The nature of Hoshana Rabba
Hoshana Rabba is the last day of Chol Hamoed Sukkos that falls on the 21st of Tishrei. Hoshanous are said every day of Sukkos when a Sefer Torah is taken to the bima and the people circle it once while holding their Arba Minim. However, on Hoshana Rabba, this process is elongated to be seven times around the bima with additional reciting of Hoshanous.
Hoshana Rabba means a lot of saving and in some ways is treated as a semi Yom Tuv. It is a final last chance of changing the verdicts for the year that was written on Rosh Hashana and signed on Yom Kippur since it is the time of the sending out of the messengers to carry it out. R’ Pincus compares it to signed check that has not yet been cashed and now it will be. This is why special things are done and some people have the minhag to hear the reading of Sefer Devorim, known as Mishna Torah. Some say a special tikun and stay awake the whole night. The Chazan wears the white kittel, expressing the finalising of the din on people.
Unlike Yom Kippur where the tefillous focus on confessions and asking forgiveness, Hoshana Rabba uses a different pathway known as Hoshanous – using the Arba Minim while circling the bima and Sifrei Torah we repeat the phrase asking for “save us”. There are different names for saving – like in the Shemona Esrai we say Oizer-Moishia-Mogen, all words of saving. The word Hoshana is from the word Yeshua and this expresses a saving done from another without any help from the person in trouble. On Hoshana Rabba, the word Rabba means a lot and here the saving is done from Hashem to us without our going through the normal pathway of teshuva – our participation in asking to be saved. The Usphizin for Hoshana Rabba, the seventh day of Sukkos, is Dovid HaMelech.
Hoshana Rabba – Yom Arava
During the time of the Beis Hamikdosh the seventh day of Sukkos had the special name of Yom Arava. They would place a tall arava to tower over the Mizbayach and would go around it seven times.
Hoshana Rabba – the significance of the date and name
Rabbeinu BeChai points out that Hoshana Rabba falls on the 21st of Tishrei and since the world was created on the 25th of Elul, this makes it the 26th day of Creation. 26 is the numerical value of the Shem HaVaya and represents Rachamim, mercy. It is therefore a great mercy that this is picked to be the date of the final verdict for the year and this would explain the name given, Hoshana Rabba – a great saving. We also find 26 expressing mercy in that the Torah was given in the 26th generation from Odom, through Moshe Rabbeinu and since the world cannot exist without Torah these 26 generations lived out of the kindness of Hashem. The Rishoinim call this day – “The day of the great Seal”.
The Maharsha tells us that there is great significance in Hoshana Rabba being on the 21st day – this is because it concludes 21 days of tikun started by Rosh Hashana that comes to rectify and oppose the 21 days of punishment seen in the three weeks, known as the Bein Hamtzorim period from the 17th of Tammuz until Tisha BiAv. Like Tisha BiAv coming at the end is the height of sadness and destruction so too Hoshana Rabba on the positive side that comes at the end is the highlight of tikun started from Rosh Hashana and here is the special time to change the din for the good.
Hoshana Rabba – Scary time
It is said about the Chasam Sofer that during the last year of his life he said that he had passed the din of Rosh Hashana and that of Yom Kippur but fell in the din of Hoshana Rabba! He died a few days later on the 25th of Tishrei. The Ramban tells us that on Hoshana Rabba night there is no shadow to the head of a person destined to die in the following year. However, we are warned against taking this as a conclusive sign since we do not know exactly what this means.
The beating of arovos
At the end of the tefillous, five arovos, willows, are taken and beaten on the ground. The Arba Minim all represent different parts of the body. The arova is in the shape of the lips. Perhaps it expresses removing our usual pathway of tefilla, expressed with the lips, and placing all our reliance for help on Hashem. Alternatively, it expresses the trust of every Jew in Hashem to accept any judgement on them during the next year that looks bad. Our reply to this is that our lips are sealed in acceptance without objection. This is the climax of the din that comes on Hoshana Rabba.
The Midrash says that the Arba Minim represent four groups amongst the Jews and the arova symbolises the lowest group of sinners compared to the willow that has no smell or taste. The seventy nations have seventy cows representing them brought on the seven days of Sukkos, symbolising the physical world of teva. Hoshana Rabba being the last day is when the seventy nations representing evil finishes. Together with them is the lowest level of sinners whom must repent or also be punished. Either way, evil as seen in the arovos finishes and this is seen in the beating of the arovos.
Remozim to Hoshana Rabba
Chazal tell us the different stages of din are seen in the possuk Aryei shoieg, mi loi yorei, when the lion roars, who is not scared? Aryei’s letters stand for Elul-Rosh Hashana-Yom Kippur-Hoshana Rabba. Another allusion is in the possuk Koil Rino Viyishua, where the word Rina’s letters stand for Rosh Hashana-Neila-Hoshana Rabba.
Hoshana Rabba Questions:
- What does the name Hoshana Rabba mean?
- Why do we go around seven times with the Arba Minim?
- Why do some people have the custom to hear the reading of Mishne Torah on Hoshana Rabba night?
- Why do we take Hoshanous?
- Why take five Hosnaous and why pick the specie of Arovos more than any other?
- We treat Hoshana Rabba as a semi-Yom Tuv. Why?
- What is the significance of Hoshana Rabba being the last day of Sukkos?
- Why do we beat on the ground the Hoshanous?
- What is the judgement that takes place on Hoshana Rabba after there has already been the judgement by Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur?
- On each of the seven days of Sukkos there are seven Ushpizin. The Ushpizin for Hoshana Rabba is Dovid Hamelech. How is this significant?