Image: Jean-Frédéric Bernard, Procession des Palmes chez les Juifs Portugais, 1724.
Hoshana Rabba was such an important occasion that the fixed Jewish calendar was created with the consideration that it never fall out on Shabbat, when the beating of the willows couldn't be carried out. What makes it such an extraordinary day? While there are many Kabbalistic interpretations, this source sheet focuses on the role Hoshana Rabba plays in the season of judgment, usually thought of as the period from Rosh Hashana through the ten days of repentance to Yom Kippur. Is Hoshana Rabba truly Yom ha-Din (the Day of Judgment)?
Hoshana Rabba Customs
There are a number of centuries-old customs that point to a connection between Hoshana Rabba and Yom Kippur:
- It is customary to wear white, as on Yom Kippur, and the shaliach tzibbur wears a kittel and uses the nusach of Yom Kippur in several places.
- Some have the custom to have a festive meal (seudah) on Hoshana Rabba.
- Tikkun Leil Hoshana Rabba: As at Shavuot, there is a custom to remain awake the night of Hoshana Rabba learning Torah (there are different customs about what parts of Torah, but Sefer Tehillim is a common feature.)
- The Ashkenazi Machzor includes several special insertions for Hoshana Rabba.
- Some Sefardi Mahzorim include Selichot for Hoshana Rabba.
Revealed by Nevua (Prophecy)
The taking and beating of willows (aravot) on Hoshana Rabbah are not mentioned in the Torah; the practice was instituted by the Neviim Chagai, Zechariah, and Malachi, according to Rashi on the Gemara.
אִתְּמַר: רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, חַד אָמַר: עֲרָבָה יְסוֹד נְבִיאִים, וְחַד אָמַר: עֲרָבָה מִנְהַג נְבִיאִים. תִּסְתַּיַּים דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן הוּא דְּאָמַר יְסוֹד נְבִיאִים, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: עֲרָבָה יְסוֹד נְבִיאִים הוּא. תִּסְתַּיַּים.
It was stated that there is a dispute between Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi. One said that the mitzva of the willow branch is an ordinance of the prophets, as Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi instituted it in the Temple as obligatory. And one said that the mitzva of the willow branch is an ancient custom practiced by the prophets and adopted by others as well. It was not instituted as a binding ordinance. The Gemara suggests: Conclude that it was Rabbi Yoḥanan who said that it is an ordinance of the prophets, as Rabbi Abbahu said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The mitzva of the willow branch is an ordinance of the prophets. The Gemara concurs: Indeed, conclude that it is so.
יסוד נביאים הוא - תקנת נביאים אחרונים חגי זכריה ומלאכי שהיו ממתקני תקנות ישראל באנשי כנסת הגדולה:
An ordinance of the prophets - It was a decree of the last prophets Chagai, Zechriah, and Malachi who were among the legislators of Israel in the Great Assembly [Knesset ha-Gedolah].
Wait...Isn't that What Happens on Yom Kippur?
The Gemara in one place mentions that one sort of judgment occurs on Sukkot: the judgment with regards to how much rain will fall during the year, which in turn determines crucial food supplies.
(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:
(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.
The Development of Hoshana Rabba as a Holiday
In addition, the Mishnah itself describes important aspects of Hoshana Rabba:
(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 יהוה הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא, אָנָּא יהוה הַצְלִיחָה נָּא.
(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."
In the Zohar
The Zohar explicitly connects Hoshana Rabba to Yom Kippur and the theme of judgment.
הזוהר פרשת צו לא ע' ב | Zohar, Parashat Tzeh 31b
בְּיוֹמָא שְׁבִיעָאָה דְּחָג, הוּא סִיּוּמָא דְּדִינָא דְּעָלְמָא, וּפִתְקִין נָפְקִין מִבֵּי מַלְכָּא
The Seventh day of Sukkot is the day on which the world's judgment is completed. The notes (petakim) [on which each person's verdict is written] go out from the King's palace.
הזוהר פרשת ויחי רכ ע' א | Zohar, Parashat Vayechi 220b
הזוהר פרשת ויחי רכ ע' א
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.
Zohar, Parashat Vayechi 220b
Come and see: when judgment is awakened in the world, the Holy One of Blessing sits on the Throne of Judgment 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.
Other Early Sources
ספר המנהיג הלכות סוכה עמוד תב - תג
מנהג צרפת ופרובינצ' ואלמנייא זולתי בארץ ספרד לומ' בהושענ' רבה מזמורים של שבת, וקדושה רבה במוסף כשאר ימים טובי'. ויראה לי הטעם אף על פי שלא נקרא יום השביעי שלחג שבתון מ"מ הוא תכלית החג ותכלית ההקפה... ועוד כי בהושענ' רבה מקויימת חתימת ג' הספרי' הפתוחי' לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא ונחתמי' ביום [עמוד תג] הכיפורי', ובהושענ' רבה תכלית הכפרה בשכבר התענינו מערב ר"ה עד יום הכיפורי' ונמחלו העונות והזדונות והפשעי'
It is the custom of [northern] France, Provence, and Germany, all except the land of Spain, to say Shabbat zemirot (melodies) on Hoshana Rabba, as well Kedusha Rabba as on other holidays. It appears to me that the reason, despite the fact that the seventh day of the holiday is not called a day of rest, is that it is clearly the conclusion of the holiday and the climax of the circuits [around the synagogue with the Arba Minim]... In addition, the sealing of the three books [of the righteous, the wicked, and the in-between] that are open before the Holy One and which are inscribed on Yom Kippur occurs on Hoshana Rabba. Hoshana Rabba is the culmination of atonement in that we have already afflicted ourselves from the evening before Rosh Hashana until Yom Kippur and our intentional sins and malice have been forgiven.
In some manuscripts of Machzor Vitry, it is specified that "Hashem is G-d" is repeated seven times on Hoshana Rabba as it is on Yom Kippur (see Daniel Goldschmidt's critical edition, 3:876; cited here, n. 76).
But Then There's Zot Chanukah...
The eighth day of Chanukah is known as "Zot Chanukah," a literalistic drash on a verse from the Maftir reading for Shabbat Chanukah (from Parashat Naso). There the word "this" (זאת) in the phrase "this was the dedication for the altar" (זאת חנוכת המזבח) is understand as a proper noun as opposed to merely a demonstrative pronoun: "The occasion of Zot is the [completed] dedication of the altar."
זֹ֣את ׀ חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ בְּיוֹם֙ הִמָּשַׁ֣ח אֹת֔וֹ מֵאֵ֖ת נְשִׂיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל קַעֲרֹ֨ת כֶּ֜סֶף שְׁתֵּ֣ים עֶשְׂרֵ֗ה מִֽזְרְקֵי־כֶ֙סֶף֙ שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֔ר כַּפּ֥וֹת זָהָ֖ב שְׁתֵּ֥ים עֶשְׂרֵֽה׃
This was the dedication offering for the altar from the chieftains of Israel upon its being anointed: silver bowls, 12; silver basins, 12; gold ladles, 12.
There is a Chassidische custom to mark Zot Chanukah as a day of joy—and final judgment. Why? Because of several words of the Neviim, which use the word zot ("this"), which as we just saw, can refer to Chanukah, in connection with the cleansing of sin. For example:
(ט) לָכֵ֗ן בְּזֹאת֙ יְכֻפַּ֣ר עֲוֺֽן־יַעֲקֹ֔ב
(9) Assuredly, by this (zot) alone Shall Jacob’s sin be purged away...
The idea is that while G-d's judgment for the coming year is sealed on Hoshana Rabba, the verdict is not delivered until Zot Chanukah.
