Shemini Atzeres: Extending Sukkot

We are approaching the end of Sukkot, which means the end of the holiday season that kicks off the Jewish New Year.  Yet just as Sukkot comes to a conclusion, we are called to celebrate one last day, Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah.  What is the purpose of this day?  What is the reason for so many holidays in such quick succession?
 

Here is one idea:

On Rosh Hashana we proclaim God is “Melekh al kol ha’aretz – King over the entire world.”  We do not say He is King of Israel, but over the entire world.  Rosh Hashana is a time of judgment and teshuva not just for the Jews but for all people, as Rabbi Sampson Raphael Hirsch expounds upon in his book, Horeb.  Sukkot, too, has a universalistic aspect.  During the times of the Temple in Jerusalem, over the seven days of Sukkot seventy oxen were brought to the Temple as sacrifices for the seventy nations of the world.  A midrash tells us that the sacrifices are to cause rain to fall upon the lands of all the nations (as Sukkot is the holiday when we begin praying for rain since the rainy season begins in the fall in Israel).  Furthermore, over the seven nights of Sukkot we invite seven usphizin (guests) to visit us in our sukkah – Avraham, Isaac, Jacob, Yosef, Moshe, Aaron, and David.  Why these seven?  Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov says these seven were chosen because they 

wandered from exile to exile, and attain rest only after great toil and travail….  [But] the King of all the worlds grants life and loving-kindness to all the world’s inhabitants.  Can He not then provide rest and security for those who love Him!?  Why did He make [the seven ushpizin] wander, moving them from place to place without rest? 

He did so to enable them to shed light, goodness, and blessing upon all of humanity.

Rabbi Kitov proceeds to explain the characteristics and verses in Tanakh proving this point.

From this we can certainly see the universal aspect of Judaism.  But not to be forgotten is the fact that we don’t just say “Baruch Ata Hashem Melekh al kol ha’aretz – Blessed are You God, King over the entire world.”  We conclude the blessing “Melekh al kol ha’aretz me’kadesh Yisrael – King over the entire world who sanctified Israel (i.e. the Jews).  And it is not the seventy nations of the world that each bringing an individual sacrifice for themselves, but the Jews who are bringing the sacrifices on behalf of all the nations.  It is not the nations of the world praying on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  It is not the nations of the world dwelling in sukkot (huts) on Chag HaSukkot (the holiday of Sukkot).  It is the Jewish people that have been charged to do these things.  It is us, the Jewish nation that has been chosen and accepted the task to lead the world towards God, our Creator.  

And only after we have performed this service for the entire world may we rest.  That is why we have Shemini Azteres/Simchas Torah immediately following the conclusion of Sukkot.  On Shemini Atzeres we leave our sukkot (huts) and return to our homes.  We discard our lulav and esrog, the mitzvoth of the holiday.  We return to our day-to-day life and there are no mitzvoth particular to Shemini Atzeres.  It is just us and God – celebrating, relaxing, enjoying.  From Rosh Hashana through Sukkot we are working on our relationship with God, searching, improving, giving, learning, and bettering.  On Shemini Atzeres, it is all internalized.  We celebrate for one last day – just us and God.  We finish the Torah, dance with the Torah, show our joy and appreciation for the Torah we have been given, which guides us through our lives.