Early on this day, as Israel prepared to celebrate the joyous Simchat Torah holiday, Hamas terrorists launched an unprecedented attack, breaching the heavily fortified Gaza border by air, land, and sea. The assault—under the cover of heavy rocket fire—involved 3,000 rockets and hordes of heavily armed fighters infiltrating Israeli territory, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, including many civilians, and the capture of around 240 hostages.
The brutality of the attack—which included extreme sexual violence and mutilation—shocked the civilized world.
The attacks led directly to war between Israel and Hamas, as well as with neighboring terrorist entities.
The attacks also inspired a worldwide surge of Jewish inspiration and pride, in part in response to the antisemitism that reared its head around the world, particularly on college campuses.
Explore: Israel at War
While celebrating the joyous holiday hakafot with thousands of chassidim in the central Chabad-Lubavitch synagogue in Brooklyn, NY, the Rebbe suffered a massive heart attack. In spite of the tremendous pain, the Rebbe remained calm and insisted on continuing the hakafot, and only after they concluded did he depart the synagogue.
On the following day, the Rebbe requested that the chassidim celebrate the Simchat Torah festivities with the same joy and fervor as all other years, and so it was.
After the holiday ended, the Rebbe addressed and reassured the anxious chassidim from his office (which was hastily converted into a cutting-edge cardiac unit) via a public address system.
The Rebbe remained in his office in Lubavitch World Headquarters under medical supervision for several weeks. He returned home five weeks later on the 1st of Kislev, a day designated by chassidim for celebration and thanksgiving.
At the end of the 14-day dedication festivities celebrating the completion of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem (see calendar entry for 8 Tishrei), “[King Solomon] sent off the people, and they blessed the king. They went to their homes, rejoicing and with glad hearts for all the good that the L‑rd had wrought for David His servant and Israel His people” (I Kings 8:66).
It is the practice of many communities -- and such is the Chabad custom -- to conduct "hakafot" and dance with the Torah scrolls also on the eve of Shemini Atzeret. (See entry for tomorrow, "Simchat Torah".)
In today's musaf prayer we begin to insert the phrase mashiv haruach umorid hageshem ("who makes the wind blow and brings down the rain") in our daily prayers (as we'll continue to do through the winter, until the 1st day of Passover). Special hymns on rain and water are added to musaf in honor of the occasion.
Link: Souls in the Rain
Yizkor, the remembrance prayer for departed parents, is recited today after the morning reading of the Torah.
Links:
The Yizkor Prayer
Honor Due to Parents
On Breavement and Mourning
The festival of Sukkot, commemorating G-d's enveloping protection of the Children of Israel during their 40-year journey through the desert (1313-1273 BCE), is celebrated for seven days, beginning from the eve of Tishrei 15. During this time, we are commanded to "dwell" in a sukkah -- a hut of temporary construction, with a roof covering of raw, unfinished vegetable matter (branches, reeds, bamboo, etc.) -- signifying the temporality and fragily of human habitation and man-made shelter and our utter dependence upon G-d's protection and providence.
Outside of Israel, we eat in the sukkah an additional day, on the holiday of Shemini Atzeret (see Why are holidays celebrated an extra day in the Diaspora?) The special blessing recitied when eating in the sukkah is not recited today.
Note: In certain communities it is customary to eat some or all of this day's meals out of the sukkah.
Links: The Big Sukkah; The Temporary Dwelling; The Easy Mitzvah
Today is the last day when we eat in the sukkah (although the blessing on the sukkah, recited before eating a meal, is not recited today). Shortly before sunset, many have the custom to enjoy a last snack in the sukkah, thus "bidding the sukkah farewell" until the following year.
Note: In certain communities it is customary to eat some or all of this day's meals out of the sukkah.
Yizkor, the remembrance prayer for departed parents, is recited today after the morning reading of the Torah.
Links:
The Yizkor Prayer
Honor Due to Parents
On Breavement and Mourning
Looking at your world from Above, all is good.
Looking at your world from within, things don’t always look so nice.
Until you connect your world below to the world above. Then the goodness flows downward without distortion.
How do you make that connection? By clinging tightly above.
By putting all your trust in G‑d.