Shemini Atzeret - Core Concepts

For seven days you will offer a fire-offering to God; on the eighth day, it shall be a sanctified invocation for you, and you will offer a fire-offering to God. A finale it shall be; all creative work you shall not do.

35) On the eighth day, a finale shall be for you; you shall not perform any formative activity.

(36) And you will bring close a fire-offering Olah as a pleasant fragrance to God: one bullock, one ram, seven young sheep – wholesome.

…And in the way of truth, [it means] "Since in six days did God make the Heavens and the Earth" (Ex. 20:11), and the seventh is Shabbat; and [since] it has no match, the community of Israel is its match, as it is stated, "and the earth" - and behold, it is the eighth. "It is a convocation," since everything is stored (ne'etsar) there.

And He commanded seven days on the Festival of Matzot, with holiness before them and after them, 'since they are all holy and amongst them is the Lord.' And He counted from it forty-nine days - seven weeks - like the days of yore, and He sanctified the eighth, like the eighth [day] of the Festival (Sukkot). And the days that are counted between them are like the intermediate days of the festival (Chol HaMo’ed) between the first and eighth day of the Festival. And it is the day of the giving of the Torah, on which He showed them His great fire. And therefore, in every place, our rabbis, may their memory be blessed, called the Festival of Weeks, the convocation - as it is like the eighth day of [Sukkot], that the verse called the same. And this is [the meaning of] their statement (Chagigah 17a), "The eighth [day of Sukkot] is a holiday on its own, with regard to lots, time, festival, sacrifice, song and blessing, [but] it is a time of making up the first [days]," since it is an emanation of the first [days], but it is not like their unity. And therefore in Parshat Kol HaBechor (Deut. 16:15), it mentions in the three pilgrim festivals, The Festival of Matzot, the Festival of Shavuot and the Festival of Sukkot, seven days [of Sukkot]” and it does not mention the eighth [day] – since there it states, "every one of your males should be seen etc.” – this is clear.

Now, Shemini Atzeret follows the seven days of Sukkot, just as from the seven days of Pesach we count seven week and the fiftieth day which is the day of Giving the Torah (Shavuot) follows them. And the days counted in between are like the Chol HaMo’ed between the first and eighth days [of Sukkot]. It is for this reason that Chazal refer to Shavuot as “Atzeret” just as Shemini Atzeret which is called this in the verses. This teaches you that Shemini Atzeret weighs out equal to the day of Giving the Torah, and both are called Atzeret.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It would have been fitting for the Atzeret of Sukkot to have been at a distance of fifty days [from the beginning of Sukkot], similar to the Atzeret of Pesach. However, since the Atzeret of Sukkot is arrived at while we are heading from summer into winter, there isn’t enough time to leave [the Beit HaMikdash] and return… Regarding the Atzeret of Pesach, since we are heading from winter to summer, God said: “There is enough time to leave and return”. Whereas the Atzeret of Sukkot, since we are heading from summer into winter and the dirt roads are difficult, therefore it is not fifty days apart – said God: “There isn’t enough time to come and go; rather, while you’re already here, let’s make the whole thing into one great time, and celebrate!”

Rabbi Levi said: The Holy One wished to give Israel a Mo’ed during each month of the summer: in Nissan He gave them Pesach, in Iyar He gave them Pesach Katan, in Sivan He gave them Atzeret (Shavuot); in Tamuz He intended to give them a great Mo’ed, but they made the golden calf and thus Tamuz, Av, and Elul were left dormant. Tishrei then came and He paid Israel back with Rosh HaShana, Yom HaKippurim and the Chag (i.e. Sukkot). Said the Holy One: “Would I pay back other months’ Moadim [within Tishrei], and not provide one for Tishrei itself? Let’s give it its own day – ‘on the eighth day, a cessation shall be for you’.” This is [also] referenced in the verse (Eccl. 11:2), “Give a portion for seven, and also an eighth”.

