Aravah (Hebrew:ערבה, pl.aravot -ערבות) is a leafy branch of thewillow tree. It is one of theFour Species (arbaʿath haminim -ארבעת המינים) used in a special waving ceremony during theJewish holiday ofSukkot. The other species are thelulav (palm frond),hadass (myrtle), andetrog (citron).
Thearavah is also used for a separate ceremony onHoshanah Rabbah, the last day of Sukkot, when five branches are beaten against the ground to the accompaniment of special verses.
Thearavah tree typically grows by the side of a river, although inIsrael it grows wild in many people's backyards. The branches grow long and are lined with long, narrow leaves. Since this tree requires much water to grow, the picked branches dry out within two or three days. In order to keep them fresh as long as possible for themitzvah of the Four Species, they are kept in the refrigerator until use, or wrapped in a moist towel.
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On each of the seven days of Sukkot (excludingShabbat), twoaravah branches are bound together with thelulav andhadass (this bundle is also referred to as "thelulav"). Together with theetrog, these Four Species are then waved in all four directions, plus up and down, to attest to God's mastery over all of creation, and to symbolically voice a prayer for adequate rainfall over all the Earth's vegetation in the coming year.(SeeFour Species for the complete description and symbolism of the waving ceremony.)
During the morning prayer service in thesynagogue on Hoshanah Rabbah, after the waving of the Four Species, a separate bundle containing fivearavah branches are taken in hand by each worshipper. A series of liturgical verses are read, ending with,"Kol mevasser, mevasser ve-omer" (A voice brings news, brings news and says)—expressing hope for the speedy coming of theMessiah. Then the bundle ofaravah branches are beaten against the ground until many of the leaves have fallen out. The reasons for this custom are steeped inKabbalah.[citation needed] The aravot may then be thrown away, used beforePassover to burn theChametz, or are sometimes placed in water in order to grow new aravot trees.
According to theMishnah, In the days of theTemple in Jerusalem, willow branches were collected from Motsa near Jerusalem and piled upright on the sides of the Altar with their tops bent over the top of the Altar each day of Sukkot. Theshofar was sounded, and the worshippers walked about in procession and recitedPsalm 117 (as is done today as part of theHashanot ceremony onSukkot), accompanied by musical instruments (except onshabbat). In the days of the Temple, the Mishnah reports that after theAravah ceremony on Hashana Rabba, "the children threw away theirlulavim and ate theiretrogim (citrons)."
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