321. It’s Not Succos: The obligation to rest on Shemini Atzeres

Passover is a week long with a day of Yom Tov at each end. Succos is also a week long but only the first day is Yom Tov. The day after Succos, the eighth day, is a separate holiday that we call Shemini Atzeres. (Outside of Israel, we refer to the second day of Shemini Atzeres as “Simchas Torah,” but that’s just a nickname. It’s still called “yom hashemini chag ha’atzeres” in our prayers.) As with other holidays, we are commanded to have a “holy gathering” in which we refrain from labor.

As with the other holidays, the reason we refrain from labor is to free us up to celebrate and to connect with God through the holiday He has given us. Shemini Atzeres is a special day through which we extend the holiday period that ran through Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Succos. Shemini Atzeres is a statement of our reluctance to leave this time of year when we are especially close to God in order to return to our usual daily occupations. (God gave us this holiday because He, too, hates to part – see Rashi on this verse, s.v. “atzeres hi.”)

This mitzvah applies to both men and women in all times and places. It is the topic of Talmudic tractate of Beitza and is also discussed in tractate Makkos (21b-22a). It is codified in the Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chaim 495. This mitzvah is #167 of the 248 positive mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos and #37 of the 77 positive mitzvos that can be observed today in the Chofetz Chaim’s Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar.