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Comments on Does "החג" include שמיני עצרת?
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Does "החג" include שמיני עצרת?
I commonly see "החג" (or "חג"), literally "the holiday", explained as referring to the holiday of Sukos. I wonder whether it's correct or whether, as I suspect, it refers to the combined celebrations of Sukos and Sh'mini Atzeres. The reasons for that my suspicion are:
- that the prayer for rain is said on Sh'mini Atzeres, and the mishna in Rosh Hashana says that God passes judgement about rain on "החג";
- that Shulchan Aruch, OC 644:1, says that we say halel on "all the eight days of החג"; and
- that the combination has no other name that I know of, so it makes sense to give it this name, whereas Sukos has another name, so doesn't need a new one.
Do any sources explicitly address the possibility the "החג" refers to the entire period? Do they accept or reject it and why?
Post
Rosh Hashanah 16a.15 provides an example where חג can only mean the first seven days, since the pouring of water didn't take place on the eighth day (Sukkah 4:1). Since it's also interpreting Rosh Hashanah 1:2, which you referred to, it's likely that the חג in connection to the judgment about rain is also referring to the first seven days.
Obviously חג isn't limited to the first seven days, since you already have an example to the contrary. But I think this is enough to prove that it can't be assumed to include the eighth day, and probably doesn't include it in Rosh Hashanah 1:2.
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