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| Hoshana Rabbah | |
|---|---|
| Official name | הוֹשַׁעְנָא רַבָּה |
| Also called | Translation: "The Great Supplication" |
| Observed by | Jews |
| Type | Jewish |
| Significance | The culmination of Sukkot. |
| Date | 21st day ofTishrei |
| 2024 date | Sunset, 22 October – nightfall, 23 October (24 October outside of Israel) |
| 2025 date | Sunset, 12 October – nightfall, 13 October (14 October outside of Israel) |
| 2026 date | Sunset, 1 October – nightfall, 2 October (3 October outside of Israel) |
| 2027 date | Sunset, 21 October – nightfall, 22 October (23 October outside of Israel) |
| Related to | Culmination ofSukkot (Tabernacles) |
Hoshana Rabbah (Hebrew:הוֹשַׁעְנָא רַבָּה,lit. 'GreatHoshana/Supplication',Imperial Aramaic:הוֹשַׁעְנָא רַבָּא) is the seventh day of the Jewish holiday ofSukkot,[1] the 21st day of the month ofTishrei. This day is marked by a special synagogue service, the Hoshana Rabbah, in which seven circuits are made by the worshippers with theirlulav andetrog, while the congregation recitesHoshanot. It is customary for thescrolls of theTorah to be removed from the ark during this procession. In a few communities ashofar is sounded after each circuit.
Hoshana Rabbah is known as the last of the Days of Judgment, which begin onRosh Hashana.[2] TheZohar says that while the judgment for the new year is sealed onYom Kippur, it is not "delivered" until the end ofSukkot (i.e., Hoshana Rabbah, the last day of Sukkot), during which time one can still alter their verdict and decree for the new year.[3] This idea has no source in theMishna,Midrash, orTalmud, but a similar idea appears in theTosefta: that all judgment is made on Rosh Hashana, but judgment of the people is sealed on Yom Kippur, while judgment for rain, grain, and fruits are sealed on the agricultural festivals of Sukkot,Passover, andShavuot respectively.[3]
R'Mordecai Yoffe argued that Hoshana Rabbah should be a day of judgment based on calendrical considerations: TheJewish year is 12 lunar months or approximately 354 days long (in a non-leap year). Adding the 10 days betweenRosh Hashana andYom Kippur, there are a total of approximately 364 days between one year's Rosh Hashana and the next year's Yom Kippur, almost exactly equaling a solar year of 365 (or 366) days. Thus, on Yom Kippur one is judged for the deeds of the previous solar year. The next solar year lasts approximately from Yom Kippur to the next year's Hoshana Rabbah, thus Hoshanah Rabbah is also a day of judgment. The third year will typically be a leap year, in which case the solar year lasts approximately from Hoshana Rabbah to Rosh Hashana, after which the cycle repeats itself.[4]
Consequently, anAramaic blessing that Jews give each other on Hoshana Rabbah, פתקא טבא (pitka tava orpiska tava), which inYiddish is "A gutenkvitel", or "A good note", is a wish that the verdict will be positive.[5] In many congregations, thecantor wears akittel on Hoshana Rabbah as on theHigh Holidays. Since the Hoshana Rabbah liturgy blends elements of theHigh Holy Days,Chol HaMoed, andYom Tov, in theAshkenazic tradition, the cantor recites the service using High Holiday, Festival, Weekday, and Sabbath melodies as appropriate.
In someSephardic communities, prayers known asSelichot (forgiveness) are recited before the regular morning service (these are the same prayers recited before Rosh Hashanah). In the different prayers of this day,Syrian Jews pray in the samemaqam (melody) as on the high holidays. In Amsterdam and in a few places in England, America, and elsewhere, the shofar is sounded in connection with the processions, reflecting the idea that Hoshana Rabbah is the end of the High Holy Day season. Because Hoshanah Rabbah is also linked to the high holidays as well as being a joy-filled day, in theDiaspora, someHasidic communities such asSatmar have the custom of havingPriestly Blessing recited during theMussaf service. Some communities such asBobov will only do this if it is on Friday. However, this is not the common practice outside of Israel and some Sephardic communities where thePriestly Blessing is recited daily.
The reasons for many of the customs of the day are rooted inKabbalah.
The modern-day observance of the rituals of Hoshana Rabbah is intended to emulate the practices that existed in the times of theHoly Temple inJerusalem. During Sukkot, thefour species are taken in a circuit (hakafah) around thebimah of thesynagogue once daily. On Hoshana Rabbah, there are seven circuits (hakafot).
