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A Jew and a Moslem were arguing about who has more holidays. The Moslem said, “For every holiday we have, I’ll
give you a slap, and for every holiday you have, you give me a slap. Ready?”
“Sure,” said the Jews. “Begin.”
The Moslem began enumerating his holidays, slapping the Jew for each one. “Mawlid marks the birthday of the
prophet Mohammad, Isra and Mi’raj, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha.” After five slaps, he was done.
The Jew silently suffered the slaps and then said, “Now, my turn,” and he grasped the beard of his opponent and
began to count, “Pesach – seven days, seven slaps; Lag B’Omer; Shavuos; Rosh Hashana – two days; Yom Kippur;
Sukkos – seven slaps; Shemini Atzeres, another slap, Simchas Torah, another slap; Chanuka – eight days; 15 Shevat;
Purim – two days, 12 Roshei Chodesh, 12 slaps.
“Enough!” yelled the Moslem. “Okay, you have more holidays.”
“I didn’t finish! This year is a leap year so you get another slap for Purim Katan…”
THE EIGHTH OR A NEW BEGINNING?
Sukkos is the longest holiday of all Jewish holidays. Even in Eretz Yisrael, Sukkos is celebrated for eight days, not to
mention outside of Eretz Yisrael and yom tov sheini shel galuyos which extends it to nine days. After so many
celebrations and meals, simcha and dancing, many people might feel they need a vacation from the holidays… until
Pesach or at least until Chanuka…
Is there something good and positive about such a long holiday? Is there something redemptive lurking here? Is
there spiritual significance hidden within this eight-day holiday?
Our Sages taught us that regarding certain things we consider Shemini Atzeres a holiday onto itself. That means that,
on the one hand, Shemini Atzeres is considered, at least the way we look at it, as a direct continuation to Sukkos.
Shemini Atzeres, as the name implies, is the eighth day of Sukkos. On the other hand, Sukkos does not have an
eighth day; Sukkos (like Pesach) is only seven days!
Shemini Atzeres is “a holiday in its own right,” a separate holiday in its own right which is why we say shehechiyanu
again, and it’s just that it falls out after the seven days of Sukkos. That means that Shemini Atzeres is a somewhat
confused holiday, suffering from split-personality or divided-attention. It’s a continuation of something but also
something new! And it’s all alluded to in the number of days of the holiday…
The difference in Torah between the number seven and the number eight is alluded to in the Gemara (Erachin 13b)
where it says that the kinor instrument of the Mikdash had seven strings and that of Yemos HaMoshiach will have
eight, as it says, “Lamenatzeiach al ha’sheminis.” The number seven, alludes to the full cycle-of-life in this world, the
seven days of the week, seven years of Shemitta, the seven days of Creation, etc.
The number eight alludes to the supernatural, the unbound, elevation beyond the rational. In Kabbala too, we find
that the eighth sefira, if we count the sefiros going upward, is the sefira of binah which the Zohar calls, “alma
d’cheiru,” a world of freedom from the restrictions of creation and exile. Shemini Atzeres (and Simchas Torah,

outside of Eretz Yisrael) allude to our connection with the Geula, our connection to the number eight and the
supernatural. This is the ability that every Jew has to overcome the restrictions of exile and live in a Geula manner,
against the odds and beyond reason.
There is another important difference between Sukkos and Shemini Atzeres, a difference that even a little child
notices. On Sukkos, we live in a “temporary dwelling.” According to halacha, the sukka needs to be a temporary
dwelling (no need to be mehader in this…). The sukka needs to be stable, yet not permanent. On Shemini Atzeres (or
on Simchas Torah outside of Eretz Yisrael), we go back inside to our permanent dwelling. The difference between
these two situations is micro-cosmic metaphor for something much deeper.
COMING HOME ON THE EIGHTH DAY
This is actually the difference between exile and the era of Geula. The true, natural state of every Jew is living in the
Geula, living with complete abundance and expansiveness, without fear, lack or deprivation. Life in the time of exile,
although the time is somewhat overlong (or extremely overlong) is a “temporary dwelling,” an abnormal state which
we cannot get used to. Our permanent dwelling is in the Geula. That’s where we belong and to where we are
returning. Our lives now are like a “sukka,” a situation that is unsustainable and intolerable, which must end.
With this in mind, the transition from the seven days of Sukkos to Shemini Atzeres is a transition from our temporary
dwelling in galus to our permanent dwelling in Geula. Like the kinor of seven strings of the Beis HaMikdash, like the
seven days of Sukkos, which represent our limited lives now, as opposed to the kinor of eight strings, which
represent Shemini Atzeres and a life which is far better, far happier, far more perfect!
From all this, we can learn a wonderful lesson in connection to bringing the Geula. The days of Sukkos are Yomim
Tovim, happy days, “the days of our rejoicing.” In Chassidus and Kabbala we learn about the revelations associated
with sukka, about the “drawing down” of “G-d consciousness” for the entire year, about the encompassing light
which surrounds all who enter the sukka, which doesn’t allow any Chabadnik to sleep… But after all that, and despite
all the amazing spiritual elevation, it is still an exile state! It’s a still a temporary dwelling! It is still not our real place.
As for us, even if someone were to come and say it’s good, he is living a very satisfying life, a very spiritual life, a life
full of service of G-d, Torah study, mitzvos with hiddur. He is not lacking Moshiach and the Geula, G-d forbid…
We will tell him that living in a sukka is good for a week… Then, we need to go home! We can’t remain stuck in a
“temporary dwelling” forever. We need to celebrate “Shemini Atzeres,” life on the eighth level, in the permanent
dwelling of the Geula!
On the other hand, some will despair and say, “Where are we and where is the Geula?” And how can they
contribute something toward bringing it? To them we say that “Shemini Atzeres” alludes to the Geula and yet we
celebrate it here and now, even though we are still in exile. That means that each of us has the ability to live right
now on the spiritual level of the true and complete Geula. Every Jew can accomplish the bringing of Yemos
HaMoshiach even while he is still in exile, as in the parable of the Rebbe Maharash of a person who has a locked box
of gems and the key to the box. He can open the box whenever he wants. The same is true for us. Although we are
in exile, living in a temporary sukka, we have the key to the Geula. We can leave the sukka and enter… Simchas
Torah with the Geula shleima!
TO CONCLUDE WITH A STORY
We will end with a story about the ability of every Jew, mainly a Chassid, to rise above the limitations of nature and
live a life of Geula, even in circumstances that are hard, and especially the days of Atzeres and Simchas Torah.
It was Hoshana Raba in 5713/1952 when the Chassid, Rabbi Asher Sossonkin was sentenced for his “crimes” in
promoting Judaism, and was sent to a labor camp in Siberia. About 3000 prisoners were in this camp and they were

