So You Want to Celebrate Shāmini Atzeret & Simchat Torah
This post is for people who are Jewish, converting to Judaism, seriously interested in Jewish conversion, or are Jewish-Adjacent (part of an interfaith family, etc.). It is **not** for gentiles who wish to ādeepen their connection to Jesusā or any similar reason uninvolved with genuine interest in becoming a part of the tribe or participating with loved ones, as that is a form of cultural appropriation. Thank you for your understanding. Gentiles CAN, however, reblog!Ā
Youāve celebrated Rosh Hashanah. You observed the Days of Awe. You fasted on Yom Kippur. Youāve rejoiced in Sukkot. But, nope - Tishrei aināt done yet!Ā
Learn what Shāmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah areĀ
While Simchat Torah is actually fairly easy to understand, in a lot of ways Shāmini Atzeret is one of the most conceptually difficult Jewish holidays to understandĀ
They can either be two festivals on one day, or back-to-back festivalsĀ
If you live in Israel, they are the same day, the day after SukkotĀ
If you live in the Diaspora, usually theyāll be different days: Shāmini Atzeret will be the day after Sukkot, and then Simchat Torah will be the day after that. So, in order:
Sukkot Day 7 (Hoshana Raba)Ā
Shāmini Atzeret (Day 8)
If you live in the Diaspora and are in Reform, usually your congregation will combine Shāmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah into one day. So, for most reform Jews & Israeli Jews (plus some other outliers):Ā
Sukkot Day 7 (Hoshana Raba)
Shāmini Atzeret &Ā Simchat Torah (Day 8)
Look into your community/congregation and see how they celebrate the holidayĀ
Regardless of how many days this time of year is, itās a Yom Tov - a holy day with most of the same provisions as Shabbat. So if you celebrate two days, both are Yomim Tovim; if you celebrate the one, itās just the oneĀ
This marks the end of theĀ āHigh Holy Day Seasonā; even though the time of teshuvah finished with Hoshana Raba, Shāmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah mark the end of the Tishrei Holiday Extravaganza, and also mark the renewal of the Torah cycle, which fits with the theme of a New Year. But Iām getting ahead of myselfĀ
So what is Shāmini Atzeret? Is it itās own holiday? Or is it just the eighth day of Sukkot? What is it for? These are the hard-hitting questionsĀ
Well, Shāmini means Eighth, so in a lot of ways yes, itās the eighth day of Sukkot
Basically, in the Torah, it is stated on the eighth day of the Sukkot festival, there would be another holy occasion - literally a holy convocationĀ
The Rabbis explained it as such:Ā
HaShem invites the entirety of the universe - all living things, all people, everything - to be with Them for a week, to celebrate for a weekĀ
But, on the eighth day, when everyone else leaves, HaShem invites the Jewish people to stay another dayĀ
So Sukkot is a holiday for all mankind; but the Jewish people stay an extra day, Shāmini Atzeret, for an intimate celebrationĀ
Another explanation: it is a day to store up, and gather, all the joy and gratitude and love we felt during the High Holy Day season, and to store it up for the year ahead, especially the next month or so, because we donāt get another holiday until Chanukah in like, nearly two monthsĀ
So, while itās attached to Sukkot, and shares many connections to Sukkot, itās very differentĀ
There is no more shaking of the Lulav and the EtrogĀ
Depending on the custom of your community, you either stop using the sukkah, or you continue to use the sukkah - but either way, you donāt use the blessing for dwelling in itĀ
You also recite the memorial prayer if you have someone to remember (ie, someone who died), Yizkor - we donāt have this ceremony during Sukkot
Finally, we change the prayer from Morid Hatal to Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hagashem in the Amidah - fromĀ āyou rain dew upon usā toĀ āyou cause the wind to shift and rain to fallāĀ
So we start praying for rain during the winter season, as that is vital to Israeli agricultureĀ
It is a day to celebrate the unique relationship between HaShem and the Jewish peopleĀ
And itās, finally, a day to just rest. Tishrei has been exhausting. Take a day for you.Ā
Simchat Torah is significantly easier to understand! Itās the day we restart the Torah cycle
We read the last Parsha of the Torah - Parsha VāZot HaBerachah - when Moses blesses the people, wishes them goodbye, goes up to Mount Nebo, looks at Israel, and dies; and Joshua takes his placeĀ
We read the beginning of the book of Joshua as the Haftarah - so we continue the story right off the bat
We also read the very beginning of the bible - Parsha Bereshit - the myth of the worldās creation. So we start the cycle over again!Ā
So we rejoice in the Torah!
