It must be remembered that Shemini Atzeret is a festival day [yom tov], which means that performing certain kinds of labor [melakha] is prohibited, and in general, all the restrictions of Shabbat, with the modifications that apply to festivals, are applicable on this day (see p. 474). One should perform all the necessary preparations that are done on any festival eve, including setting up and lighting a 24-hour candle, for purposes of having a flame to transfer during the festival and for candle lighting.

On the day before the festival one should light a long-burning candle that will continue burning the whole day, so that it will be possible to transfer fire from it for cooking and other uses throughout the festival.

In Israel, Simhat Torah never occurs on a Friday. Outside of Israel, however, Shemini Atzeret and Simhat Torah can fall on Thursday and Friday, and when that happens one must make an eiruv tavshilin on Wednesday, before the start of the festival, so that it will be permissible to cook and prepare on Friday for Shabbat.

Further reading: For the details of the laws of eiruv tavshilin, see p. 474.

When the festival falls on a weekday, some are accustomed to light the candles at the start of the festival, before sunset, while others light them after the onset of the festival, just before the meal. Those who do this should not create a new flame, but should take fire from a flame that was burning before the festival began. When Shemini Atzeret or Simhat Torah falls on a Shabbat, one must, of course, light the candles before sunset. For more details regarding the halakhot of candle lighting, see p. 381.

When lighting the candles, two blessings are recited:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us through His commandments, and commanded us to light a candle for the festival (on Shabbat: for Shabbat and for the festival).”

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.”

As mentioned above, in Israel Shemini Atzeret is observed for one day, which is also Simhat Torah. The special customs of Simhat Torah will be discussed below. Outside of Israel, the first day of Shemini Atzeret is a regular day of yom tov.

On the night of Shemini Atzeret, one recites the festival evening prayers, which can be found in prayer books. When Shemini Atzeret falls on a Shabbat, the congregation recites an abbreviated version of Kabbalat Shabbat before the evening prayer, and at the end of the prayer service they add the section of Vayekhulu (Genesis 2:1–3) and the Magen Avot passage. Some communities also recite Psalms 23.

As explained earlier, the reason that days of yom tov are celebrated for two days outside of Israel is because in antiquity, communities outside of Israel did not know which day was declared to be the beginning of a given month by the central religious court in Israel. They thus could not be sure if a given day in Tishrei was the fifteenth day (the date when Sukkot begins) or the fourteenth; therefore, they celebrated two consecutive days in order to ensure that they observed the fifteenth as a yom tov. Later, when the calendar dates were fixed, the practice nevertheless continued.

The first day of Shemini Atzeret (twenty-second of Tishrei) is therefore regarded as possibly being the twenty-first of Tishrei. Since the twenty-first of Tishrei is actually the last day of Sukkot, there are many who eat their festival meals, or some of them, in the sukka.

Further reading: As on every Friday night or festival night, Kiddush is recited over a cup of wine. For the details of the laws of Kiddush, see p. 386.

For Ashkenazim:

When the festival falls on Friday night:

(Quietly: “It was evening and it was morning,) the sixth day. The heavens and the earth and their entire host were completed. God completed on the seventh day His works that He had made; He rested on the seventh day from all His works that He had made. God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because on it He rested from all His works that God created to make” (Genesis 1:31–2:3).

On a weekday one starts here:

“Attention, my masters, gentlemen, teachers.

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has chosen us from all nations, and raised us above all tongues, and sanctified us through His commandments. And You have given us, Lord our God, in love, (on Shabbat add: Shabbatot for rest and) appointed times for joy, festivals and seasonal holidays for gladness, this day of (on Shabbat add: Shabbat and this day of) the festival of Shemini Atzeret, the time of our rejoicing (on Shabbat add: with love), a holy assembly, in memory of the exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us and sanctified us above all nations, and (on Shabbat add: the Shabbat and) Your holy festivals (on Shabbat add: in love and favor), in joy and in gladness you have given us for an inheritance. Blessed are You, Lord, who sanctifies (on Shabbat add: the Shabbat,) Israel and the seasonal holidays.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.”

For Sephardim:

When the festival falls on Friday night:

“It was evening and it was morning, the sixth day. The heavens and the earth and their entire host were completed. God completed on the seventh day His works that He had made; He rested on the seventh day from all His works that He had made. God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because on it He rested from all His works that God created to make” (Genesis 1:31–2:3).

On a weekday one starts here:

“These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations, that you shall proclaim at their appointed time” (Leviticus 23:4). “And Moses spoke to the children of Israel the appointed times of the Lord” (Leviticus 23:44).

“Attention, my masters.”

Those listening respond: “To life!”

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has chosen us from all nations, and raised us above all tongues, and sanctified us through His commandments. And You have given us, Lord our God, in love, (on Shabbat add: Shabbatot for rest and) appointed times for joy, festivals and seasonal holidays for gladness, this day of (on Shabbat add: Shabbat and this day of) the festival of Shemini Atzeret, this festival day of holy convocation, the time of our rejoicing, with love, in memory of the exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us and sanctified us above all nations, and (on Shabbat add: the Shabbatot and) Your holy festivals (on Shabbat add: in love and favor), in joy and in gladness you have given us for an inheritance. Blessed are You, Lord, who sanctifies (on Shabbat add: the Shabbat,) Israel and the seasonal holidays.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.”

Further reading: If the night of Simhat Torah falls on a Saturday night, a Havdala blessing is inserted here. See section on Sukkot, p. 211.

Since Shemini Atzeret is a separate festival, independent of Sukkot, the Sheheheyanu blessing is added at the end of Kiddush, as is done on the first day of every festival.

As on every festival and Shabbat, the blessing for the bread should be recited over two whole loaves, after which one of them is sliced and given out to those around the table. Some dip the pieces of bread in honey, as on Rosh HaShana. In addition to honey, some customarily dip the slices in salt, as is done during the rest of the year.

After the meal, Grace after Meals is recited with the addition of the Ya’aleh VeYavo section (a special prayer for festivals and Rosh Hodesh). When the festival falls on a Shabbat, one adds the Retzeh paragraph as well.