“On the eighth day you shall hold an atzeret; you shall not work at your occupations” (verse 35).

בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל־מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ׃

(Numbers 29:35)

The Gemara Sukkah 47a–48a gives a mnemonic to capture Shemini Atzeret’s dual status: פזר קש״ב Each letter represents a criterion in which Shemini Atzeret is separate from Sukkot: פ – פיס (Lottery): The priestly lottery for sacrifices is redone; it does not continue the Sukkot rotation. ז – זמן (Shehecheyanu): A new Shehecheyanu is recited (in Eretz Yisrael).ר – רגל (Festival): It is called a separate regel. ק – קרבן (Sacrifices): Different sacrifice structure (one bull instead of the Sukkot series). ש – שיר (Song): different Levi’im song in the Temple. ב – ברכה (Blessing): Different mention in Birkat HaMazon (“Shemini Chag HaAtzeret” vs. “Chag HaSukkot”).

Gemara Sukkah 47a Despite PZKŠB, the Gemara still requires: Sitting in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeret (in the Diaspora), But without a beracha.

Let’s look at a few argument points and see if they are for it being a separate holiday or against?

1) Number of sacrifices

Against: The sacrifices of Sukkot start at 13 and go down by one every day until they are at seven. The 8th day is one sacrifice, so it follows the descending number.

For: Sukkot stops at 7, and the 8th day jumps to 1, showing it is a separate holiday. Homiletically Sukkot sacrifices number 70 corresponding to the 70 nations of the world. Shmini Atzeret is one sacrifice symbolizing the Israelites. This could signify that the day is separate from Sukkot even if it is thematically related.

2) The Name of the Holiday

against: The holiday seems to be introduced as a different day in verse 35. It is also called something different in Leviticus:

“On the eighth day you shall observe an atzeret and bring an offering by fire to God.”

בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי מִקְרָא־קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם אִשֶּׁה לַה׳ עֲצֶרֶת הִוא כָּל־מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ׃

(Leviticus 23:36)

No other day of Sukkot has a special name, yet here God says this day is an atzeret.

for : later in Devarim, the seventh day of Passover is also called atzeret:

“After eating unleavened bread six days, you shall hold an Atzeret for your God on the seventh day; you shall do no work.”

שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֹּאכַל מַצּוֹת וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי עֲצֶרֶת לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה מְלָאכָה׃

(Deuteronomy 16:8)

3) Historical

“He read from the scroll of the Teaching of God each day, from the first to the last day. They celebrated the festival seven days, and there was an atzeret the eighth, as prescribed.”

וַיִּקְרָא בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרַת הָאֱלֹהִים יוֹם בְּיוֹם מִן־הַיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן עַד־הַיּוֹם הָאַחֲרוֹן וַיַּעֲשׂוּ־חָג שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת כַּמִּשְׁפָּט׃

(Nehemiah 8:18)

For : It says they celebrated the festival for seven days and then the 8th day is called something different.

Against: The “last day” is the 8th day.

“At that time Solomon kept the Feast for seven days—all Israel with him—a great assemblage from Lebo hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. On the eighth day they held an atzeret; they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the Feast seven days.”

בָּעֵת הַהִיא עָשָׂה שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־הֶחָג שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל עִמּוֹ קָהָל גָּדוֹל מִלְּבוֹא חֲמָת עַד־נַחַל מִצְרָיִם׃

וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עָשׂוּ עֲצֶרֶת כִּי חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ עָשׂוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְהֶחָג שִׁבְעַת יָמִים׃

(II Chronicles 7:8–9)

For: It says Solomon had the feast seven days, and then the eighth day is called something different.

Against: It is still called the 8th day.

This ambiguity makes its way into halachic questions. Does one eat in the sukkah on Shmini Atzeret? Many people have the custom to eat in the sukkah without a blessing, but others will specifically not eat in the sukkah on Shmini Atzeret. Is there a different bracha for Shmini Atzeret? There is a separate bracha during kiddush and Shemoneh Esrei.