Shemini Atzeret - Relationship To Sukkot

Relationship To Sukkot

Shemini Atzeret is often referred to as the eighth day of the Festival of Sukkot, which occupies the seven preceding days. This description is not entirely accurate, however.

The Talmud, in Tractate Sukkah 48a, describes Shemini Atzeret with the words "a holiday in its own right" (רגל בפני עצמו, regel bifnei atzmo) with respect to six specific halakhic (Jewish law) issues. The six issues are abbreviated as פז"ר קש"ב:

1. Lottery (פּיס): During the year, the twenty-four priestly watches or divisions rotated through responsibility for conducting the Temple services, one week per watch. During most of the festivals, all twenty-four watches were present and available, and drew lots to determine which group would conduct the services on a given day. Because very large quantities of offerings were brought during the seven days of Sukkot, all twenty-four watches participated and divided the work each day. However, on Shemini Atzeret, lots were drawn as on all other festivals.
2. Blessing over day (זמן): Recitation of the Sheheḥeyanu blessing as on the first day (Diaspora: two days) of all other festivals. This differs from Passover (Pesach), where the last day (Diaspora: last two days) is/are considered part of the same festival.
3. Pilgrimage Festival (רגל): Description of day as regel bifnei atzmo, as described above. Rashi at Sukkah 48a states that this specifically means (a) that one does not dwell in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeret and (b) that one does not describe the day as "Sukkot" during one's prayers.
4. Temple offering (קרבן): On the seven days of Sukkot, the additional (מוסף) offerings included 2 rams and 14 lambs each day, along with a series of 70 bulls in decreasing numbers over the week. On Shemini Atzeret, the offering included one ram, seven lambs and a single bull.
5. Song (שיר): There are some differing views on this, but a prominent one is that this refers to the Shir Shel Yom (psalm of the day) recited by the Levites in the Temple. Those of Sukkot refer to agricultural gifts to the poor required to be separated from the crops by Sukkot; that of Shemini Atzeret is entirely different.
6. Blessing (ברכה): Rashi (quoting Tosefta) says that this refers to the blessing the people gave King Solomon at the dedication of the First Temple. Rabbeinu Ḥananel says this refers to not describing the day as "Sukkot," similar to what Rashi says at regel (see #3 above).

Just below this discussion, the Mishnah (at Sukkah 48a or at Mishnah Sukkah 4:7) describes Shemini Atzeret as יום טוב אחרו‏ן של חג (yom tov aḥaron shel ḥag, final holiday of the Festival ). The context here is that the Sukkot obligations of שמחה (simcha, joy) and recitation of הלל (Hallel) last eight days. With respect to these two obligations, Shemini Atzeret is part of Sukkot. This is why one of Sukkot's liturgical aliases, זמן שמחתנו (zman simḥatenu, "Time of Our Happiness,") continues to be used to describe Shemini Atzeret (and by extension Simchat Torah) in prayers. Indeed, the biblical name of the holiday, Shemini Atzeret, is a clear reference to the fact that it falls on the eighth day, counting from the first day of Sukkot.

This dual nature of Shemini Atzeret (both part of Sukkot and apart from it) is reflected in the observances and customs of the day(s).