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The mishnah in massechet Sukkah (48a) purports to depict or crystallize the seven-day holiday of Sukkot,("Sukkah shivah keitzad"). Surprisingly, the mishnah focuses not on the salient characteristics of the festival itself, as one would have anticipated, but on the appropriate method of concluding Sukkot and transitioning into Shemini Azeret. While this alone is puzzling, the mystery is compounded by the mishnah's complex prescription that one may not yet dismantle the Sukkah, but that one should begin to evacuate some of its utensils in order to convey anticipation and respect for the upcoming Shemini Azeret. Although respectful preparation for yom tov is a typical requirement, its application here, seemingly at the expense of the prevailing hag, is hardly self-evident. Elsewhere (Vehayita Ach Sameach: The Joy of Shemini Azeret), we have noted that the Rambam (Hilchot Sukkah 6:11,14), in contrast to the Ra'avad and Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 666), requires this as an act of closure per se (rather than as a necessary practical facilitation of Shemini Azeret), perceiving it as an important dimension of the transition between the two holidays. This is particularly intriguing considering that the gemara (Sukkah 28b) and especially the Rambam (Hilchot Sukkah 6:5) project the presence of special utensils in the Sukkah that reflect a tangible symbolic relocation from one's home as a central feature of the mitzvah of Sukkah. The fact that the mishnah in this context designates Shemini Azeret, typically defined as an independent chag (Sukkah 48a), as "yom tov acharon shel chag - the last yom tov of chag ha-Sukkot", is also noteworthy.
These phenomena may be explained (see, also, Vehayita Ach Sameach: The Joy of Shemini Azeret) when Sukkot is perceived within the framework of the rest of the moadim that surround it as part of a process that renews and reinvigorates the spiritual persona and spurs greater religious observance and commitment. Several chachmei Ashkenaz (Maharil, Hilchot Sukkah, Zeror ha-Mor, Parshat Emor) respond to the Ramban's (Emor) query regarding the Tishrei-timing of Sukkot by positing that the Torah intended for various reasons to link zeman simchateinu (time of joy) and the principle of dirat arai (temporary dwelling) with the yamim noraim. Sukkot is thus perceived as eschewing the apparent security and priority of physical permanence and protection, and as reflecting an acute recognition of our dependence upon Hashem, the omnipresence of his hashgachah, and the need to disengage periodically from a more intense physical focus on life. Sukkot absorbs the lessons of the yamim noraim precisely by channeling them in the very different, even opposite manner of simchah yeteirah (excessive joy). The halachot of Hoshanah Rabah revisit the emphasis of the yamim noraim within Sukkot as numerous Yom Kippur themes resonate precisely at the juncture in which Sukkot transitions into Shemini Azeret.
The capacity of Shemini Azeret, absent the sukkah and four minim, to achieve a continuity of avodah be-simchah that is still consistent with the Yom Kippur themes absorbed into Sukkot constitutes a significant further stage in the progression towards internalizing all of Tishrei's themes in a manner that profoundly impacts upon halachic life throughout the entire year. From this perspective, the mishnah's depiction of the essence of seven-day Sukkot by highlighting the method of transition between the chagim of Sukkot and Shemini Azeret, is impressively precise. While the sukkah must remain intact until the very end of the Sukkot period, as the theme of dependence and vulnerability continue to prevail, it is entirely appropriate even from Sukkot's vantage point to anticipate and prepare for the transition. This acknowledgment of the next phase is not a concession but a fulfillment of Sukkot's own telos. In this context, the mishnah specifically refers to Shemini Azeret as "yom tov acharon shel chag" because it is this sense of continuity, notwithstanding the very acute contrast in substance and style that justifies the application of "kavod ha-chag" as an internal factor in Sukkot itself.
This analysis highlights the fact that Sukkot's immediate proximity to Shemini Azeret is intentional. The very designation of "azeret" demonstrates this, as Chazal frequently note. The Torah conjoined the two celebrations to accentuate the dialectic of their simultaneous independence-dependence. Sukkot and Shemini Azeret are independent, even contrasting chagim with respect to the method and motif of their celebration, but that very contrast reflects the spiritual development and progression that constitutes a single kiyum. For this reason, the evidence on Shemini Azeret's dual status vis-a-vis Sukkot is intentionally conflicting both in the written Torah and in halachic literature. [I hope to demonstrate in the future that this complex relationship is crucial for understanding both Sukkot and Shemini Azeret, and especially the interaction between them in issues like ba'al tosif, yom tov sheni shel galuyot, and tosefet yom tov.]
It is possible that this perspective underpins the controversial formulation in tefilah and birkat ha-mazon of Shemini Azeret as "Shemini ha-chag ha-azeret ha-zeh". This designation, found already in Seder Rav Amram Gaon and recorded in the Shulchan Aruch (666), is criticized by some poskim from several perspectives. Some note the absence in the Torah of the term "chag" in connection with Shemini Azeret. They posit that day should be referred to simply as "yom Shemini Azeret ha-zeh". Others express discomfort with the interposing of "chag" between the two words the Torah invokes regarding this holiday. Upon reflection, however, this ancient designation powerfully captures the dialectical character of this chag. Shemini Azeret is precisely a continuation-holdover celebration of Sukkot, the ultimate and default "chag", despite but especially because of its divergent character. It is, indeed, an eighth day that is simultaneously part of the "chag" and an independent as its own parallel and culmination"chag", truly a "chag ha-azeret."