...On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Sukkot, seven days for the L-RD... on the eighth day, there shall be a holy convocation for you. -Leviticus 23:34
Tishri 22, the day after the seventh day of Sukkot, is
the holiday Shemini Atzeret. In Israel, Shemini Atzeret is also the holiday of
Simchat Torah. Outside of Israel, where extra days of holidays are held, only
the second day of Shemini Atzeret is Simchat Torah: Shemini Atzeret is Tishri 22
and 23, while Simchat Torah is Tishri 23.
These two holidays are commonly thought of as part
of Sukkot, but that is technically incorrect; Shemini Atzeret is a holiday in
its own right and does not involve some of the special observances of Sukkot. We
do not take up the lulav and etrog on these days, and our dwelling in the sukkah
is more limited, and performed without reciting a blessing.
Shemini Atzeret literally means "the assembly of the
eighth (day)." Rabbinic literature explains the holiday this way: our Creator is
like a host, who invites us as visitors for a limited time, but when the time
comes for us to leave, He has enjoyed himself so much that He asks us to stay
another day. Another related explanation: Sukkot is a holiday intended for all
of mankind, but when Sukkot is over, the Creator invites the Jewish people to
stay for an extra day, for a more intimate celebration.
Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah." This
holiday marks the completion of the annual cycle of weekly Torah readings. Each
week in synagogue we publicly read a few chapters from the Torah, starting with
Genesis Ch. 1 and working our way around to Deuteronomy 34. On Simchat Torah, we
read the last Torah portion, then proceed immediately to the first chapter of
Genesis, reminding us that the Torah is a circle, and never ends.
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