Shemini Atzeret

Q: What is Shemini Atzeret?

Shemini Atzeret (Hebrew: “Eighth Day of the Solemn Assembly”) is a Jewish festival that is supposed to take place on the eighth day of Sukkot , or 22 Tishri. In Conservative and Orthodox Jewish communities outside of Israel , it occurs on the eighth and ninth days after the start of Sukkot. In Israel and Reform Jewish congregations, however, it occurs on the eighth day in conjunction with the holiday Simchat Torah .

Q: What is the biblical origin of Shemini Atzeret?

In the Hebrew Bible it is ordained that Shemini Atzeret should be observed as the eighth day of Sukkot . Sukkot is one of three Pilgrim Festivals that in ancient times involved sacrifices in the Temple of Jerusalem . During Sukkot there were supposed to be 70 sacrifices on the seven days of Sukkot to signify the 70 nations. However, on the eighth day only a single ram and bullock were sacrificed in a ceremony that was supposed to symbolize the Israelites ’ special relationship with God.

Q: What are some observances of Shemini Atzeret today?

During Shemini Atzeret practitioners remain in the huts in which they dwelled or feasted during Sukkot . However, the shaking of lulav (a bundle of tree branches) and etrog (a citron ) is no longer observed. In the synagogue the Yizkor memorial prayer is recited, and there is a special prayer for rain.

Jewish religious festival

Also known as: Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly

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History

What is Shemini Atzeret?

What is the biblical origin of Shemini Atzeret?

What are some observances of Shemini Atzeret today?

Shemini Atzeret, Jewish religious festival that takes place on the eighth day of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), considered by some to be an independent holiday immediately following Sukkot on the 22nd of Tishri. In Israel and among Reform congregations, Shemini Atzeret is observed concurrently with Simchat Torah, the festival that celebrates the end of the yearly cycle of Torah readings. In Conservative and Orthodox communities outside of Israel, Shemini Atzeret is a two-day festival on 22 and 23 Tishri, with the second day coinciding with Simchat Torah.

Origins

Shemini Atzeret comes at the end of Sukkot, one of three Pilgrim Festivals in Judaism during which offerings were made at the Temple of Jerusalem in ancient times. Mention of an eighth day appears in the Hebrew Bible’s descriptions of Sukkot in both Leviticus and Numbers. A distinction was made regarding the number of sacrifices: whereas 70 sacrifices were offered on the first seven days of Sukkot to signify the “70 nations” constituting all humanity, a single ram and a single bullock were sacrificed on the eighth day to symbolize the Israelites’ special relationship to God. In the Talmud, which was compiled after the destruction of the Temple, it is declared that the eighth day of Sukkot is an independent holiday. The development of Shemini Atzeret as a two-day holiday in the Jewish Diaspora is an accommodation for the possibility of discrepancies in determining the dates of the Jewish lunar calendar outside of Israel.

Observances

The sacrifices once performed at the Temple are no longer a part of Sukkot or Shemini Atzeret. During Shemini Atzeret, practitioners remain in the huts (sukkot) as during the preceding week. However, rituals involving the four species (three types of tree branches and an etrog, a citron) that are a central part of Sukkot are no longer performed. Meals may continue to be consumed in the hut, but the blessing of the hut is no longer uttered. In the synagogue on Shemini Atzeret the Yizkor memorial prayer is recited, and there is also a special prayer for rain.