The Malach of Hoshana Rabbah

Do not grieve, for the joy of G-d is your strength. Nechemiah 8:10 Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner Rosh Beit Midrash, YU Mitzion Zichron Dov בכל יום מקיפין את המזבח פעם אחת Beit Midrash of Toronto ואומרים אנא ד’ הושיעה נא אנא ד’ הצליחה נא. רבי יהודה אומר אני והו הושיעה נא. ואותו היום מקיפין את המזבח שבעה פעמים. Every day they would circle the altar he image of making a daily crying out, “Save us,” is a plea for the once and say, “Please, G-d, save us now! circuit around the bimah, rain our crops need. However, there is Please, G-d, make us succeed now!” upon which one member of another way to view Hoshanot: As a Tthe congregation holds a Torah, is victory march. Rabbi Yehudah says, “Ani Vaho, save well-known. Rabbi Chiya’s association us now.” And on that day [Hoshana In the words of a midrash, with the conquest of Yericho1 is Rabbah] they circled the altar seven commenting on the last words of visible, both in the act of circling and times. Tehillim 16:11: , Succah ch. 4 in our appeal to Divine aid in our time ואמרי רבנן לולב בימין ואתרוג בשמאל. מה of need. But why is the person holding טעם? “נעימות בימינך נצח,” במי שהוא ,the Torah compared to a malach וכיצד הוא סדר ההקפה? כל ישראל גדולים נוטל לולב בימין ונוצח ובאין. בנוהג שבעולם a Divine agent? To appreciate the וקטנים נוטלים את לולביהם בידיהם הימנית הנדייסין רצין באיפרכוס, מי נוטל ובא? מי comparison, let us examine why we ואתרוגיהם בידיהם השמאלית ומקיפין אחת, שהוא נוצח. .perform the Hoshanot circuits ואותו היום היו מקיפין שבע פעמים. אמר ר’ כך בראש השנה באין כל באי עולם ועוברין חייא זכר ליריחו. לפניו כבני מרון, ואף ישראל עוברין לפניו עם הא תינח בזמן שיש מזבח, בזמן הזה חזן The Hoshanot כל באי עולם, ושרי אומות העולם אומרים הכנסת עומד כמלאך האלקים וס"ת בזרועו, “אנו נצחנו וזכינו בדין,” ואין אדם יודע מי One traditional understanding of והעם מקיפין אותו דוגמת מזבח: נצח, אם ישראל נוצחים או אומות העולם. What is the order of circling? All Israel, Hoshanot is that this ritual is part עבר ראש השנה וכל ישראל באים ביום old and young, take their lulavim in of our annual appeal for rain. The הכפורים ומתענים בו, ולובשים בגדים לבנים their right hands and their etrogim in prophet Zechariah declared that ונאים. עבר יום הכפורים ואין אדם יודע מי their left hands and circle once. And on seasonal rainfall can be a Divine נוצח, אם ישראל אם אומות העולם. that day [Hoshana Rabbah] they circle response to the Succot pilgrimage כיון שהגיע יום טוב הראשון של חג, וכל seven times. Rabbi Chiya said: This is a to the Beit haMikdash.2 A mishnah ישראל גדולים וקטנים נוטלין לולביהם memorial for Yericho. informs us that our annual rainfall is בימינם, ואתרוגיהם בשמאלם, מיד הכל That’s fine when there is an altar. Today, determined by G-d on Succot.3 And יודעין שישראל נוצחין בדין. וכיון שהגיע יום the chazan of the gathering stands like a in the Talmud, Rabbi Eliezer states הושענא רבה, נוטלין ערבי נחל, ומקיפין שבע malach of G-d, with a Torah scroll in his explicitly that the mitzvah of taking הקפות, וחזן הכנסת עומד כמלאך אלקים, arm, and the congregation circles him, the arba minim on Succot is a prayer וספר תורה בזרועו, והעם מקיפין אותו דוגמת like the altar. for rain.4 In that light, carrying the המזבח. Yalkut Shimoni to Tehillim #703 arba minim around the bimah, and

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20 Rabbi Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • 5778 And the Sages said: The in the right Some contend that Bar Kochba may would bring Yehoshua military victory and the in the left [while circling the have perceived in Succot an image of over Yericho.11 Gidon was visited altar]. Why? “The pleasant items are in national redemption and sovereignty by a malach to herald the defeat of your right, for victory. (Tehillim 16:11)” appropriate to his cause.6 The first Midian.12 And Hatzlelponi, mother This refers to the one who takes the Beit haMikdash was dedicated just of Shimshon, was visited by a malach lulav in the right and is victorious with before Succot,7 and the altar of the who foretold the birth of her