Receiving Hashem's bounty for the sake of closeness

שמ"ע הוא ברכת החג.

Shemini Atzeres is the blessing (brachah) of the festival.

The Sefas Emes opens with his theme: Shemini Atzeres functions as the brachah, the consummating blessing, of the whole Sukkos festival.

כי מצות סוכה לצאת מדירתו לחסות בצלו ית'.

For the mitzvah of Sukkah is to leave one's [permanent] dwelling in order to take shelter in His shade, may He be blessed.

On Sukkos a Jew abandons his fixed home and moves into the temporary sukkah, placing himself entirely under the protective "shade" of Hashem.

ואנחנו כמו אורחים בביתו של הקב"ה.

And we are like guests (orchim) in the house of the Holy One.

Dwelling in the sukkah, we become Hashem's invited guests, sojourning in His home rather than our own.

וכ' ביום השמיני שלח את העם.

And it is written: "On the eighth day he sent the people away" (shilach es ha'am).

The Sefas Emes cites the posuk (Melachim I 8:66) describing how, after the dedication of the Bais Hamikdash, Shlomo HaMelech dismissed the people on the eighth day — the "shilu'ach," the sending-off.

ושלוח לשון לוי' שבעה"ב צריך ללות האורחים.

And "sending" (shilu'ach) is a term of escorting (levayah), for the host (ba'al ha'bayis) must escort his guests.

This "sending away" is not a dismissal but an act of honor: a gracious host accompanies his departing guests. On Shemini Atzeres, Hashem the Host "escorts" His guests as they leave the sukkah.

והוא מה שמצות סוכה וימי החג נותנין ברכה לישראל לבתיהם.

And this is how the mitzvah of Sukkah and the days of the festival give a blessing to Bnei Yisrael for their homes.

The "escorting" is what carries the festival's holiness back home with the Jew. Having been Hashem's guests, they return to their own houses laden with brachah for the coming year.

וכן איתא בגמ' תשלומין דראשון הוא.

And so it is brought in the Gemara that [Shemini Atzeres] is a "completion" (tashlumin) of the first [day].

The Gemara (Chagigah 9a, 17a) describes Shemini Atzeres as a make-up day, a tashlumin, completing the festival that began on the first day of Sukkos.

ופי' עצרת תהי' לכם הוא כי בנ"י מקבלין כל השפעות שניתן בימים אלו כי בכל שנה ניתן חיות חדש בר"ה ויוכ"פ סוכות לכל הנבראים.

And the meaning of "it shall be an atzeres for you" is that Bnei Yisrael receive all the influences (hashpa'os) that are given in these days; for every year new vitality (chiyus) is given on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos to all created beings.

"Atzeres tehyeh lachem" (Bamidbar 29:35) — "for you" — means Bnei Yisrael gather in and retain all the abundance bestowed during this season. Each year, fresh chiyus is poured into all of creation through the Yamim Nora'im and Sukkos.

והמקבלים הם בב' בחי' א' שמח במה שמקבל לו לגרמי' וזה האומות וזה רק לשעה לכן מתמעט טובתם.

And the recipients are of two types: one rejoices in what he receives for himself, for his own sake — and this is [the way of] the nations — and this lasts only for a moment, therefore their good diminishes.

There are two ways to receive divine bounty. The first, the way of the umos ha'olam, is to delight only in the gift itself, for one's own benefit. Because such pleasure is self-centered and tied to the fleeting present, its good steadily wears away.

אבל בנ"י שמחין במה שהקב"ה משפיע להם אשר ע"י כן יש להם דביקות בו ית'.

But Bnei Yisrael rejoice in the very fact that the Holy One bestows upon them, through which they have attachment (dveikus) to Him, may He be blessed.

The second, higher way belongs to Bnei Yisrael: their joy is in the act of Hashem's giving itself, because the gift connects them to the Giver. Their simchah is in the dveikus, not the present.

שכן המשכיל שמח בקבלת מתנה מן המלך מצד המלך יותר מחשיבות של המתנה עצמה.

For so it is that the wise person (maskil) rejoices in receiving a gift from the king — on account of the king — more than [he rejoices] in the importance of the gift itself.

A perceptive person who receives a present from a king treasures the relationship the gift signifies far more than the object's material worth. The bond with the king is the real prize.

וקבלה זו יש לה קיום לעולם.

And this [kind of] receiving has permanence forever.

Because this joy is rooted in the eternal connection to Hashem rather than in a perishable object, it endures permanently.

ועי"ז זוכין בנ"י לקבל כל ההשפעות שכן הי' רצונו ית' בכל השפעתו שיהי' הקבלה כראוי.

And through this Bnei Yisrael merit to receive all the influences, for such was His will, may He be blessed, in all His bestowal — that the receiving should be done properly (kara'ui).

Because they receive in this fitting way — for the sake of the bond — Bnei Yisrael are able to absorb and keep the full hashpa'ah. This was Hashem's intent all along: that His abundance be received correctly, as a means to dveikus.

וז"ש חז"ל סעודה קטנה שאהנה מכם דייקא שבנ"י מקבלין כדי להתדבק בו לעשות רצונו לא להנאתן.

And this is what Chazal said: "a small feast, so that I may have benefit (she'ehene) from you" — precisely; that Bnei Yisrael receive in order to cling to Him and to do His will, not for their own pleasure.

The Sefas Emes reads the Midrash on Shemini Atzeres — where Hashem asks for an intimate "small feast" with Bnei Yisrael — emphasizing the word "she'ehene," "that I may benefit." The whole point of their receiving is dveikus and doing the ratzon Hashem, never mere self-gratification.

וז"ש עצרת תהי' לכם שנשאר מקוים השפע לכם ולאומות הי' רק לשעה:

And this is the meaning of "it shall be an atzeres for you" — that the abundance (shefa) remains established and lasting for you; whereas for the nations it was only for a moment.

"Atzeres tehyeh lachem" thus means the shefa is "held back" and made permanent specifically for Bnei Yisrael, who receive it for the sake of closeness to Hashem. For the nations, who take only for themselves, the bounty was fleeting and soon gone.

Summary: Shemini Atzeres is the brachah that seals Sukkos: having been Hashem's guests in the sukkah, Bnei Yisrael are "escorted" home by their Host, carrying the festival's holiness into their houses. The yearly chiyus given through the Yamim Nora'im and Sukkos can be received two ways — the nations take it for themselves and it quickly fades, but Bnei Yisrael rejoice in the very act of Hashem's giving, valuing the bond over the gift; because they receive for the sake of dveikus, their shefa is held back and endures forever.