Halachos of Hoshana Rabbah and Simchas Torah - Rabbi Shraga Nosson Dahan shlita

00:02 Speaker 1 You’re listening to “Lema’an Yishme’u,” a podcast from Machon Halacha Chabad.

00:09 Speaker 2 Moadim l’simcha. Gut Yom Tov, everyone. Today we’ll touch on the main principles and practices of Hoshana Rabbah. On the face of it, it’s another day of Sukkos, another day of Chol Hamoed, but it’s a day unlike any other. When the Beis Hamikdash stood, besides the mitzvah of taking the four species, they would also circle the altar, with willow branches placed at its corners. This was a very special day. On Hoshana Rabbah they would make seven circuits. And it’s said that on those days, the notes return to the King. That’s why we also use the expression “a gut kvittel” or “gmar chasimah tovah.” So it’s a special day, an auspicious day. In remembrance of that practice, the custom is to take willow branches and beat them against the ground after davening. We’ll talk about that shortly. We also make the circuits and say all the Hoshanos we’ve said throughout the week, adding more requests and prayers that Hakadosh Boruch Hu bless the coming year for us, our families, and our households. So let’s go through the main practices and make our way through them. First, Hoshana Rabbah begins the night before, with Simchas Beis Hashoeivah. Sometimes we already feel that Hoshana Rabbah has arrived, so we ease up on the Simchas Beis Hashoeivah. Besides, the time available for Simchas Beis Hashoeivah—or for a commemoration of it—is very, very short. But the Rebbe Rashab and the Frierdiker Rebbe both wrote about this, and the Rebbe spoke about it many times: it may be short in quantity, but it is rich in quality. We need to make use of every moment, farbreng and celebrate Simchas Beis Hashoeivah with tremendous joy, filling still more vessels with the waters of salvation. And really, this is a wonderful opportunity to make up for any joy we’ve missed—anyone

02:26 Speaker 2 who didn’t manage to take part, especially when times are sometimes difficult and we can’t get to every Simchas Beis Hashoeivah celebration. This is the time to make up for it. The Rebbe spoke about perhaps including non-Jews in that Simchas Beis Hashoeivah as well, in the spirit of “You shall tread upon their high places,” relating to the seventy nations and their place in the festival of Sukkos. Our custom, like that of many others and in accordance with Kabbalistic custom, is to stay awake on this special night of Hoshana Rabbah, when the notes are still being written and we can still make the final preparations before the books are closed and put away. We read the book of Devarim. We do this individually, not as a communal recitation, and before midnight. After midnight, we say the book of Tehillim. Our custom is to say Tehillim with a group when possible, and somewhat faster than usual. In fact, the stated custom is “not to prolong it,” which we’ve interpreted as “to shorten it.” But we should try to say the chapters of Tehillim fairly quickly and not draw them out. There were years when they said them so quickly that the Rebbe continued saying them in his room. But he never commented that they were going too fast; he simply continued in his room. There is an old practice of distributing apple dipped in honey. One more point we should mention: because the apple is dipped in honey, halacha requires us to wash our hands without a blessing. Even if we eat the apple with a spoon or fork, since that is not the usual way to eat it, it does not exempt us from washing without a blessing. This is part of the halachos governing food dipped in a liquid, which requires handwashing. After Tehillim, our custom is to remain awake all night and learn—each person what speaks to him, whether Chassidus

04:50 Speaker 2 or nigleh. That was the custom in Lubavitch: they did not sleep that night. The Rebbe spoke about this in a number of years: although the practice of reciting the Zohar passages listed in various Tikkun Leil Hoshana Rabbah texts does not appear in the books of customs, some did recite them and some did not. But it does not appear as a communal practice. The Rebbe did, however, speak explicitly about this point in a number of years. Toward the end of the night, the Rebbe Rashab would immerse in the mikveh, as on the night of Shavuos. That is, he would immerse toward the end of the night and then immerse again the following morning, before davening. It isn’t entirely clear whether this is a practice for everyone, but I thought it important to mention his immersion toward the end of the night. Now, before discussing the custom of beating the willow branches, let’s talk about preparing them. It’s true that we beat the willow branches during the day, in the course of davening, but the Rebbe Rashab’s practice—and apparently this is an even older custom—was to prepare willow branches for every member of the household. He would prepare them for everyone, including nursing mothers and babies in their cradles, women—each and every member of the household. He would [unclear] bind them with a lulav leaf, making a ring like the ones we make for the lulav and using it to bind the branches together. There is also a practice, followed in many homes—and I’ve heard from rabbis within Anash that it has long been the practice in their homes—to beat willow branches for expectant mothers as well. Other Chabad rabbis and halachic authorities have said that we can only follow what is established in Sefer Haminhagim and accepted practice, where there is no mention of doing this for an expectant mother. But in places

