Themalach of Hoshana Rabbah

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 Torah 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: Mishnah, 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 Find more shiurim and articles from Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner at http://www.yutorah.org/Rabbi-Mordechai-Torczyner/ 20 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Sukkot 5778 And the Sages said: The lulav in the right Some contend that Bar Kochba may would bring Yehoshua military victory and the etrog 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 Jews 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 Rosh HaShanah, 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 Yom Kippur 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 sefer Torah 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 Ezra 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.

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