- 7th Day of Sukkot
- 7 "Hoshanot"- Torah circuits of the Bimah with the Lulav and Etrog. The Sifrei Torah are returned to the Ark.
- Cantor wears a Kitten and uses Nusach from High Holidays
- The Lulav and Etrog are laid aside and five willow stalks (Aravot) are taken and are beaten five times on the floor.
- Erev Hoshanah Rabbah features late night or all night Torah study, especially the Rambam's Mishneh Torah and Psalms.
- There is a strange superstition that on Hoshana Rabbah, the souls of the dead return to earth and travel the length and breadth of the ten worlds.
- There is a superstition that one who looks at their shadow in the light of the moon on Hoshana Rabbah can obtain a prophecy about their wellbeing in the year ahead.
- There is a tradition to have a festive meal on Hoshana Rabbah.
- The laws and features of Hoshana Rabbah are concealed and were revealed by the three Second Temple Prophets Chagai, Malachi and Zechariah.
בְּראֹשׁ הַשָּׁנָה יִכָּתֵבוּן וּבְיוֹם צוֹם כִּפּוּר יֵחָתֵמוּן כַּמָּה יַעַבְרוּן וְכַמָּה יִבָּרֵאוּן מִי יִחְיֶה וּמִי יָמוּת. מִי בְקִצּוֹ וּמִי לא בְקִצּוֹ מִי בַמַּיִם. וּמִי בָאֵשׁ מִי בַחֶרֶב. וּמִי בַחַיָּה מִי בָרָעָב. וּמִי בַצָּמָא מִי בָרַעַשׁ. וּמִי בַמַּגֵּפָה מִי בַחֲנִיקָה וּמִי בַסְּקִילָה מִי יָנוּחַ וּמִי יָנוּעַ מִי יִשָּׁקֵט וּמִי יִטָּרֵף מִי יִשָּׁלֵו. וּמִי יִתְיַסָּר מִי יֵעָנִי. וּמִי יֵעָשֵׁר מִי יִשָּׁפֵל. וּמִי יָרוּם וּתְשׁוּבָה וּתְפִלָּה וּצְדָקָה מַעֲבִירִין אֶת רעַ הַגְּזֵרָה
II. Unetaneh Tokef traditional liturgy:
On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealed – how many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live and who will die; who will die after a long life and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by upheaval and who by plague, who by strangling and who by stoning. Who will rest and who will wander, who will live in harmony and who will be harried, who will enjoy tranquility and who will suffer, who will be impoverished and who will be enriched, who will be degraded and who will be exalted. But Repentance, Prayer, and Charity annul the severe Decree."
(ב) בְּאַרְבָּעָה פְרָקִים הָעוֹלָם נִדּוֹן, בְּפֶסַח עַל הַתְּבוּאָה, בַּעֲצֶרֶת עַל פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן, בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה כָּל בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם עוֹבְרִין לְפָנָיו כִּבְנֵי מָרוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים לג) הַיּוֹצֵר יַחַד לִבָּם, הַמֵּבִין אֶל כָּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם. וּבֶחָג נִדּוֹנִין עַל הַמָּיִם:
III (2) At four times the world is judged: On Pesach, for the crops. On Shavuot, for the fruits of the tree. On Rosh Hashnah, all the world passes before Him like sheep, as it says, "He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, that considereth all their doings." (Psalms 33:15) And on Sukkot, they are judged for the water.