07:15 Speaker 2 where this is the custom, whether because the community rabbi practiced it or because families did, they certainly have a basis for it. Such a custom exists, and they compared it to the practice on Yom Kippur, since the willow branch is a kind of atonement. We’ll soon see one aspect of a practice of the Frierdiker Rebbe that he described in one of his letters in Igros Kodesh. So the Rebbe Rashab would do this during the night, preparing the willow branches toward the end of the night. From there, we move on to the morning. Anyone who has been awake all night should remember to say the morning blessings as soon as morning comes. He should go wash at the sink, and then, according to all opinions, he can say the other blessings as well. In any case, according to our custom, all the blessings may be said as soon as dawn breaks. The Rebbe Rashab had another distinctive practice: he made a point of replacing the hadassim and willow branches during the festival, timing it so that on Hoshana Rabbah his hadassim and willow branches would be fresh and new. Again, this is not an instruction for everyone. But since, as Chabad chassidim, we always love and strive to follow the practices of our Rebbeim, I’m bringing this practice to the table. There are many customs to add the Yom Tov chapters of Tehillim to davening, but that is not our custom. Some have the practice of davening in a kittel; that, too, is not our custom. There are also practices concerning the tunes used in davening, using Yom Tov melodies. That isn’t our custom either. We daven as on the other days of Chol Hamoed, apart from, of course, the lengthier Hoshanos. Before Hallel—after those who had the opportunity made the blessing over the lulav in the sukkah and then went to daven Shacharis, while those who did not have the opportunity first make the blessing over taking the lulav—we remove the upper rings. That is, there are two upper rings that bind

09:39 Speaker 2 We take the rings off the top of the lulav and say Hallel that way, because on Hoshana Rabbah the leaves should rustle with joy, noise, and great delight. What if someone has not yet made the blessing, but the rings have already been taken off his lulav? He does not need to tie them back on. Sorry, I don’t mean the leaves have already been rustled—we do the rustling. I mean that the rings have already been removed. That is no problem; he can still make the blessing and use that lulav. All right, we continue with Hallel, as we said, with great joy. For the Hoshaanos, we take all the Torah scrolls out of the aron kodesh and stand with them beside the bimah. We say all the Hoshaanos, circling the bimah each time as we do during the week—[unclear]—and that is our custom. Some have the practice of making the circuits with the aravos used for the Hoshaanos. That is not our custom. We do it, of course, with the four species, not with the Hoshana aravos. After the Torah scrolls are returned following the Hoshaanos, the chazzan says the Kaddish Tiskabel of Shacharis, and then we take the aravos. The Rebbe would spread the willow branches apart a little while they were still bound together, and then strike them against the ground five times. It is important to know that, according to the basic law, one willow branch with one leaf is enough. The Arizal was particular about, and instituted the practice of, using five willow branches, with leaves, of course. We try to make sure they meet the same requirements as the aravah used for the mitzvah of taking the lulav. The aravah must be the required length, even if it has only one leaf. So if someone does not have

12:16 Speaker 2 enough aravos, what is preferable? Should each person use one aravah, so that everyone can perform the aravah-beating, or should they use aravos that have already been used? That depends on what the practice is meant to accomplish: whether the sweetening of judgments specifically requires five branches, or whether the essential practice is the ancient custom, which can be fulfilled with one. There is also the question of whether one can use an item for a mitzvah after it has already been used for that mitzvah. If this is a mitzvah rather than an atonement, then it can be used for another mitzvah; it is not a one-time use. That is, in fact, how the Rema presents the practice. But some took the view of the Meiri in Tractate Sukkah into account and were concerned about using it for the mitzvah again. So perhaps—and this is what I think—someone who wants to satisfy both views could first have each person use one aravah. Then, after five people have used their individual aravos, they could bind those five together and strike them against the ground. On the one hand, each person has used a single branch, fulfilling the basic practice, the ancient custom of the Prophets; afterward, they have also followed the practice of the Arizal. Well, when there is no alternative because we do not have five for each person, we take those five and use them. Just as a shofar can be blown again and again for the mitzvah, these aravos can also be used several times. Of course, ideally each person should have his own aravos. We are talking about a situation where there are not enough for everyone because we could not find or obtain them—perhaps we are on shlichus somewhere without aravos, or there is some other reason—and we want every member of the household to have an aravah. Perhaps this is the preferable approach. And of course, when there is no other option, we can pass on the aravos we have used to others.