We donāt just study a lot of Torah - though, letās be real, studying Torah is a joy in and of itself - we literally party it upĀ
There are two holidays associated with getting drunk in Judaism - Purim, and Simchat Torah
There are processions around the synagogue with Toratot - multiple Torah scrolls.Ā
As many people as possible are given an aliyah - a blessing over the Torah reading - even children!Ā
People dance behind the procession, around the synagogue, in processions called hakafot (usually 7 of them), and children are even given stuffed or toy Torah scrolls so they also can carry!Ā
We express our joy in receiving Torah, and getting to study it anew, year after year after yearĀ
Wait, hold up - why do we do this here? Why not on Rosh Hashanah (the new year) or on Shavuot (the day we celebrate receiving the Torah)?
Well, the history is quite interesting, in my opinionĀ
Essentially, during the time after the Babylonian Exile, it became common practice to read through the entirety of the Torah during the Sukkot festivalĀ
This is kind of ridiculous, and over the years multiple different cycles of Torah readings appeared, one where the whole thing was read in a year, another when it took three years
When the cycle finished, it made sense to start the new cycle again - so that time was centered around Sukkot
As the three-year cycle fell out of favor (though some communities today still use it, though they follow a slightly different one), the holiday gained traction with the single-year cycleĀ
As Shāmini Atzeret is kind of hard to understand, especially since we arenāt actually sure whatĀ āatzeretā means, it became the more notable part of the end of Sukkot holiday setĀ
Because these holidays are connected to Sukkot, and Shāmini Atzeret is described in the Torah (kind of), these are kind of part of the Shalosh Regalim (the three pilgrimage festivals), but also not, because they arenāt when people migrated to the Temple in Jerusalem, but theyāre attached to a holiday that is, and itās also when people would gather to hear the whole Torah? So? Theyāre of roughly the same sanctity at any rateĀ
They also mark the end of the High Holy Day Season, so theyāre connected to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as well, and finishing this time of yearĀ
It is the wrapping up of the holiest month of the year - Tishrei - and the beginning of the new year in earnest, starting a more normal time again, and also starting over the Torah cycle. So it is a complex mixture of holidays - Shāmini Atzeret being Bittersweet, and Simchat Torah being filled of pure uncomplicated bliss - joyful, but also sad, as this especially sacred time comes to an endĀ
The typical greeting for this holiday is Chag Sameach, meaning Happy Festival; you can insert either holiday name to make Chag Shāmini Atzeret Sameach or Chag Simchat Torah Sameach, but those donāt flow off the tongue as wellĀ
Revel in Your Eighth DayĀ
Regardless of whether or not you celebrate Shāmini Atzeret on the same day as Simchat Torah or the day before, definitely take theĀ āEighth Dayā as a day to relax, collect yourself, and enjoyĀ
Meditate and think on your relationship with HaShem - is it as close as the Rabbis say it is to be? Would you like it to be closer? Are you happy?Ā
Remember, regardless of how you approach Jewish theology and the very concept of HaShem, that itās not just about how close the Jewish people are to HaShem - itās also about how close you are to the Jewish people, to Jewish history, and to Jewish custom - so if youāre an atheistic/agnostic Jew, and uncomfortable with my previous point, feel free to reflect on those questions in regards to Judaism insteadĀ
It is an extra day, just for us, just for us to love and be close to each other and to HaShem - feel that sort of peaceful joy, in whatever way you canĀ
If it is your custom, feel free to still enjoy the Sukkah! You canāt say the blessing anymore, but you can still sit in nature, enjoy the peace of the sukkah itself, and take just a little bit too long to say goodbye to the Sukkot seasonĀ
Do things that are fun and relaxing for you - donāt necessarily push yourself, but feel free to practice gentle self-care. Watch a movie you love, take a bubble bath, reading a good book, go on a nice walk outside - just enjoy the day, enjoy our extra day!Ā
Feel free to daven, meditate, study Jewish texts, whatever will make you feel close to HaShem in particularĀ
Since this is a pausing day - a day to rest, to take a break, to catch your breath after the High Holy Days - make sure to do that!Ā
During that meditation and davening I mentioned above, take a minute to reflect on how the High Holy Days went for youĀ
What did you find enlightening? What increased your teshuvah, your returning, to Judaism and to HaShem?Ā