(ה) מִצְוַת עֲרָבָה כֵּיצַד, מָקוֹם הָיָה לְמַטָּה מִירוּשָׁלַיִם, וְנִקְרָא מוֹצָא. יוֹרְדִין לְשָׁם וּמְלַקְּטִין מִשָּׁם מֻרְבִּיּוֹת שֶׁל עֲרָבָה, וּבָאִין וְזוֹקְפִין אוֹתָן בְּצִדֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְרָאשֵׁיהֶן כְּפוּפִין עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. תָּקְעוּ וְהֵרִיעוּ וְתָקָעוּ. בְּכָל יוֹם מַקִּיפִין אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ פַּעַם אַחַת, וְאוֹמְרִים, אָנָּא ה' הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא, אָנָּא ה' הַצְלִיחָה נָּא. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אֲנִי וָהוֹ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא. וְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם מַקִּיפִין אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים. בִּשְׁעַת פְּטִירָתָן, מָה הֵן אוֹמְרִים, יֹפִי לְךָ מִזְבֵּחַ, יֹפִי לְךָ מִזְבֵּחַ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, לְיָהּ וּלְךָ, מִזְבֵּחַ. לְיָהּ וּלְךָ, מִזְבֵּחַ:
IV (5) How is the mitzvah of the willow [branches] done? There was a place below Jerusalem, and it is called Motzah. They would descend to there and gather from there large willow branches, and they would come and stand them upright on the sides of the altar, with their tips inclining over the alter. They would blow a tekiyah [a steady blast], and a teruah [a broken blast], and a tekiyah. Every day they would circle the altar one time and say, "We beseech you Hashem, redeem us, please; we beesech you Hashem, bring prosperity, please." Rabbi Yehudah says: [they would say,] "Ani vaho, bring redemption, please." [The literal meaning of this latter phrase, which perhaps contains hidden numerical meanings or names of Hashem, is unclear.] And on that particular day [i.e. the seventh days of willow ritual], they would circle the altar seven times. At the hour of their departure, what did they say? "Beauty for you, O altar! Beauty for you, O altar!" Rabbi Eliezer says: [they would say,] "For Hashem and for you, O altar! For Hashem and for you, O altar."
בליליא בתראה דחגא, דקא נפקן פתקין מבי מלכא...
ביומא שביעאה דחג, הוא סיומא דדינא דעלמא, ופתקין נפקין מבי מלכא...
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד אִתְעַר דִּינָא בְּעַלְמָא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָתִיב עַל כָּרְסֵי דְּדִינָא לְמֵידַן עַלְמָא, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאַתְעָרָא (בדינא) תְּשׁוּבָה, דְּיֵיתוּב מֵחִיּוּבָא (נ''א מחובוי). דְּהָא הַהוּא יוֹמָא, פִּתְקִין כְּתִיבוּ, וּמִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי כֻּלְּהוּ בְּאַחְמָתָא הָא כְתִיבִין. אִי זָכֵי בַּר נָשׁ דְּיֵיתוּב קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ, קָרְעִין פִּתְקִין דְּעֲלֵיהּ.
לְבָתַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַמִּין קַמֵּיהּ דְבַּר נָשׁ, יוֹמָא דְכִפּוּרֵי יוֹמָא דִתְשׁוּבָה. אִי תָב מֵחֶטְאוֹי טַב. וְאִי לָא, פַּקִּיד מַלְכָּא לְמִחְתַּם פִּתְקִין. וַוי, דְּהָא תְּשׁוּבָה בַּעְיָא לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא מִנֵּיהּ.
אִי זָכֵי בִּתְשׁוּבָה, וְלָא שְׁלֵימָתָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, תַּלְיָין לֵיהּ עַד הַהוּא יוֹמָא בַּתְרָאָה דַּעֲצֶרֶת, דְּהוּא תְּמִינָאָה לֶחָג. וְאִי עֲבַד תְּשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵימָתָא לְקַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ, אִתְקְרָעוּ. וְאִי לָא זָכֵי, אִינוּן פִּתְקִין נָפְקִין מִבֵּי מַלְכָּא, וְאִתְמַסְּרָן בִּידוֹי דְּסַנְטִירָא, וְדִינָא מִתְעֲבִיד, וּפִתְקִין לָא מְהַדְּרָן תוּ לְבֵי מַלְכָּא.
V. Zohar 2:142a: On the final night of Sukkot, the פתקים (notes, slips of paper, verdicts) go out from the Palace of the King.
Zohar 3:31b: On the Seventh day of Sukkot the world's judgment is completed and the petakim go out from the Palace of the King...
Zohar 12:220a:
Come and see: when judgment is awakened in the world, the Holy One of Blessing sits on the Throne of Judgement to judge the world. Humankind comes to try to awaken Repentance to return from the side of guilt. On that day, the notes are written in wisdom. If humankind merits to do teshuva before their Master, then the petek is torn up. After the Holy One of Blessing waits on humankind until Yom Kippur, the day of Teshuva, if they have repented it is well. But if not, then the King at once seals the petek: alas! For Teshuva has the power to remove it!
If humankind merits and has not achieved shalom sufficiently, then the judgment is suspended until the last day of the Holiday, Shemini Atzeret, the 8th Day of Sukkot. And if humankind has achieved full Teshuva before their Master, then they are torn up. But if they do not merit, then the notes go forth from the King's Palace and are given into the hands of the Prosecutor and judgment is done and the notes do not again return to the King's Palace.