divided into groups called brigades who were overseen by a brigadier who himself was a prisoner.
That day, R’ Asher was transferred to a different barrack and was added to a new brigade. He overheard a
conversation between one of the prisoners and the new brigadier. The prisoner said, “On Saturday, only eleven of us
will work. This Jew does not work on Shabbos.”
The brigadier replied, “He won’t play around with me. He will work on Saturday.”
The prisoner said, “You’re better off not starting up with him, so you won’t become a laughingstock.”
The next day, Shemini Atzeres, the brigadier went to R’ Asher and said, “Get ready; we’re going out to work in a few
minutes.” R’ Asher said that he couldn’t go to work that day.
“Will you work tomorrow?” asked the brigadier.
“No.”
“Why? Today and tomorrow are not Saturday!”
R’ Asher explained that these were the last days of the holiday and he could not work.
The brigadier said, “I’m willing to let you not work but you have to go out with everyone to the labor site.” R’ Asher
agreed.
About 200 workers arrived at the labor site. It was a huge area, fenced in by barbed wire, and had many buildings in
various stages of construction. R’ Asher entered one of these structures and began davening the tefilla of Shalosh
Regalim. He was immersed in prayer and didn’t notice the passage of time.
Suddenly, a member of the group burst in and began talking rapidly with fear in his eyes.
“What are you doing here? Don’t you know that it’s lunchtime? The count shows that you are missing and the watch
commander is furious. He even threatened the brigadier to put him in solitude for fifteen days! The brigadier is
pleading for his life but the watch commander puts the responsibility on him. Come quickly. Perhaps you can still
show up and the officer won’t be angry at him any longer.”
The two men raced to the lineup area where the brigadier was standing, pale and frightened.
“Is that how you repay a favor?”
R’ Asher apologized and explained that he had been immersed in prayer and didn’t notice the time. The brigadier
was assuaged and ordered that the prisoners be served their meal. He told R’ Asher to stand next to him. R’ Asher
was nervous. If the officer was so angry at the brigadier to the point that he wanted to punish him with fifteen days
in solitude, what would be with him? He considered running and hiding until things cooled off but was afraid he
would get into more trouble.
As his thoughts raced, the officer passed near them. R’ Asher felt his blood freeze in his veins. He quietly looked at
the officer and anticipated the worst. To his surprise, nothing happened. The officer gave him a look, smiled, and
went on his way without saying a word. When the meal was finished, the brigadier put R’ Asher in the charge of two
prisoners who were chopping trees and threatened them to be sure he did not disappear again.
Having no choice, R’ Asher stayed put and began thinking about the holiness of the day, about the prayers said by
Jews in shul. All were happy, singing and dancing in honor of Simchas Torah. “What sort of Simchas Torah do I have

here? If only I could sing a happy song in honor of the day.”
One of his guards said to him, “You’re supposed to work like us and it’s only because of your holiday that you are
exempt. At least sing a nice Jewish song for us.” R’ Asher thanked G-d in his heart and happily acceded to the
request. He began singing a Hakafos tune and put his hands together as though holding a Sefer Torah. He closed his
eyes and danced in a circle.
“The goyim will think I am dancing in their honor but I am dancing in honor of the Torah,” he thought. When he
finished, the goyim clapped and shouted, “Bravo!”
That was only the beginning of the joy. As all the prisoners gathered at the end of the workday for roll call, one of
the guards called out to his friends, “This Jew knows how to sing very nicely. Ask him and you’ll see for yourself.”
This was meant to appease the prisoners for the meal that was delayed because of R’ Asher.
R’ Asher didn’t wait for another invitation. He began a lively dance and sang Hakafos tunes with his eyes closed. It
was odd to see this Jew sing and dance as a crowd of 200 prisoners clapped to the rhythm.
In the moment, the Chassid forgot that he was a prisoner, he forgot the camp and forgot Siberia. He only
remembered the fact that he was a Jew and that it was Simchas Torah. In his heart and soul he felt that he was
dancing in the Beis Medrash of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, as he always did.
Good Yom Tov!

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