Making a circuit around thebimah on Sukkot while each person holds the four species in his hands has its origin in the Temple service, as recorded in theMishnah: "It was customary to make one procession around the altar on each day of Sukkot, and seven on the seventh day" (Sukkah 4:5). The priests carried the palm branches or willows in their hands. The entire ceremony is to demonstrate rejoicing and gratitude for a blessed and fruitful year. Moreover, it serves to tear down the iron wall that separates us from our Father in Heaven, as the wall of Jericho was encompassed "and the wall fell down flat" (Joshua 6:20). Furthermore, the seven circuits correspond to the seven Hebrew words inPsalms 26:6 - "I wash my hands in purity and circle around Your altar, O Lord".
According to Kabbalistic tradition, each circuit is done in honor of a patriarch, prophet, or king. The list of honorees is identical to that of the honorary invitees to thesukkah according to the tradition ofUshpizin:Abraham,Isaac,Jacob,Moses,Aaron,Joseph,David.
Abudarham speaks of the custom of reading the Torah on the night of Hoshana Rabbah, out of which has grown the custom of reading Deuteronomy, Psalms, and passages from theZohar; recitingKabbalistic prayers.[6] In Orthodox Jewish circles, some men will stay up all night learning Torah.[7][unreliable source?]
Sephardim have a tradition of staying up the entire night on the eve of this day. Throughout the night in the synagogues, Torah learning takes place, and some reciteSelichot prayers. The entire books ofDeuteronomy is read. The reason for this is because this book is considered by some as a "review" of the entire Torah, but also because in the Torah portion cycle, the book of Deuteronomy is about to be completed the following days onSimchat Torah. In addition, many read the entire book ofPsalms.
It is customary to read the whole ofTehillim (Psalms) on Hoshana Rabbah eve. There is also a custom to read the book ofDeuteronomy on the night of Hoshana Rabbah.[7]
InHasidic communities that follow the customs of RabbiMenachem Mendel of Rimanov, there is a public reading of the Book ofDevarim (Deuteronomy) from aSefer Torah. This may be followed by atish in honor of the festival.
The entire book ofPsalms is read, with Kabbalistic prayers being recited after each of the five sections.
At the conclusion of a number ofPiyyutim (liturgical poems), fivewillow branches are beaten on the ground or other surfaces to symbolize the elimination of sin. This is also symbolic as a prayer forrain and success in agriculture. According to theKabbalah, beating the ground with the five willow branches is done to "Sweeten the Five Severities". There is no blessing said for this ritual, but theAramaic expression "chabit, chabit velah barich" ("beat, beat but don't bless") is chanted because, according to tradition, this custom of beating the willow branches was started only in the times ofEzra by the three last prophetsHaggai,Zechariah, andMalachi.[8]
The Midrash[9] notes that theAravah (willow) represents the common folk, unlearned and lacking exceptional deeds. RabbiAbraham Isaac Kook noted that these simple people have their own contribution to the nation; they are blessed with common sense and are unencumbered by sophisticated calculations. The unusual custom to beat the willow on the ground symbolizes that these common folk provide “a natural, healthy power that is part of the arsenal of the Jewish people. We do not strike the willow. We strikewith the willow.”[10] It is important to note that the Aravah represents the unlearned and not the evildoers.
In the Ashkenazic and Italian rites, the hoshanot are accompanied by a series of liturgical verses written by RabbiEleazar birabbi Qallir[11] climaxing with, "Kol mevasser, mevasser ve-omer" (The voice of the Herald [Elijah] heralds and says)—expressing hope for the speedy coming of the Messiah.
In Ashkenazi culture, it is traditional to eat soup withkreplach during the meal served on the day of Hoshana Rabba.
Also in Yiddish-speaking communities, some eat boiledcabbage on Hoshanah Rabbah. This is because the Hebrew phrase "Kol Mevasser (קול מבשר)" chanted on the day, sounds, when pronounced in traditional Eastern Ashkenazi pronunciation, like "koyl mit vasser (קויל מיט וואסער)", Yiddish for "cabbage with water"(cabbage in German being kohl).[12] RabbiPinchas of Koretz taught that one should bake an apple with the Hoshana branch in it to ward off toothaches in the coming year.[13]