14:23 Speaker 2 We say the Yehi Ratzon prayer about the sweetening of judgments. And regarding this custom, if there is a child in a crib, we take their set of aravos and strike it against the ground on their behalf. We do not do it on a carpet, a bimah, or a bench, but on the actual ground. There is no need to strike hard enough to raise a cloud of dust. We simply strike the five aravos gently, fulfilling the custom of the Prophets. Some have the custom of placing them on the paroches afterward. That was not the practice by the Rebbe. He would put them on a bench, or place them in his siddur and take them with him to his room, or put them on the floor. But some in Chabad do place them on the paroches, after which the gabbaim gather them and dispose of them respectfully, or burn them. Each follows his own custom in this regard. There was another distinctive practice. In a letter the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote to our Rebbe, he said: “Today is Hoshana Rabbah. The custom is for a father to tap his children with the Hoshaanos”—not to strike hard, but to tap their shoulders—“and bless them that the children should know no blows this year and should be happy materially and spiritually.” It was not clear whether this was an instruction for everyone, but it became a practice among many who wish to follow in the ways of our Rebbeim. Children up to age eighteen were tapped on their shoulders once for each year of their life, plus one more time; those over eighteen were tapped three times. Some say the practice was to tap just once. Sefer Haminhagim says not to say “A gut kvittel” or “Gmar chasimah tovah.” But, as in many areas, over time the Rebbe apparently made the necessary adjustments, and the Rebbe did say “A gut kvittel” or “Gmar chasimah tovah” in certain sichos, at the end of certain sichos, and at farbrengens.

16:50 Speaker 2 The custom is to have a Yom Tov meal before midday, if one gets home before midday. It can also be done after midday, but one should be careful to leave an appetite for the Yom Tov meal itself. We dip the bread in honey and leave bread on the table. Some have the custom of eating kreplach. That is not listed as a custom in its own right here; it is mentioned for Yom Kippur. We adopted the custom here too. Some say that, since it is not mentioned, they do not actually follow it, but it has become a widespread custom along the same lines as eating kreplach—meat wrapped in dough. After midday, in Eretz Yisroel, we customarily say Shnayim Mikra for Parshas Vezos Haberachah. Outside Eretz Yisroel, all these practices are done on Shemini Atzeres itself, before Simchas Torah. One last practice concerning Hoshana Rabbah: our custom is to go into the sukkah shortly before lighting the Yom Tov candles and say goodbye to it. We eat or drink something. We do not say any special Yehi Ratzon, but we rejoice in the special joy of Sukkos and pray in our hearts to Hakadosh Boruch Hu that, with Hashem’s help, He will spread His sukkah of peace over us. And certainly, do not forget to say L’Dovid Hashem Ori at Minchah for the last time this year. There were practices among our Rebbeim; the Alter Rebbe, for example, would daven Minchah early, as on Erev Yom Kippur, and then say L’Dovid Hashem Ori. But that was truly early, well before dusk on the eve of Yom Tov.

19:05 Speaker 2 Some of the practices and principles of Simchas Torah—outside Israel, that means Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah. But let’s talk about these practices and note a few points. First, we know that Simchas Torah is a special day. We’ll soon talk about special practices for filling the storehouses and buckets with joy and holiness. The joy of Simchas Torah is the joy that ought to be felt on Simchas Torah. It is much, much greater than the joy of Simchas Beis Hashoeivah, greater even than the joy of Yom Tov, because it is both Yom Tov and Simchas Torah. The joy of completing the Torah is so great that in some years, as a temporary measure, the Rebbe even lifted the restriction on mashke. So it is very, very important to rejoice with genuine, inward joy—the joy of completing the Torah. We light candles as on every festival, as stated in halachah. Usually, people would also light a yahrzeit candle so they could transfer a flame, or on occasions when Yizkor is said, as they do, for example, before Yom Kippur. But we do not light a yahrzeit candle every time Yizkor is said. That is not our custom, so we do not light one for Yizkor. And if, for example, the festival falls on Shabbos, when a flame cannot be transferred, there is no need to light a yahrzeit candle in addition to the regular candles. When a woman recites the blessing, she says Shehecheyanu. We try to make sure there is a white curtain on the aron kodesh in the shul. But in most places—and this was also the case at the Rebbe’s—the white curtain was already up from the beginning of the festivals until their end. So by Simchas Torah it is already there, and often there is no need to change the curtain.

