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The festival of Shemini Atzeret is both a follow-up to Sukkot and an independent holiday. On the one hand, the Torah calls it the “eighth” (shemini), which implies it is a continuation of the seven days of Sukkot in some way. On the other hand, there are a number of ways in which Shemini Atzeret is a separate holiday. For example, Sukkot’s special mitzvot of sukka and lulav do not apply to it. Therefore, we recite the blessing of She-heĥeyanu in Kiddush at night.
The word “atzeret” is related to “atzara,” a gathering. On Shemini Atzeret, we gather together to bid farewell to the yearly holiday cycle. Let us review this cycle. It begins with Pesaĥ, which commemorates the Exodus. It continues with Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah. Next come the Days of Awe – Rosh Ha-shana and Yom Kippur – which are a time of repentance. They are followed by Sukkot, the Holiday of Ingathering, when we reap the benefits of the year’s physical and spiritual labors and celebrate them (thus spreading joy and blessing throughout the world). On Shemini Atzeret, which wraps everything up, we have a farewell get-together.
From this perspective, it is appropriate to be happier on Shemini Atzeret than on any other holiday. It is on this day, which concludes the yearly cycle of uplifting holidays, that we reach the pinnacle of closeness and connection to God. The joy we experience on Shemini Atzeret does not depend on specific mitzvot, such as the sukka or the four species. Rather, it is a celebration of our being God’s children and His people.
In this festive get-together, we bond with God in a unique way. It is a divine opportunity for our souls to permanently conserve and preserve all the spiritual illumination we have had the privilege of absorbing over the previous year.
The Sages tell us that the seventy bulls offered on Sukkot correspond to the seventy nations of the world (section 7 above), while the single bull offered on Shemini Atzeret corresponds to the singular nation, the Jewish people. This can be compared to a king (God) who invited guests to a party. Everyone living in the palace (the Jewish people) was involved in hosting. Later on, the king said to them, “Up until now, you and I have made efforts on behalf of all the guests. Now we will celebrate for one day, just us.”
On Shemini Atzeret, we recite the Geshem prayer, a liturgical poem which asks for blessing in the upcoming year’s rain. (We also begin mentioning rain in the Amida, which we will continue doing until Passover.) Since the Torah is compared to water, it is proper during Geshem to have in mind spiritual water as well as physical water, so the next year will be blessed with Torah.
