At the very end of Parshas Pinchas the Torah discusses the Yom Tov of Shmini Atzeres.  What exactly is the significance of the name ‘atzeres’?  Rav Hirsch[i] explains the following idea.  The root ‘atzar’ in Hebrew means to stop, to retain, to maintain one’s position. Shmini Atzeres is at the end of Succos. Based on this, Rav Hirsch writes

we think the word atzeres means to designate a day which is not fixed to bring new lessons and new truths for us to accept and assimilate, but which has the mission to keep us still before the presence of Hashem, to strengthen and solidify the impressions and knowledge we have already gained so that they remain with us permanently and do not become lost in the hurley burley[ii] of life.

A person experiences Yom Tov, and during Yom Tov there are additional mitzvos and more kedusha, more ruchnius; therefore, a person naturally grows in his Avodas Hashem.  But then the special Yom Tov period ends, and the challenge becomes to maintain and retain that which we have gained during Yom Tov.  Rav Hirsch continues- “persistence, remaining with Hashem and holding fast to all the spiritual acquisitions obtained, that is the meaning of atzeres.” This is why Shmini Atzeres is called ‘atzeres’. At the end of Succos, we have a day set aside for absorbing and solidifying that which we gained during Succos[iii].

The seventh day of Pesach is called atzeres as well (Devarim 16,8). It is also at the end of a span of time of Yom Tov- the seven days of Pesach. This fits beautifully with Rav Hirsch’s approach to the meaning of atzeres.

Rav Hirsch points out that while the seventh day of Pesach is the closure of the Yom Tov of Pesach, Shmini Atzeres has a broader message. It is not only the closure of Succos itself, but also the closure of the cycle of festivals of Tishrei in general- Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur/Succos. Rosh Hashana is linked to Yom Kippur, and Yom Kippur leads into Succos. On Shmini Atzeres, we have to absorb the message of Succos, and at the same time absorb the inspiration of the entire Tishrei period. That is why, Rav Hirsch explains, Shmini Atzeres is a separate Yom Tov. The role of Shmini Atzeres goes beyond Succos itself.

This message applies to all of us.  A person has an inspirational moment, an inspirational time, an inspirational year, and then the challenge is to maintain it and retain it as we re-enter the “hurley burley” of everyday life.  Many of you have returned not so long ago from the year in Israel. This becomes the challenge, atzeres, hold on and maintain that which you gained during the year. 

It is striking that Chazal refer to Shavuos as atzeres.  The meforshim explain the idea that Shavuos is the end of the cycle of Pesach/Sefiras Haomer/Shavuos.  The mitzvah of Sefiras Haomer, the Sefer Hachinuch explains (Mitzvah 306), is supposed to be the link between Pesach and Shavuos.  Pesach is the beginning of a process culminating in Shavuos[iv].  Pesach, many meforshim say, reflects the physical beginning of geulah leading up to the spiritual culmination of Matan Torah on Shavuos. This fits well with Rav Hirsch’s approach to the term ‘atzeres’.

Based on this approach of Rav Hirsch, I think it is fitting that the academic year ends around Shavuos time. This message of ‘atzeres’ is very applicable to the end of the academic year.  When a person is leaving yeshiva, he has to take with him all that he gained during the year in yeshiva.  All of us should be zocheh to continue to hold on to the inspiration and stay strong after our time in yeshiva.  And as Rav Hirsch writes, we should continue our mission ‘to keep still before the presence of Hashem’ in our ordinary, daily life.  This is one fundamental message of Shmini Atzeres.

[i] Parshas Emor (Vayikra p.685-686)

[ii] Rav Hirsch wrote his commentary in German. I wonder how one would say ‘hurley-burley in German.

[iii] It is striking that (outside the Beis Hamikdash) there are no unique mitzvos for Shmini Atzeres or the seventh day of Pesach. Rosh Hashana has Shofar, Yom Kippur is a Taanis, Succos has many mitzvos as does Pesach.  The Yomim Tovim d’rabanan (Chanukah and Purim) have special mitzvos as well. Rav Hirsch explains that since the essential role of atzeres is to maintain and retain that which we gained during the previous days of Yom Tov, they do not have any unique mitzvos. The message of the day is not to learn something ‘new’, but rather to use the kedusha of Yom Tov to absorb and concretize in one’s life the previously achieved levels. Therefore, there are no ‘new’ mitzvos. Rav Hirsch discusses this point in Vayikra as well as in The Collected Writings Vol. 1 p. 200-201.

[iv] The Ramban in Parshas Emor refers to Sefiras Haomer as the ‘Chol Hamoed’ between Pesach and Shavuos. This is a very powerful expression of the link between Pesach and Shavuos.