Sh'minei Atzeret

Sh'minei Atzeret —
Assembly of the Eighth Day

Countdown to Sh'minei Atzeret
October 10, 2009

(Days : Hours : Minutes : Seconds)

SH'MINEI ATZERET (Tishri 22) — The "Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly"-Festival observed the day after Chag Sukkot. In Yisra'el, Sh'minei Atzeret marks the completion of the annual cycle of Torah reading which is celebrated on Simchat Torah in the Diaspora.

Vayikra 23:36
³⁶For a seven-day period you shall offer an Eshayah-Offering to HASHEM, on the eighth day there shall be a holy convocation for you and you shall offer an Eshayah-Offering to HASHEM,
Commandment 391
B’midbar 29:36-38
³⁶You shall offer an Olah-Offering, an Eshayah-Offering, a satisfying aroma to HASHEM: one bull, one ram, seven lambs within their first year, unblemished. ³⁷Their Minchah-Offering and libations for the bull, the ram, and the seven lambs shall be in their proper numbers, as required. ³⁸One he-goat for a Chatat-offering; aside from the continual Olah-Offering, its Minchah-Offering and its libation.

Sh'minei Azaret, believe it or not, is nothing more than the final day of Chag Sukkot. It also is the celebration of Yeshua's B'rit Milah. See Chag Sukkot for additional details.

Timeline:

Tishri 15 — Chag Sukkot (Yeshua Born)
Tishri 16 — Chag Sukkot Day 2
Tishri 17 — Chag Sukkot Day 3
Tishri 18 — Chag Sukkot Day 4
Tishri 19 — Chag Sukkot Day 5
Tishri 20 — Chag Sukkot Day 6
Tishri 21 — Hoshanah Rabbah
Tishri 22 — Sh'minei Azaret (B'rit Milah performed on Yeshua)
Tishri 23 — Simchat Torah

Now, since on Chag Sukkot, you build a sukkah, on Sh'minei Azaret, you build a Sh'minei...just kidding! There's no such thing (I hope). For some reason, Sh'minei seems to be linked to water. On Sh'minei, the Amidah is lengthened to include, Geshem, a prayer begging for water. My conservative prayerbook (boy, would I like an Artscroll siddur!) calls this "The Festival of Rain." The geshem seems to be asking for rain; yet at the same time it asks for salvation, and the holy spirit! "B' (patriarch's name) al tamna mayim": For so-and-so's sake, send water.

Yochanan 7:37-38
³⁷On the last day, that great day of the feast, Yeshua stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Hmmm. Of course, this was the festival of water pouring back in the temple, where people danced with torches all night long. Of course, this is probably where Simchat Torah came from. It's less dangerous to dance with a Sefer Torah if you have a beard, than a torch!

Yesha’yahu 12:3-6
³You can draw water with joy from the springs of salvation. ⁴And you will say on that day “Give thanks to HASHEM, declare His Name, make His acts known among the peoples; declare that His Name is exalted! ⁵Make music for HASHEM, for He has acted with grandeur; make this know throughout the world. ⁶Exult and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is great in your midst!”

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