The Sukkot holiday is concluding with a potentially bewildering calendar configuration:
Tonight and tomorrow is the last official day of Sukkot but it has an important overlay of being yet another day of judgment, yet another chance to make good on our resolution to become better people and regret our past misdeeds. This day is called Hoshana Rabah, or the big hoshana, because at the morning service the lulav circles the Torah 7 times and we perform the arava ritual.
Next comes the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, debatably called the 8th day of Sukkot, but is essentially a separate holiday dedicated to the special relationship that the Jewish nation enjoys with the Almighty. The confusing part is that we still sit in the sukkah on that day like every other holiday that is observed for an extra day in the diaspora, dating back to ancient times when word of the holiday would take too long to get out. We then observe a second day of Shemini Atzeret which is given its overlay of Simchat Torah when we complete the Torah and celebrate that accomplishment.
It is similar to Shavuot, celebrating the giving of the Torah on the beginning of the 8th week after Passover; so we have a "second" Shavuot on the 8th day after the beginning of Sukkot. The connection being that while the number 7 represents the natural order, then the number 8 signifies transcending nature which is what we hope to accomplish with the study and the observance of the Torah.
TriBeCa Synagogue's Journey through the Holidays in Pictures:
Annulling vows on the eve of Rosh HaShana
Kol Nidrei on Zoom attended by 40 participants
Procession with the Lulav and Etrog
Note: Shemini Atzeret will be very different this year firstly because of our virus protocols but also because we welcome back the Downtown Minyan for this Saturday and Sunday morning. All services will continue to be held outdoors. A detailed schedule of events will be forthcoming shortly.
TriBeCa Synagogue is grateful to Board Member Eve Goldberg and Executive Vice President Neil Wallin for sponsoring kiddush Saturday morning commemorating the yahrtzeit of Eve's father William Goldberg-Zev ben Binyamin, of blessed memory.
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