What did you find unsatisfactory? Was there anything you meant to do, but didnāt? How would you like to continue to improve in the upcoming year?Ā
What would you like to take note of, for next year? For Chanukah? For the entirety of the year to come?Ā
What do you feel HaShem (or nature, or your community, or whatever) has been trying to tell you during this month? What has your body, your mind, your soul, been trying to communicate to you? In what ways do you need to improve?Ā
Consider it kind of a Report Card season for the High Holidays - time to check up on yourself!Ā
But still, also make time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak - or the pumpkin spice lattes, whicheverĀ
We are slowly exiting the holy time with HaShem - you know, when you have to leave a friendās house but you donāt really want to so youāre taking your sweet time in putting on your shoes and jacket, that kind of thing. Feel free to take your time during the day - donāt rush so much! Donāt push yourself so much! Take a breath, take a minute, enjoy each and every second of your day, because those are secondsĀ for you!Ā
Just as you should do what makes you happy, you should also do what makes you relaxed - donāt stress yourself out too much on this day!Ā
This is also a day for assembly - so go to the synagogue, and start praying for rain!Ā
It might feel kind of weird to do this if you live in a place where rain really isnāt needed in the time between Shāmini Atzeret and Pesach in the spring, but it connects us with the knowledge of nature - with Israel - and with the entirety of the Jewish peopleĀ
Think about what we need from the upcoming winter season (if youāre in the Northern Hemisphere) - how we need the land to wind down, and relax, and get enough moisture to rejuvenate the plants - but also not necessarily stay cold too long! (Though, with the current problems of global warming, not really a problem, exactly -)Ā
Think of how the land of Israel - regardless of how you feel about the current political situation - requires rain to allow for the proper growing of crops, and how many people of all backgrounds require that the crops grow properlyĀ
Pray for nature to care for us - even as we enter the darkest and sleepiest time of the year, we pray for us and nature to live in harmony, as we get through the colder months out to the other side
(If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, think instead - how do you want rain to rejuvenate you during the time in which the heat grows? How do you want the heat to grow crops, but also not get too intense? How do you want the seasons of growth to proceed?)Ā
Also connect with your community one last time during the High Holidays - close out the season with your community!Ā
ITāS TORAH PARTY TIIIIIIIMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEĀ
We are commanded to LIVE by the Torah and now weāre really going to LIVE!Ā
Seriously itās so rare for Jewish holidays to be filled with so much unbridled joy - yeah, we had that on Sukkot, but this is even more so, because Sukkot still had that underpinning ofĀ ālast chance for teshuvah is on Hoshana Raba everyone LINE UPā and now weāre just likeĀ āokay all thatās done TIME TO DANCEāĀ
Iām not going to really condone drinking to excess but this is one of two times of the year when Judaism encourages it so feel free to do youĀ
Do things that are joyful! Not the kind of relaxed, self-care joyful of Shāmini Atzeret (if youāre celebrating these holidays separately), but a full, bursting joy that you just canāt contain!Ā
Think about how much the Torah gives to the Jewish people - not just good things, but also things to wrestle with, and thus a tradition of argument and discussion - a tradition that has made us who we are today!Ā
TORAH TORAH TORAH TORAH TORAH TORAH -Ā
Letās go over those traditional TEXTS!Ā
What do we read for Shāmini Atzeret?Ā
Deuteronomy 14:22 - 16:17 and Numbers 29:35 - 30:1Ā
These Torah passages go over setting aside food for the Levites, forgiving the debts and releasing the slaves periodically, and setting aside the Shalosh RegalimĀ
The Haftarah is 1 Kings 8:54 - 8:66Ā
This discusses HaShem being with Israel and the people of Israel and King Solomon, and people celebrating the seven-day festival and leaving on the eighth day
So, you know, typical things to read for a chagĀ
Alright, so what do we read for Simchat Torah?Ā
We finish the Torah Cycle!Ā
Deuteronomy 33:1 - 34:12Ā
As I described above - this is Mosheās last blessing
And then he ascends the mountain, sees Israel, and diesĀ
Joshua takes his place, and leads the people into the future, while it is stated that no one will be as great a prophet for the Jews as MosheĀ
HaShem creates the world, living things, and manĀ
