Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah - Circles
Life moves in cycles of hardship and joy, teaching both resilience and acceptance, and how to find meaning in every stage.
The holiday we are currently celebrating can be confusing for several reasons. For one, in Israel, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated as a single day, whereas in chutz la’aretz, Simchat Torah is observed on a separate, second day of Shemini Atzeret. The primary source of confusion, however, lies in the name "Shemini Atzeret"—the "eighth day"—which seems to imply it is an extension of Sukkot. Yet, the Talmud in Masechet Sukkah 48a identifies Shemini Atzeret as a distinct holiday.
In chutz la’aretz, we continue to sit in the sukkah for technical reasons, but in Israel, sitting in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeret is not allowed, as doing so would constitute bal tosif—the prohibition against adding to the mitzvot.
But I think the name Shemini Atzeret is apt because it captures the day’s dual role in our calendar. On the one hand, it can be viewed as the 8th day of Sukkot, serving as a coda to the holiday we recently celebrated. On the other hand, it’s also a day that looks forward, serving as a springboard to resuming our more routine daily lives. And that could be why its name includes the word Atzeret, which means to stop, because it’s one last pause at the close of Sukkot, before we cross the threshold from the holidays into the rest of the year.
I think this message is richly expressed in the number 8, which, as the Maharal explains, represents all that is limaala min hateva, the supernatural, the spiritual, that which is above nature, outside of our physical world. Moreover, and fittingly, when the number 8 is turned on its side, it becomes the symbol for infinity—a concept in physics that represents the boundless or limitless, transcending ordinary physical constraints.
It also represents two circles, which could reference the hakafot we perform on Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
Furthermore, the two circles of the numeral 8 can be seen as symbolizing two significant cycles in the eventful year following the Exodus—moments that shaped the formation of these holidays.
The first circle occurred on the 17th of Tammuz when Moshe descended from Har Sinai. He shattered the tablets not when he saw them worshiping the egel, but only when he saw the מחולות, machalot, the people dancing around it in circles.
On Yom Kippur, God forgave their transgression, and, according to the Midrash, the people immediately began building the Mishkan, which the sukkah symbolizes—a temporary, traveling Beit HaMikdash. After all, Sukkot is known as the Feast of the Tabernacle, another term for the Mishkan. The Jews encamped around it, almost forming a circle, with the Holy Ark—holding the luchot, including the shattered tablets, a consequence of that first circle—at the center.
The sequence of these two narratives is deeply significant: the Jewish people began by dancing in a circle to joyfully celebrate idol worship but ultimately came to circle the Torah, symbolizing their renewed relationship with God. The transformation from one type of circle to another is what we commemorate on Simchat Torah.
The number 8 symbolizes the ongoing cycles of life—the hardships we face to experience joy—and the recognition that these cycles are unending. As the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat 151b teaches, גלגל חוזר בעולם / galgal chozer ba’olam—the world is like a turning wheel, with inevitable highs and lows. This reflects a deeper lesson: life’s challenges and joys are intertwined, building resilience and teaching us to embrace each phase with meaning and acceptance.
This Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah, as we honor all the victims of October 7, may their memory inspire us to move forward this year not only with the resolve to survive but with renewed faith in our relationship with God. Let us remain confident that, as promised by our holy prophets, He will restore lasting joy to our lives once again.
Chag Sameach,
Eliezer Hirsch