son, who the branches. Customarily, competitors second Beit haMikdash was dedicated would begin to rescue the from race in the arena, and who takes the likewise just in time for Succot.8 the Plishtim.13 Along these lines, the branches? The one who wins. Historical sources suggest that the malach at the center of our Hoshanot So, too, on , all who eight days of the original Chanukah is a Divine representative, announcing enter the world come and pass before celebration, marking rededication of our victory in judgment before Him, like sheep, and Israel too passes the second Beit haMikdash, may have Hashem, and rejoicing with us. been modeled on the eight days of before Him with all of the others who The celestialmalach is not necessarily 9 And so Bar Kochba may have enter this world. And the nobles of the Succot. seen in the human holder of the adopted Succot as a rallying point. nations say, “We won, we triumphed in Torah, though; the emphasis may the judgment,” and no one knows who However, others10 contend that be on the Torah itself. Indeed, won, whether Israel won or the nations. Bar Kochba may have selected the according to Rabbi Aharon haKohen Rosh HaShanah passes, and all Israel branches of the lulav bundle as a of Narbonne,14 we primarily circle comes on and fasts, wearing symbol of triumph, as presented in the Torah. The only reason we white, beautiful clothing. Yom Kippur the midrash above. For centuries, Jews have someone stand in the center passes and no one knows who won, Israel who had come to the Beit haMikdash is in order to honor the Torah by or the nations. on Succot had been invited into the holding it. The Torah itself is G-d’s When the first day of Succot arrives, all interior Heichal to march around the representative, broadcasting the news Israel, old and young, take their lulavim altar with their branches held high, of our victory.15 in their right hands and their etrogim in declaring victory in our judgment their left. Immediately, everyone knows before G-d. Now Bar Kochba The Basis for our Confidence that Israel has triumphed in judgment. borrowed that image for his own And when the day of Hoshana Rabbah campaign. One problem remains, though: arrives, they take willow branches and How do we know that we have been circle seven times, and the chazan of the The Malach victorious? How can we hold a gathering stands like a malach of G-d, triumphant parade and claim that a with a Torah scroll in his arm, and the In this victorious context, the malach has arrived to certify this win? nation circles him like the altar. holder of the functions One might contend that we are always Midrash Tehillim 17:55 as a malach, a representative of confident that G-d is “on our side,” G-d, conveying to us the news of In the eyes of this midrash, the focus as the Tur asserts regarding rejoicing of our Hoshanot is not on our plea for our victory and contributing to an on Rosh HaShanah.16 However, Divine aid, despite our “Save us” cry. atmosphere of triumph. Indeed, our midrash emphasizes that we do Rather, this is primarily a celebration the midrash cited above continues not know whether we triumphed of the acceptance of our earlier pleas. to say that when we circle the altar, in judgment. Rather, an alternative “Immediately the ministering answer may lie in Abbaye’s classic malachim rejoice, declaring, ‘Israel has Bar Kochba’s Coins justification for the symbolism-rich won! Israel has won!’” menu of Rosh HaShanah: The image of thearba minim as a sign Themalach as herald and celebrant of אמר אביי, השתא דאמרת: סימנא מילתא nd היא, ]לעולם[ יהא רגיל למיחזי בריש שתא .of victory may also be seen in the 2 - victory is well-established in Tanach קרא ורוביא, כרתי וסילקא ותמרי. century coins of Bar Kochba, which Yehoshua was visited by a malach include shekalim marked with the who declared himself to be an officer Abbaye said: Since we say that signs are image of a lulav bundle. of G-d’s army, signifying that G-d substantive, one should accustom himself

