Shmini Atzeres - Holding Back

As I spend my last night as a resident of the Holy Old City [and don't want to go to sleep in order to draw out every last second I can be here] my neshama finds itself in the United States at the wedding of a young man whom I love like my own brother or son - Ariel Jacob, who is marrying Naomi Muroff. This post about simcha is dedicated to this special couple.

Why is the last day of Succos called Shmini Atzeres? The Shmini I understand because it's the eighth day but what about "Atzeres"? What is that name all about??

Rav Hutner established a principal that every holiday is a microcosm of the future when all will be blissful. In his language - כל מועד משמש הכנה ותורת "מעין" ליום שכולו טוב. The pinnacle, the zenith, of those days that are a microcosm of the future is Shmini Atzeres. As Chazal say on this day "נשמח אני ואתם" - we have an intimate meeting with Hashem. Just Him and us. Nobody else. When one thinks about a big day of simcha we see many different phases that lead up to the day of joy. Even during the preparations, even though the goal is still far off, there is still a sense of joy. When you travel to a wedding you can already start tasting the simcha. The focus on the final goal injects the earlier stages with their own sense of joy. 

However, upon almost reaching the final goal one must restrain himself so that the simcha doesn't burst forward as if he already reached the end. This restraint requires effort for there is a fine line that becomes blurred between the actual end and the final stages prior to the end. 

The word "עצרת" comes from the word עצור - stop, hold back. Shmini Atzeres is the שים שלום, the final touchings on all of the holidays which lead us to the יום שכולו טוב - that blissful day of tomorrow which will be forever. This requires restraint. Hold back, we are told. We haven't arrived yet. Since we are already "feeling it" it requires special effort to hold back and not express the ultimate joy that we will one day feel. 

שמיני עצרת.

נשמח אני ואתם. 

A special day of intimacy with Hashem. 

What a joy!

:-)

[מאמרי פחד יצחק קיז]