The Great Hosanna
Hoshana Rabbah (The Great Hosanna or The Numerous Hosannas) is the
seventh and last day of Sukkot. As Hosanna means "Save now, I pray
Thee" (Psalm 118:25), the Great Hosanna therefore means the Great
Salvation.
It is so named
for the fact that more Hosannas are said on this day than all the
previous days of the festival. On each of the six previous days, the
priests circled the altar once in a procession, singing Psalm
118:25. On the seventh day of the feast, the people circled the
altar seven times. That is why the day is called Hoshana Rabbah, as
the cry "Save now!" is repeated seven times.
On Hoshana
Rabbah afternoon, the Jews will bring their vessels from their
sukkot back into their houses in preparation for
Shemini Atzeret, the following day. Its
primary purpose is to to move and plant the spiritual message of the
sukkot into their homes for the remainder of the year.
It was on the
last day (Hoshana Rabbah), that great day of the feast, Jesus stood
and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and
drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his
heart will flow rivers of living water." John 7:37-38
According to
some Jewish traditions, all people are judged on Rosh Hashanah. The
righteous are given a favorable judgment. Those found wanting, but
not totally evil, are given until Yom Kippur to repent. If they fail
to do so, the verdict against them is written and sealed but not
delivered till Hoshana Rabbah. This day, the Jews will assemble in
prayer, dedication and supplication. The joy of Succoth will reach
its climax. In mercy, God finds ample reason to tear up the
parchments bearing the harsher sentences, and replace them with
brighter verdicts. The following chart illustrates this thought:
| Rosh Hashanah (Judgment Day) |
The judgment is rendered. |
| Yom Kippur |
The judgment is sealed. |
| Hoshana Rabbah |
The judgment is delivered. |
The following
morning after Hoshana Rabbah, the judgment is delivered and made
known.
On Hoshana
Rabbah, the Jews will beat the willow branches on the earth. Among
the Four Species, the etrog is blessed
with a good smell and good taste. It represents the Jews with Torah
and good deeds. The palm, blessed with good taste but no scent,
represents the Jews who have Torah but lack good deeds. The myrtle,
blessed with an exquisite scent but no fruit, represents the Jews
with good deeds but no Torah. The willow, with no taste and no
smell, represents the Jews who have neither Torah nor good deeds.
The commandment
is not fulfilled until we have all of the Four Species. Without any
one of the four, it is incomplete. The message is this: Just as the
Four Species require four different kinds of vegetation, so we need
all the four different kinds of Jews, covering the entire range of
people. Whoever thinks that we can ignore those Jews devoid of Torah
and good deeds is wrong! Lacking the willow branch, the entire Four
Species is worthless.
The significance
of the willow branch on Hoshana Rabbah is not only that without it,
the other three species are in serious trouble. The fact is that the
entire focus of Hoshana Rabbah is exclusively on the willow branch.
This is the day of the willows. On this day, the people of God will
strike the willows upon the earth.
The striking of
the willows bears an important truth about the lovingkindness of
God. Willows grows along the banks of the river. It is at these
edges where the lovingkindness of God is being confronted with His
judgment. On one side, there is water which represents the love of
God. On the other side, there is hard land which represents the
strict justice of God. The land marks out and places limits on the
water flow.
The prayer is
not just for rain but for the rain to bring forth the growth of more
willows. As more willows grow, the grace of God invades into the
justice of God. At such moments, the willows are eye witnesses to
this wonderful sight. If we desire God to show us His grace and
mercy, we need to show grace and mercy to the willows, namely, those
without Torah and good deeds. God knows our hearts and minds.
Longsuffering, kindness and goodness are listed in the fruit of the
Holy Spirit. God is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any
should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
On Hoshana
Rabbah, the Jews beat the willow branches five times on the floor.
The five-time beating of the willow branches symbolizes the breaking
of the sin of bad-mouthing. The leaves of the willow are shaped like
the lips. Therefore these twigs have the purpose of atoning for the
sins of the lips. We beat them on the earth to symbolize our
resolution that from now on, we will not sin with our lips again.
When we do so, we are confident that no one's lips, not even Satan's
(the accuser of our brethren), can harm us.