Hoshanah Rabba: The Final Day of Sukkot
Hoshana Rabbah begins the last and most solemn day of Sukkot: Hoshana Rabbah, when the judgment that was written and sealed on Yom Kippur is made permanent. It is also the holiday in which the fate of the world
Hoshana Rabbah Night
The eve of Hoshana Rabbah, also known as Tikkun Hoshana Rabbah, is a time of intense Torah study in Orthodox Jewish circles. There is a longstanding custom of reading the Book of Deuteronomy, Psalms, and passages from the Zohar (a work of Kabbalah). Sometimes Kabbalistic prayers are recited as well.
In Jerusalem, Orthodox men and women of all ages flock to shiurim, or lectures on themes from the Torah, on the night of Hoshana Rabbah. These lectures are given in hundreds of locations and varieties throughout the city. Among some men it is even customary to study Torah for the entire night.
Ancient Rituals From the Temple Worship
The daytime rituals of the holiday are drawn from the ancient rituals that were practiced in the Jews’ Holy Temple. In synagogue, male congregants make a circuit around the bimah, the central platform upon which the Torah is read, each man holding his the lulav and etrog aloft.
During the holiday of Sukkot, only one circuit of the bimah is completed. In contrast, on Hoshana Rabbah, congregants complete seven circuits. Each time represents one of the Seven Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David.
The ritual itself is interpreted in many ways: In its simplest form, it is explained as a celebration of God’s granting humanity a fruitful and prosperous year.
Following this ritual, it is customary to recite a liturgical poem, and at the conclusion of this, to beat five willow branches hard against the floor. This is to beat away the last vestiges of sin, but there are mystical nuances to the ritual known only to those who are deeply versed in Kabbalah.
Farewell to the Sukkah
In the hot sun of Hoshana Rabbah day, it’s customary to eat for the last time in the sukkah. This meal is viewed as “bidding farewell to the sukkah.” At the conclusion of the meal, a special prayer is recited that contains references to redemption and the Messiah. Thus is Sukkot heralded out the door: In drawing together all its rituals and practices, so mysterious in some ways, as a gateway to future redemption.
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