HaShem sets apart Shabbat, and declares it holy!Ā
Once again, we go over the eighth day of the Sukkot festivalĀ
And that itās another gathering for Israel, in addition to Sukkot itselfĀ
The beginning of the writings of the Prophets!Ā
Granted, the start of the Neviāim (Prophets) reads more historical than prophetical, but there are still prophet predictions within, and itās not so much an exact history as it is a theological explanation for historical events as remembered by the individuals writing itĀ
Joshua itself is often considered the sixth book of the Torah, as it starts where the Torah ends, and finishes the story of the Israelites settling in the landĀ
This passage in particular describes the preparation of the people for entering Israel, and the agreement of the people to do what needs to be done to take control of the Promised LandĀ
Youāll hear them, of course, if you go to Torah service, but in your down time, try to take a minute to study these texts on your own
Consider what the Torah says about Shāmini Atzeret
Think about Mosheās last speech!Ā
Reflect on the cycles of the Torah, and while the story has an endpoint, we start it all over again as we start over the cycle of itās studyĀ
Take delight in hearing and pondering words of Torah!!!Ā
Attend Simchat Torah Service!Ā
This is where the party is at!Ā
There are services in the evening and in the morning, depending on your synagogue!Ā
There will be so many aliyot you have no ideaĀ
Seriously, everyone comes up to bless the Torah
Check in with your Rabbi if youāre not Jewish yet about whether or not you can go up with one - it depends on the communityĀ
If you are Jewish of course, feel free to go up if an aliyah applies to you!Ā
Being close to the Torah is an awe-inspiring experience - never pass up the chance!Ā
Everyone will dance around the synagogue with ToratotĀ
If youāre called to carry the Torah, it is a huge honor - donāt drop it!Ā
Seriously though thatās really badĀ
If you arenāt called to that, dance behind the Torah! Follow the procession!Ā
TAKE JOY IN THE TORAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHĀ
Sing with everyone! There will be niggunim (wordless melodies) and songs and prayers and just sing!Ā
Feel your kavanah - your intention to take joy in the Torah and the repeat of a new Torah cycle!Ā
These are songs of joy - let the joy fill you as you sing!Ā
Let the joy of the community and of the occasion fill you up, and carry you through to the end of the Tishrei season - bittersweet, to be sure, but still very sweet indeedĀ
If you are begging for more after that Torah study up above, take this as a good time to study Judaism in general!Ā
If youāre in the process of conversion, study what your current texts are for your conversion!Ā
If youāre in the process of returning to Judaism, or coming to it anew because you werenāt raised with it, also study what youāre currently studying!!!Ā
If you just want an excuse to study something - peruse the websites!Ā
My Jewish Learning; Judaism 101; and various websites for different movements such as Reform and Chabad have great wealths of information!Ā
My Jewish Learning even has quizzes you can use to test yourself!Ā
Sefaria has all the texts! All of them! Use it to study original Jewish texts! The Torah is an especially appropriate choice, of courseĀ
Take joy in your studies - Judaism is a tradition of study, and you are carrying on a grand traditionĀ
So much of these holidays are specifically about gathering with the community - Shāmini Atzeret being a season of assembly; and Simchat Torah being when we, as a community, start the Torah cycle over againĀ
So join the community! Come together and rejoice!Ā
Weāre finishing up the season of rejoicing and the High Holy Days - finish the way you started, with your synagogue, community center, friends, or familyĀ
Donāt be afraid to reach out - this is also when the young children in more liberal communities have Consecration, meaning they begin their Jewish studies; itās a good time to begin yours, if youāre just starting!Ā
Donāt Just Listen To MeĀ
I am a simple Jewish nerd drowning in the sheer number of prehistoric ducks that we know about seriously why do I still have a month to go on my dinosaur blog Iām begging for answers HaShem -Ā
I have only my perspectives and only my studies to offer - I am not perfect! I miss things and misrepresent things! I can go on as many sources as I wish, but Iāll never cover everything perfectly - other people have their own insights and perspectives, and theyāre worth learning about!Ā
LEARN FROM ALL. THE. MOVEMENTS. AND. CULTURES. OF. JUDAISM. EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY AND INFORM ABOUT THESE HOLIDAYS!Ā
Read, Engage, and QUESTION EVERYTHING!Ā
Buy the author a coffee: http://ko-fi.com/kulindadromeusĀ