Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks: Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah in a Nutshell
Rabbi Sacks questions how we may understand Shemini Atzeret—is it part of Succot or a separate festival? The sages observed that for the duration of the seven days of Succot, 70 bulls were offered in the Temple, while only 1 was offered on Atzeret. Rabbi Sacks continues to draw on the history of how both Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah have been celebrated, and the prophetic implications.
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