The Final Word: Abide in His Love
Shemini Atzeret 5787
Rabbi Barney Kasdan, outgoing UMJC President
For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. (Leviticus 23:36)
It is a wonderful and busy season indeed during the High Holy Days. After the days of repentance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we enter the joyous period of Sukkot. For seven days we dwell in the sukkah/booth and rejoice in the reality that God dwells with us in a special way. Yet, right when you might think it is all over, the Torah exhorts us to celebrate one final day called Shemini Atzeret. Although we are not told much about why this day is so important to God, some insight can be gleaned from the very name of the feast, “the eighth day of assembly,” or more literally, of “waiting, tarrying or abiding.”
Why an eighth day of abiding? The rabbinic commentator Rashi relates a story that the day is reminiscent of a King who held a weeklong banquet for his friends. As the joyous festivities were winding down, the King expressed to his friends how he really did not want them to leave but to abide one more day in his presence. That is what Shemini Atzeret is all about; our Heavenly Father and King doesn’t want to leave us when the holy days end. He desires that we would abide with him and enjoy his blessings.
Our Messiah Yeshua may have had this concept in mind as he taught his Jewish disciples on one occasion. As he was facing his imminent death, Yeshua was wanted to ensure that the talmidim understood the vital importance of abiding in the Father’s blessings. How could this be accomplished? “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (John 15:10). If they wanted to abide in the good things of God’s kingdom, they must go beyond simply hearing the Word.
Memorizing the Torah is commendable, but that is not what necessarily keeps us in the Father’s blessing. We hear so many important truths during our High Holy Day services, but Shemini Atzeret reminds us that the biggest challenges actually begin after all the sermons. If believers are to enjoy the continued blessing of God, we must “keep”—that is obey and apply—the Scriptures to our personal lives. Sometimes we may wish it was something more glitzy or complex. But, as those great theologians at the Nike Shoe Company remind us, “Just do it!” Shemini Atzeret is a call for all believers in Yeshua to abide in his precepts.
The High Holy Days call us back to a vibrant, personal relationship with God. In Messianic Judaism we are thankful for Yeshua, who brings us even closer to the King. Maybe it is not so surprising that the capstone of the High Holy Days is this eighth day of assembly along with the additional celebration of Simchat Torah. Shemini Atzeret is our call to remain in the Father’s blessing throughout this new year of 5787. The all-important question becomes “What are we doing to ensure that we will abide in the blessings of God?” It seems that this new spiritual year is an opportune time to raise the bar in our spiritual lives and see what good fruit will result.
Chag sameach! May you have a sweet year abiding in Messiah!
A personal note:
Many of you know that on October 1 I completed my second term serving as the UMJC President. As it turns out, this time frame has parallelled a very challenging time in the Jewish world. We were impacted by the October 7 Hamas attack and subsequent three years of war. Likewise, we are burdened by the Russia-Ukraine war that has affected so many in the Jewish community. Add to this an unprecedented rise in global antisemitism and one could be thoroughly distressed. Through all this, however, the Union has remained strong and even seen a noticeable increase in our growth and global impact for Yeshua. I believe the tzuris in the Jewish world has turned out to be an opportunity to shine some messianic light. I want to thank all our family and friends (you!) for your support at this critical time. I greatly appreciate the large, gifted team that makes up our community. It has truly been a blessing for me to serve as your President, and I look forward to continuing in other roles. Kadima! Let us press forward as we abide with Yeshua our Messiah!
Rabbi Barney Kasdan