And so, we find that the Moadim were only given to Yisrael for our own enjoyment. Said the Holy One: those of you who took pleasure in my Mo’ed are the ones to whom I'll give another one next year! As it says (Ex. 13:10), “And you will safeguard this law in its’ season, from year to year” – [meaning,] you can repeat it each year.

One bullock, one ram. These correspond to Yisrael, [as if to say] “Stay with me a little longer”. This has a tone of endearment, like children leaving their father who says to them, “Your departure is so difficult for me! Stay one more day.” This is analogous to a king who makes a feast etc., as appears in Tractate Sukkah.

R. Eliezer said: these seventy calves correspond to whom? They correspond to the seventy primal nations. A single calf, why? This corresponds to the singular nation (i.e. Israel). This is analogous to a human king who says to his servants, “Make for me a grand feast”, and on the last say he says to his beloved, “Make me a small meal, so that I may take pleasure in just you!”

Rabbi Yochanan said: Woe to the nations of the world, who lost something and do not know what they lost! When the Temple was standing, the [seventy bulls offered on the] altar [during Sukkot] atoned for them. But now that the Temple is destroyed, who atones for them?

“And who is like Your people Israel, a unique nation on earth” (Chron. I 17:21). The community of Israel said in front of the Holy One, blessed is He, “You should add festivals for us, and we shall bring offerings before You as is fitting. ‘You have been honored’ (Is. 26:16) – You have given us new moons, and we offered before You, as it says (Numb. 28:11), ‘And on new moons.’ You gave us Pesach, and we have offered to You; You have given us Shavuot, and we have offered to You; You have given us Rosh HaShana, and we have offered to You; You have given us Yom Kippur, and we have offered to You. And so too on the Festival [of Sukkot]. We have not ignored the offerings for even one festival!” The Community of Israel therefore said, “You should add festivals for us, and we shall bring offerings before You and honor You!” [Therefore, it says] “You have added to the nation and been honored” (Is. 26:16) – The Holy One, blessed is He, said to Yisrael, “By your lives! I will not take away holidays [from you]; rather, I will add festivals for you to rejoice in them, as it says (Numb. 29:35), ‘On the eighth day you shall have a finale.’”

“On the eighth day you shall have a finale” (Numb. 29:35). This text is related to, “In return for my love they denounce me, but I am prayer” (Ps. 109:4). You find that on Sukkot, Yisrael would offer seventy bulls for the seventy nations. Yisrael said in front of the Holy One, blessed is He, “We are offering seventy bulls for the seventy nations. Therefore, they should love us. But it’s not enough that they do not love us – they also hate us, as it says, ‘In return for my love they denounce me.’ (Ps. 109:4).” Therefore, the Holy One, blessed is He, said to them, “For seven days of the festival you have offered sacrifices to Me for the nations of the world. But now, you are to bring offerings for yourselves, as it says (Numb. 29:35-36), “and the eighth day shall be a finale for you…”

“And you will bring close a fire-offering Olah as a pleasant fragrance to God: one bullock, one ram…” – This is analogous to a king who has made a banquet for seven days inviting all of the population for the banquet.... When the seven days of party are finally over, he says to his lover, “Well, we’ve taken care of our dues to the countrymen; how about you and I just enjoying each other and make do with whatever you can find – maybe a bit of meat or some fish or vegetables?” So does the Holy One tell Yisrael: all these offerings you’ve brought during the seven days of Sukkot were for the nations of the world; but “on the eighth day” let’s make do with whatever you can find... a single bull and a single ram.”

And the final day of the festival (i.e. Atzeret) has its’ own lottery [for which Kohanim perform the service], its’ own time, its’ own pilgrimage [requirements], its’ own offering, its’ own song [sung by the Levi’im], and its’ own blessing, as it says (Kings I 8:66), “On the eighth day he sent off the nation, and the king blessed them”.