The Hoshanot of Sukkot

(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."

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."

I wash my hands in innocence - That it should be through legal commerce and not through theft. As it is written: a stolen and dried lulav is not fit for us. That it should be clean from violence, and from theft, that our defender should not become our prosecutor. And afterwards - and walk around Your altar, Eternal One - As it is written: every day they would circle the altar one time and say: Ana Adonai Hoshiah na! (Psalm 118:25)

(33) And [Avraham] celebrated this feast during seven days, rejoicing with all his heart and with all his soul, he and all those who were in his house; and there was no stranger with him, nor any that was uncircumcised.

(34) And he blessed his Creator who had created him in his generation, for He had created him according to His good pleasure;

(35) for He knew and perceived that from him would arise the plant of righteousness for the eternal generations, and from him a holy seed, so that it should become like Him who had made all things.

(36) And he blessed and rejoiced, and he called the name of this festival The Festival of the Lord, a joy acceptable to the Most High God.

(37) And we blessed him for ever, and all his seed after him throughout all the generations of the earth, because he celebrated this festival in its season, according to the testimony of the heavenly tables.

(38) For this reason it is ordained on the heavenly tables concerning Israel, that they shall celebrate the feast of tabernacles seven days with joy, in the seventh month, acceptable before the Lord--a statute for ever throughout their generations every year.

(39) And to this there is no limit of days; for it is ordained for ever regarding Israel that they should celebrate it and dwell in booths, and set wreaths upon their heads,

(40) and take leafy boughs, and willows from the brook. And Abraham took branches of palm trees, and the fruit of goodly trees,

(41) and every day going round the altar with the branches seven times [a day] in the morning, he praised and gave thanks to his God for all things in joy.

(1) Now Jericho was shut up tight because of the Israelites; no one could leave or enter. (2) The LORD said to Joshua, “See, I will deliver Jericho and her king [and her] warriors into your hands.

(3) Let all your troops march around the city and complete one circuit of the city. Do this six days, (4) with seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns preceding the Ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. (5) And when a long blast is sounded on the horn—as soon as you hear that sound of the horn—all the people shall give a mighty shout. Thereupon the city wall will collapse, and the people shall advance, every man straight ahead.”...

(14) And so they marched around the city once on the second day and returned to the camp. They did this six days. (15) On the seventh day, they rose at daybreak and marched around the city, in the same manner, seven times; that was the only day that they marched around the city seven times. (16) On the seventh round, as the priests blew the horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city....

(20) So the people shouted when the horns were sounded. When the people heard the sound of the horns, the people raised a mighty shout and the wall collapsed. The people rushed into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they captured the city.

The tractate concludes with a statement related to the topic of dancing. Ulla of the city of Bira’a said that Rabbi Elazar said: In the future, in the end of days, the Holy Bountiful One will arrange a dance of the righteous, and God will be sitting among them in the Garden of Eden, and each and every one of the righteous will point to God with his finger, as it is stated: “And it shall be said on that day: Behold, this is our God, for whom we waited, that God might save us. This is the Eternal; for whom we waited. We will be glad and rejoice in God's salvation” (Isaiah 25:9). God will be revealed, so that every righteous individual will be able to say: This is our God, as though they were pointing at Him with a finger.

I say that it is read "Hu" [meaning He in reference to God], and hints at what is said, "See now that I, I am He." This verse (Devarim 32:39) is about protecting Israel, and how God will save them...as God promised us. Some of the Geonim said that this means when I and He are in distress, save please! This is the contextual meaning, and what God means by "I am with them in distress."

(1) In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, when I was in the community of exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.