On the eighth day shall be a day of restraint for you, when you shall not do any work.
בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י עֲצֶ֖רֶת תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם כָּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂו
The name of the upcoming holiday, Shemini Atzeret, raises some intriguing questions. Shemini literally means 8th as in the 8th day, which refers to the fact that this brand-new holiday follows the 7th (and last day) of Sukkot. Atzeret means stop, and Rashi explains that the word refers to the commandment that you stop doing melacha (work) on the holiday. But melacha is prohibited on the first day(s) of Sukkot, and on all major Biblical holidays, so why does the Torah label this particular day Atzeret?
I think we can find some insight by comparing Shemini Atzeret with Shavuot, the holiday that the Sages nickname Atzeret. In using that description, the Sages are giving more than just a subtle hint of a connection between Shavuot and Shemini Atzeret: both holidays revolve around the Torah.
On Shavuot, we celebrate the giving of the Torah, and traditionally we spend the entire Shavuot night studying the Torah. Similarly, for over a thousand years, we have the widespread custom to enhance Shemini Atzeret by adding the celebration of completing the full cycle of the weekly Torah readings, known as Simchat Torah.
There’s something else that Shavuot and Shemini Atzeret have in common. As some commentators point out, Shemini Atzeret and Shavuot are the only two holidays that don’t have a dedicated mitzvah. On Rosh Hashana, we blow the shofar. On Yom Kippur, we fast. On Sukkot, we sit in the Sukkah, and shake a lulav and Etrog. On Pesach, we eat matzah. However, on Shavuot and Shemini Atzeret, the Torah simply calls them Atzeret, during which the only unique thing we do is treat it like a holiday on which we hold back from doing melacha (work).
The sages in the midrash say that Shemini Atzeret has no specific mitzvot because it’s intended to be a transition from Sukkot to daily life. When this day ends, it is time for us to go and live our lives in the real world as we always do. Before we go, we have one last appointment with God, one last moment, before we embark on our yearly journey. Rashi explains that the meaning of Atzeret (hold back) can also be thought of as children taking leave of their father. The father is saying “hold back, parting from you is too difficult, stay one more day.”
In the beit hamikdash (temple) during Sukkot, we sacrificed 70 cows, a massive number of sacrifices, that correspond to the 70 nations of the world. On Shemini Atzeret we only sacrificed one cow, a change that is, as the Torat Kohanim teaches us, analogous to having one last intimate dinner with God that is reserved for the Jewish people and representative of our special relationship with God. Atzeret doesn’t need its own commandment, because the whole point is to have one more day to hold back from the distractions of daily life, to rest and energize ourselves for the trials and tribulations of our year ahead.
In a very similar way, the Maharal MiPrague describes Shavuot as “the last day of Pesach”. Even though it falls 50 days later, it is the culmination of the process of our liberation from Egypt, which is commemorated on Pesach. On Shavuot and Shemini Atzeret we have the gift of one more day. A final moment of intimate closure and connection with God to process all of the previous events we’ve been through together.
I think that’s why we read Kohelet on Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot, just before Shemini Atzeret (or, in some years, on the day of Shemini Atzeret itself.) The book of Kohelet warns us about the transience of this world, something that needs to be at the top of our minds as we are approaching the end of this holiday season and begin our transition from Shemini Atzeret to the transitory world.
That could also be why we pray for rain on Shemini Atzeret. After all, rain can be a blessing or a curse – it helps us grow crops, but it can also cause floods and destruction. We cannot know which way it will go now. Shemini Atzeret is the day we remember that no matter how things turn out, we will always have this intimate connection to God that will get us through all times, good and bad.
That could also be why we recite Yizkor (a special prayer remembering those no longer with us) on Shemini Atzeret. We contemplate the legacy of our loved ones and understand that they are in a better place, but at the same time, Yizkor evokes a bittersweet feeling, because we miss them. Similarly, on Shemini Atzeret, we experience the bittersweet sensation of saying goodbye to God even as we realize He has given us the gift of one extra day.
Finally, this is why on both Shemini Atzeret and Shavuot we focus on the Torah. On each of these holidays, we’re about to embark on a sad journey: Shavuot towards mourning the beit hamikdash, and Sukkot towards the winter. During these periods, the Torah is our guide. As we’ve said previously in “I Don't Claim to be An Angel, angels don’t need halacha because they don’t walk. But we walk through life and the Torah, and its halacha, is our guide on this journey.
אֲבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶת־יְ֖הֹוָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְעָצָ֑נִי אַף־לֵ֜יל֗וֹת יִסְּר֥וּנִי כִלְיוֹתָֽי
I bless God who has advised me so that even in darkness, my internal wisdom will guide me on the correct path
Shemini Atzeret can help guide us through all the ups and downs of the coming year. If we internalize this final message that God’s love shines through all our hardships, we will emerge with a positive outlook about what’s to come. Chag Sameach.