Eating in Sukkah on Shemini Atzeres

Pashut:

1. If you do eat there because of s’feika d’yoma that Shmini Atzeres could be the 7th day of Sukkos, then why do you not make a bracha when you eat there? Because there is no issur of bal tossif to eat in the succah after Sukkos but it is an issur d’Oraissa to make a bracha leishev basuccah if it isn’t, and sfeik d’Oraisa – lechumrah.

2. Why don’t you shake arba minim on Shmini Atzeres for the same reason? Because mitzvas arba minim is Ulekactem Lochem Bayom Harishon and outside Beis Hamikdash it is a mitzva d’rabonnon for the remainder of Succos. Yum tov sheini shel galuyus is also d’rabonnon and rabonon decreed that on Shmini Atzeres there is no overlap YT2 shel galuyus from Succos, especially since the Torah defines Shmini Atzeress as the holiday that stops Succos but mainly because it is a new YT. So if one chooses to eat in the Succah on Shemini Atzerse, which is permissible according to most poskim, one would not be permitted to shake arba minim on Shmini Atzeres because that would be bal tosif

3. Why do we say Morid Hageshem on SA if we are supposed to at in the Succah? Well, even according to the poskim who say we should eat in the Succah on SA in C”L it is not altz chiyuv so if on Succos it rains we are patur from eating in the succah, kal vachomer that on SA one would not eat in Succah if it rains since it’s only a minhag d’rabbonon according to some to eat in the Succah on SA.

I am not saying whether one should or shouldn’t eat in the Succah on Shmini Atzeres and to what extent. Gedoilei Yisroel expressed their position on the matter and any one following his Rov is doing perfectly fine. All I am saying is that your challenging questions are no challenge at all and the the poskim clearly took the points you raised into account before forming their opinion.

Personally, I would say that if eating in the Succah on Shemini Atzeres would enhance your simchas YT and that of your wife and children too, go for it, nisht altz Succos but altz simchas YT. But if it would be a burden to you, your wife, or your children, altz simchas YT eat at home on Shmini Atzeres.