Wishing you a Good Moed - Moadim Lesimchah, a good New Year, Good Yom Tov - Chag Sameach - an exuberant Simchat Torah!! We look forward to seeing you at Shul!

May we celebrate the holidays in Jerusalem!!

Rabbi Yakov & Shulamit Kirschenbaum 

A Deeper Look at Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah

One holiday or two? Do we eat in the Sukkah? What are we celebrating?

Painting by Zalman Kleinman | Courtesy Zev Markowitz / Chai Art Gallery

For [the] seven days [of Sukkot] you shall bring a fire offering to G‑d. On the eighth day, it shall be a holy convocation for you... It is a [day of] detention.

—Leviticus 23:36



[G‑d says to Israel,] "I have detained you [to remain] with Me." This is analogous to a king who invited his sons to feast with him for a certain number of days, and when the time came for them to leave, he said: "My sons! Please, stay with me just one more day; it is difficult for me to part with you!"

—Rashi's commentary ad loc

After the seven-day holiday of Sukkot, we celebrate an independent one-day holiday, called "Shemini Atzeret." Outside of Israel, as is the case with almost all Biblical holidays, an extra day is added to this holiday (see Why are holidays celebrated an extra day in the Diaspora?), and this day is known as "Simchat Torah." Although this holiday directly follows Sukkot, it is not actually part of Sukkot.

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