Shmini Azteres is perhaps the most complex and confusing holiday of the year on the Jewish calendar. What is the nature of the day? Are we supposed to view Shmini Azteres as the last day of Sukkos, or as a separate holiday with its own theme, juxtaposed immediately after another holiday?
Every holiday has a symbol or action associated with it. On Pesach we have the matza, on Shavuos we stay up all night learning Torah and have the custom to eat dairy, on Rosh Hashana we blow the shofar, and of course Sukkos has the sukkah and arba minim – but what action or symbol do we associate with Shmini Azteres? A usual place to investigate the essence of a holiday is to examine the text of the liturgy.
However, even Chazal seem to have difficulty defining the day – is it “עצרת שמיני" ,"העצרת חג שמיני "or “ שמיני החג עצרת – “again accenting the confusion over designating the precise theme of the day.
Another good place to begin understanding what a holiday is all about is the Torah reading on that day. However, even this simple exercise is shrouded with uncertainty. When one reads the entire Torah reading backwards and forwards something peculiar appears, or perhaps does notappear – there is no mention of the holiday of Shmini Azteres! Why didn’t Chazal choose the Torah reading from either Parshas Emor or Pinchas in which the holiday is indeed mentioned? Furthermore, the usual practice on the second day of Yom Tov is to begin the selection in Parshas Reeh from “הבכור כל “when the holiday falls out on a weekday, yet we read the portion from תעשר עשר which deals with tzedakkah (charity) and canceling loans during the shmittah year. What is the connection between this Torah reading and Shmini Azteres? There is one final question that must be answered. Although the institution of Simchat Torah came thousands of years after the Jews traveled in the desert, it still requires an explanation as to why the Geonim chose to append it to Shmini Azteres. What is the possible connection between these two seemingly distinct holidays and celebrations?
An added complication that we, especially those of us in galut face, is that although Shmini Azteres is a separate holiday, it is also still considered somewhat of a yom tov sheini (second day observed in the Diaspora) for the last day of Sukkos. This too is quite unusual since the last day of Sukkos is chol hamoed and not a typical yom tov!! The endless number of customs related to our orientation and use of the sukkah on Shmini Azteres also lends to our overall confusion about the holiday. It is also striking that unlike all other holidays, the Rambam does not have a section or chapter dedicated to the laws of Shmini Azteres.
After spending seven days with our arba minim and performing the requisite eged, or binding of the species together, representative of the different facets of our people,we bind ourselves together as one people with Hashem. Unlike the other holidays in which the kedushat hayom is focused on 'לה מקרא קודש or the pasuk simply says “לכם תהיה עצרת ,it is a day of detention.”
As such, the theme of Shmini Azteres is achdut, and we therefore gather together an extra day for the simple purpose of spending an additional day together. We can now explain the protracted reading beginning with “תעשר עשר “even on a weekday, because the focus of these earlier pesukim are on the needy and less fortunate and our collective responsibility to care for them as our own:
This approach also clarifies the absence of maase mitzvos on Shmini Azteres. Since the essence of the holiday is to focus on our basic relationships with our fellow Jews and we do not need the excitement and fanfare provided by external objects or ceremonies. Therefore, even though the actual holiday of Shmini Azteres does not appear in this Torah portion, its main theme of unity and oneness are reflected both at the beginning and end. Our true expression of simcha is not when we dance with the lulav but when we rejoice with the convert, orphan and widow.
Another approach to our “gathering” on Shmini Azteres is found in the writings of Rav S. R. Hirsch.20 “We accordingly think we are not wrong if we take azteres to designate a day which is not fixed to bring new lessons and new truths for us all to accept and assimilate, but which has the mission to keep us still before the Presence of God – with this the idea of ממלאכה עצירה would certainly apply – to strengthen and solidify the impressions and knowledge we have already gained, so that they remain with us permanently, and do not become lost in the hurly-burly of life….The purpose of azteres is accomplished by our realizing once again all that we have gained by the festival, and by the firm resolution not to allow ourselves to be robbed in the turmoil and struggle and work our lives of what we have won….Shmini Atzeres would come to tell us, once again to summarize and gather to ourselves all the thoughts and messages and resolutions which the moadim of the whole year have brought to us and to resolve to persevere and hold fast to them before God, To impress them so deeply in our hearts that they become an unassailable part of ourselves which cannot become lost in the course of the ordinary run of our yearly life on which we are now entering.”
Shmini Azteres is the culmination of the holiday season. Therefore, all the lessons that we have gained, starting with Pesach and ending with Sukkos are to be contemplated and internalized during Shmini Azteres.
It is for this reason that the holiday is not accompanied with any mitzvah items that may detract or distract us from this process. Shmini Azteres is a time to reflect upon and somehow integrate into ourselves the sometimes opposite themes of yirah vafachad, fear and trepidation, associated with the yemei hadin and at the same time the simcha yeseira of Sukkos.
This final holiday, without the fanfare or excitement often generated by other festivals, with a Torah reading that does not even mention its name, charges us with the duty to incorporate all the ideas we have studied, sermons we have heard, and emotions we have felt, into our daily lives as we return to the “hurly-burly of life.” The word for a stop sign in Hebrew is “aztor”, because it engages us to stop before continuing on our way. Shmini Azteres is a time to stop and reflect and to uplift our mundane lives with the spirituality it deserves. The best way to ensure that our lives will be infused with spirituality and meaning is through our dedication to Talmud Torah. For example, by studying the Shulchan Aruch, we become aware of the myriad laws that we encounter on a daily basis in our work place and with our dealings with others. Additionally, the ultimate expression of synthesis of the opposing themes of “yirah” and “simcha” is portrayed through our daily commitment to the study of Torah. The orders of the Lord are upright, causing the heart to rejoice;. Psalms 19:9 ִפּ ֵ קּוּדי ה' יְ ָשׁ ִרים ְמ ַשׂ ְמּ ֵחי ֵלב תהלים פרק יט פסוק ט On the one hand, we must approach the study of Torah with fear and trepidation, on the other hand, engaging in serious Torah study provides us the greatest enjoyment!
Perhaps these are two themes that we should reflect upon while dancing with the Torah celebrating the culmination of the holiday cycle on Shmini Azteres and Simchat Torah.