[Avodah] "Es Yom HaShmini Ho'Atzeres Hazeh"

[Micha Berger]

Look at Yaaleh veYavo. We use chag hamatzos, yom teru'ah, biblical names
for the Yamim Tovim.

And so, I would think the proper precedent for Shemini Atzeres is from
the end of Parashas Pinachas: Uvayom hashemini, atzeres tihyeh lakhem.
(Comma is representing a zaqeif.) And that would argue for not lumping
"shemini" and "atzeres" into the same phrase.

But the whole question of why Sepharadim don't use Pesach and RH still
intrigues me. As I said, it sheds light on the whole issue of davening
in leshon chazal - because here we clearly are speaking in leshon
Tanakh.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
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