Hoshana Rabbah
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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 of Tishrei |
2023 date | Sunset, 5 October – nightfall, 6 October (7 October outside of Israel) |
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) |
Related to | Culmination of Sukkot (Tabernacles) |
Hoshana Rabbah (
Themes
Final judgment
Hoshana Rabbah is known as the last of the Days of Judgment, which begin on
R'
Consequently, an
In some
Rituals and customs
The reasons for many of the customs of the day are rooted in Kabbalah.
Seven hoshanot
The modern-day observance of the rituals of Hoshana Rabbah is intended to emulate the practices that existed in the times of the
once daily. On Hoshana Rabbah, there are seven circuits (hakafot).Making a circuit around the bimah on Sukkot while each person holds the four species in his hands has its origin in the Temple service, as recorded in the Mishnah: "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 in Psalms 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 the
Tikkun Hoshana Rabbah
It is customary to read the whole of
In
The entire book of Psalms is read, with Kabbalistic prayers being recited after each of the five sections.
Five willow branches
At the conclusion of a number of Piyyutim (liturgical poems), five willow branches are beaten on the ground or other surfaces to symbolize the elimination of sin. This is also symbolic as a prayer for rain and success in agriculture. According to the Kabbalah, beating the ground with the five willow branches is done to "Sweeten the Five Severities". There is no blessing said for this ritual, but the Aramaic 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 of Ezra by the three last prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.[8]
The Midrash[9] notes that the Aravah (willow) represents the common folk, unlearned and lacking exceptional deeds. Rabbi Abraham 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 strike with the willow.”[10] It is important to note that the Aravah represents the unlearned and not the evildoers.
Prayers for Messiah
In the Ashkenazic and Italian rites, the hoshanot are accompanied by a series of liturgical verses 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.
Traditional foods
In Ashkenazi culture, it is traditional to eat soup with kreplach during the meal served on the day of Hoshana Rabba.
Also in Yiddish-speaking communities, some eat boiled cabbage 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).[11] Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz taught that one should bake an apple with the Hoshana branch in it to ward off toothaches in the coming year.[12]
See also
References
- ISBN 9780812218626.
- ^ "Hoshana" and "Hashana" are not cognate.
- ^ a b Tavori, Prof. Yosef (14–21 October 2000). "Hoshana Rabbah as a Day of Judgment". Bar-Ilan University's Parashat Hashavua Study Center. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- Yoel Bin Nun, Zachor VeShamor, p.246-249
- ^ Feshbach, Rabbi Michael (27 September 2002). "Jewish Language of Repentance Keeps Vibrant Culture Alive". j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ "breslev.co.il". Archived from the original on 2021-05-08. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
- ^ a b "Hoshana Rabba". Halachipedia.
- ^ Talmud Sukkah 44a
- ^ Vayikra Rabbah 30:12
- ISBN 978-9655240429.
- ^ Shurpin, Yehuda. "Why Eat Stuffed Cabbage on Simchat Torah". Chabad.org.
- ^ "הושענא רבה: לחבוט בילדים ולצלות תפוחים". bhol.co.il. 20 July 2016.