as cake) in the ''sukkah'', but to eat both the evening and morning main meals inside, notwithstanding the Talmudic ruling to the contrary. Others eat the evening meal of Shemini Atzeret indoors but the day meal in the ''sukkah''. Each of these approaches addresses aspects of the dual nature of Shemini Atzeret.

Other customs

The Land of Israel's agriculture depends heavily on rains that come only seasonally, so Jewish prayers for rain, such as ''Tefillat Geshem'' or ''Tikun Geshem'' (Rain Prayer) are prominent during the Land of Israel's rainy (winter) half of the year.{{sfn, Nulman, 1996, p=322 The rainy season starts just after the fall Jewish holidays. Because of that, and because the ''sukkah'' (and, by extension, pleasant weather) is no longer required on Shemini Atzeret, Jews begin to praise God for making rain starting with the Musaf ''

amidah The ''Amidah'' (, ''Tefilat HaAmidah'', 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the ''Amidah'' during each of the three services prayed on week ...

'' prayer of Shemini Atzeret.{{sfn, Eisenberg, 2010, pp=239–40 In the Ashkenazic tradition, this prayer is recited in a traditional, distinctive, plaintive melody during the

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...

's repetition of the ''amidah''; according to the original custom, there are also many silent piyyutim, which today are omitted in most communities but still maintained in some communities. In some Ashkenazi synagogues, the cantor is clad in a white ''

kittel 220px, A kittel A ''kittel'' ( ) is a white linen or cotton robe worn by some religious Ashkenazi Jews on holidays, in the synagogue or at home when leading the Passover seder. Grooms sometimes wear kittels. It is also customary for Jews to be ...

,'' a symbol of

piety Piety is a virtue which may include religious devotion or spirituality. A common element in most conceptions of piety is a duty of respect. In a religious context, piety may be expressed through pious activities or devotions, which may vary amon ...

, owing to the vitality of a positive judgment for rain. A brief mention of rain continues to be inserted in the ''amidah'' until

. The Yizkor memorial service is also recited in the Eastern Ashkenazic rite on this day, and it was adopted in some Western Ashkenazic communities.{{Sfn, Kunin, 2000, p=267 Recital of the Yizkor prayer is said to bring the person "closer to the cold and brittle part of mourning", and is necessary to promote the healing of a broken heart.{{sfn, Brener, 2001, p=222

Observance in non-rabbinical Jewish traditions

As a biblically-mentioned holiday, Shemini Atzeret is also observed by Karaites and Samaritans:

In Karaite Judaism

For Karaites, followers of a branch of Judaism that accepts the

Written Law The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () o ...

, but not the

Oral Law An oral law is a code of conduct in use in a given culture, religion or community application, by which a body of rules of human behaviour is transmitted by oral tradition and effectively respected, or the single rule that is orally transmitted. M ...

, Shemini Atzeret is observed as a single day of rest, not associated with the practices of ''Simchat Torah,'' which are a rabbinic innovation.{{cite web, title=Hag Ha-Sukkot, url=http://www.karaite-korner.org/sukkot.shtml, publisher=The Karaite Korner, access-date=July 26, 2013, archive-date=October 10, 2013, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010000721/http://karaite-korner.org/sukkot.shtml, url-status=live Nevertheless, the Karaite cycle of weekly Torah reading, like the Rabbinic cycle, reaches its conclusion on Shemini Atzeret. Accordingly, in at least some Karaite circles, this day is referred to by the name of ''Simchat Torah.'' Additionally, calculation of the Karaite calendar is not based on astronomical calculations, but only on direct observation of the New Moon and the ripening of barley. Because of that, the 22nd day of the 7th month does not necessarily fall on the same date as 22 Tishrei in the (conventional, Rabbinic) Jewish calendar.{{cite web, title=Holidays and New Moons, url=http://www.karaite-korner.org/holiday_dates.shtml, publisher=The Karaite Korner, access-date=July 26, 2013, archive-date=May 27, 2018, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527013220/http://www.karaite-korner.org/holiday_dates.shtml, url-status=live In 2015, Shemini Atzeret fell on October 7 for Karaites, two days later than in the conventional Jewish calendar. In 2016, Shemini Atzeret fell on the same day according to both calendars.

In the Samaritan tradition

, i.e. the northern Israelites who split from Jews during the reign of King Rehoboam, recognise only the first five (or six) books of the Bible as

canonical The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean 'according to the canon' the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, ''canonical exampl ...

, and thus celebrate only one day of Shemini Aṣereth.

Shortly after midnight, prayers are made in the synagogue for more than ten hours. No work is permitted on this day. At the end of the holiday, the succahs are dismantled. Their poles and nets will be stored until the next Harvest Festival. The fruits will be squeezed into sweetened juice and some will be eaten by the children.

2023 Hamas-led attack

{{main , 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel On October 07, 2023, 06:29, on the morning of Shemini Atzeret,

Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...

launched an attack on Israeli army installations and civilian communities near the Gaza border.{{Cite news , last=Williams , first=Dan , date=2023-10-07 , title=How the Hamas attack on Israel unfolded , language=en , work=Reuters , url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-hamas-attack-israel-unfolded-2023-10-07/ , access-date=2023-10-11 Around 1,140 Israelis were killed and over 250 were kidnapped and taken to Gaza as hostages, most of them unarmed civilians. This event marked the starting point of the

Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...

Notes

{{Reflist, group=note

References

{{Reflist

Bibliography

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External links

{{Sukkot {{Jewish holidays {{Jewish life {{Authority control Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law Tishrei observances