21 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Sukkot 5778 to see gourds and fenugreek, leek, beets victory march around the altar in 6 Dr. Paul Romanoff,Jewish Symbols and dates at the start of the year. 17 the Beit haMikdash, and around the on Ancient Jewish Coins, American Israel Commentators suggest that the bimah in the synagogue. Any new Numismatic Association (1971). central function of these symbols is initiative requires confidence, and this 7 Melachim I 8. to inspire optimism.18 As Nechemiah is certainly true as we emerge from 8 3; and see Nechemiah 8. instructed the Jews of his generation Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur 9 Maccabees II Chapter 10. on Rosh HaShanah, “Go eat rich and begin the new year. To inspire הדגמים של המקדש foods and drink sweet drinks, and confidence, on each day of Succot we 10 Avraham Tendler, “ accessible at ”,והפולחן במטבעות מרד בר כוכבא send portions to those who have none bear the lulav bundle which signifies https://biu.academia.edu/AvrahamTendler. prepared, for today is sacred to our victory, and call upon G-d to “save 11 Yehoshua 5:13-15, as explained by Master. Do not grieve, for the joy of us,” making good on that victory by Radak, Abarbanel and Malbim. Sanhedrin 19 G-d is your strength.” bringing us salvation and success. 44b identifies criticism for Yehoshua in Use of symbols to inspire optimism is We rally around the Torah that is the malach’s visit, but as noted by Radak to Yehoshua, it is difficult to sustain this on the not unique to Rosh HaShanah. When G-d’s message to us, and its bearer is transformed for us into a malach level of p’shat. Radak goes so far as to claim Yehonatan, son of King Saul, sought that the author of that midrashic passage to attack the Plishtim, he determined like those who inspired Yehoshua, confused certain verses. whether to proceed based on the Gidon and the Hatzlelponi. On the seventh day, Hoshana Rabbah, we 12 Shoftim 6:11-24. Radak, Abarbanel and words he heard from the Plishtim Malbim believe that this is a malach; Ralbag when they spotted him. He planned: make seven such circuits, as we did in believes it is a human prophet. our victory over Yericho. And armed 13 Shoftim 13:5. with this sense of victory, inspired by םאִ כֹה יֹאמְרּו אֵ לֵ ינּו דֹ ּומ עַד הַ גִ יעֵנּו אֲ לֵיכֶ ם Orchot Chaim I, Seder Tefilot haPesach the image of G-d’s malach, we march 14 וְעָמַדְנּו תַחְתֵ ינּו וְ לֹא נַעֲלֶה אֲ לֵיהֶ ם. וְאִ ם כֹה .into the new year, ready to manage the uSh’ar haMoadot 14 יֹאמְרּו עֲלּועָלֵינּו וְעָלִינּו כִי נְתָ נָם ה’ בְ יָדֵ נּו וְזֶה For other explanations of why we circle challenges which come our way. 15 לָנּו הָ אֹות. If they say to us thus, ‘Be still until we the Torah, see Bach, Orach Chaim 660 and Maharam Schick, Derashah 63. reach you,’ then we will remain in our Endnotes place, and not ascend to them. But if they 16 See Tur and Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim say to us thus, ‘Ascend to us,’ then we will 1 Yehoshua 6. 581, supporting an atmosphere of joy on ascend, for G-d has given them into our Rosh HaShanah because “we know that G-d 2 Zechariah 14:17. will perform a miracle on our behalf.” hands, and this is our sign. Shemuel I 14:9-10 3 Mishnah Rosh HaShanah, Perek 1. 17 Talmud, Horiyot 12a. 4 Talmud, Taanit 2b; and see Vayikra Rabbah 18 Note that Maharal (Beer haGolah, Beer As Rabbi Kimchi (Radak) 30:13 as well. 2) takes Abbaye’s prescription as a step with explained, this was a message he 5 Translated in part based on Aruch practical consequences, initiating fulfillment of an anticipated good verdict so that it will would hear, strengthening his heart, hindivisin and notes of Salomon Buber at as a sign and symbol regarding the http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pagefeed/ gain force by virtue of its implementation. See venture. hebrewbooks_org_14295_258.pdf. A similar Ramban to Bereishit 12:6, too. idea may be expressed in Yalkut Shimoni 19 Nechemiah 8:10. Perhaps, then, this is the role of our Tehillim #703.

22 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Sukkot 5778