Yes – there’s more!
Can you name the holidays this month? Hint: all the named days (except for the intermediate days of Sukkot) number six! One that might not have made your list is Shemini Atzeret (it falls on October 14). Even in the Torah, it appears to be a bit of an afterthought, tagged on to the end of Sukkot in some passages, missing in others. Translating the Hebrew is a bit of a challenge: does it mean the “eight day of assembly” or the “eighth day to stop/tarry?” Either definition can be derived from the Hebrew. So, is it a final holiday that officially ends Sukkot or is it a time to linger in the lovely afterglow of Sukkot? The answer is both….and! Confused yet? Welcome to Judaism!
When there is confusion, robust and creative interpretations abound. Traditional sages dove into this inconsistency and provided some beautiful reflections. I want to capture two of them for this writing.
The first is that Shemini Atzeret is the final closing of the gates of repentance. Though we celebrate Ne’ilah (literally the locking of the gates) as the final service of Yom Kippur, many interpreters suggest that the gates are not really closed – we can still cleanse our souls through Shemini Atzeret. And, despite the suggestion of an extended but final reprieve, prayers throughout the year continue to emphasize that God wants repentance every day. My takeaway from these constantly extending deadlines for repentance is that each creates urgency to motivate us; the gates are never truly closed and our earnest efforts to be our best selves must extend through Yom Kippur to the other 364 days of the year. Our response to the cruelty in the world around us must be our kindness to each other.
The second is that Shemini Atzeret is a day for tarrying or lingering. If you were with us for Ne’ilah – you experienced a packed sanctuary. Voices raised in prayer, kids playing in the aisles, silence for the shofar blasts, cheering when the long blast ended. The crowds were a wonderful affirmation of our joy in being Jewish. Even though many of us were battling hunger pangs, we shmoozed, wished each other a Shanah Tovah, and celebrated our communal ties. In other words, we lingered – “Yom Kippur Atzeret”—the lingering of Yom Kippur!
So here’s an insight for 5786 (the new year’s number): linger with us. Showing up matters. Seeing each other’s faces uplifts, inspires, and reaffirms the community. Come for Shabbat (Friday evening or Saturday morning), come to study, learn, play; join us to socialize; gather as we enjoy Jewish (and sometimes not-so-Jewish) experiences around our culturally rich city. Bring your kids, your grandkids to do a tikkun olam project – the list is endless, we are a busy place! Check out the Center for Tikkun Olam web page for a constantly updating list of opportunities (for easy reference, please click here).
And finally, be gentle with one another. We have widely diverse beliefs, perspectives, attitudes – let’s gather with love, patience, and curiosity—healing a fragmented world begins with each of us.
Rabbi Ron Stern