21:23 Speaker 2 As we said, the Jewish custom is to rejoice even more than on the other days—more than during the seven days of Sukkos, as we said, and even more than on Yom Tov, because this is both Yom Tov and the celebration of the Torah. King David danced before the Ark of G-d. Beyond filling the buckets materially and spiritually, there is a great benefit to dancing and lifting our feet on Simchas Torah: it also opens our minds to Torah study, both in the revealed and inner dimensions of Torah. If you want to have a longing and love for the Torah, take your feet, lift them up, and truly dance with the joy of completing the Torah. The Frierdiker Rebbe quotes the Rebbe Rashab as saying that these forty-eight hours must be treasured. In Eretz Yisroel, our time is more condensed—twenty-four hours, twenty-six hours. We must make use of and treasure every moment, and, as we said, draw treasures into buckets and barrels, materially and spiritually, through the dancing. As for Maariv, it is the evening of an ordinary Yom Tov. True, the atmosphere is already one of heightened joy. So sometimes chazzanim get carried away and introduce additional tunes from other days, but the practice is to use the Yom Tov tune. Kiddush and a farbrengen: we are very particular about holding a farbrengen after Maariv, and sometimes it has significance even beyond the hakafos themselves. We prepare, but of course we must be careful so that we can rejoice in the Torah with genuine joy. Sometimes, because of all the farbrenging, we forget the real joy and the Sefer Torah is left alone. We must, of course, rejoice and dance with the special joy of Simchas Torah and of completing the Torah. When we make Kiddush, note that Shehecheyanu must be said. We are careful that each person, even in shul, makes Kiddush for himself, particularly on Simchas Torah, because Kiddush includes Shehecheyanu. When we say Shehecheyanu, we also have in mind the completion of the Torah and Simchas Torah. So everyone wants to say Shehecheyanu over the great joy they feel, both personally and collectively.

23:52 Speaker 2 But women who make Kiddush, since they have already said Shehecheyanu when lighting the candles, cannot say Shehecheyanu again at Kiddush, even if they make Kiddush for themselves. Just bear that point in mind. Simchas Torah and Shemini Atzeres are among the special days on which the Daled Bavos melody may be sung. We say Atah Hareisa and Av Harachamim three times. On some occasions the Rebbe would add further verses. In any case, the aron kodesh is opened only after all the verses have been repeated three times—not as is done in many communities, where it is opened at the verse “Vayehi Binsoa Ha’aron” or at Atah Hareisa. It is opened only after all the verses have been said, one after another, three times. And when the aron kodesh is opened, no additional verse is said; it is simply opened. We circle the bimah and then dance. At night, we first do the first hakafah. At the end, the gabbai announces, “That concludes the first hakafah.” The Sifrei Torah are returned to the aron kodesh and then taken out for the second hakafah, and so on for each hakafah. In Lubavitch, the melodies were very carefully ordered. As the Rebbe described it, they were recorded and passed down from generation to generation, and the practice followed an established order. There were melodies that were sung, and afterward others would be added. But in any case, everyone says the verses of the hakafah together, one after another, following the chazzan, and then dances. Then the gabbai bangs to signal the end, announces that the hakafah is over, and returns the Sifrei Torah. With the phrase “Ozer dalim,” the Rebbe Rashab was particular that it not be said as “Ozer dalim, hoshiah na”—meaning, “You who help the poor, please save us,” as though Hakadosh Boruch Hu helps only the poor. Rather: “Ozer”—Hashem, who helps His people Israel—“dalim hoshiah na”: “Save the poor, please.” We are poor and needy before You; save us. That is how “Ozer dalim hoshiah na” is said.

26:08 Speaker 2 Some gabbaim remove the crowns from the Sifrei Torah so they will not fall during the dancing. The Rebbe commented several times that this should not be done and that there is no need to worry about it. It is not our custom to remove the crowns. We dance with the Sifrei Torah together with their crowns. When all the hakafos are over, the Sifrei Torah are returned. We do not say Mizmor LeDavid, Gadlu LaHashem, Hallelu, or Yehalelu. The Sifrei Torah are returned to the aron kodesh, followed by Kaddish and Aleinu Leshabeiach, and that concludes the evening hakafos. We come home and have the Yom Tov meal, bringing out the special energy of a Yom Tov meal. We do not dip the challah in honey. Hoshana Rabbah is already behind us, and we should make an effort to drink wine—red wine—as at every Yom Tov meal. When we go to bed, we must say Krias Shema She’al Hamitah, as we do every night. I quoted the words of our Rebbeim about Krias Shema: “Everyone knows that when saying Shema Yisroel before going to bed on Simchas Torah, one must resolve to devote oneself to spreading Torah with self-sacrifice—with one’s body, spirit, and soul—and this must become one’s entire being.” Genuine self-sacrifice. After all, Shema Yisroel is about self-sacrifice, certainly before going to sleep. So we devote ourselves to giving over and spreading Torah with our body, spirit, soul, and entire being. That is our whole purpose. In the morning we get up, and we must not forget to say Shema on time. Whatever our state after all that great rejoicing, we say Krias

28:31 Speaker 2 Say Shema in the morning on time. In Shacharis, we say Birchas Kohanim in the morning, during Shacharis and not during Musaf. Since we have a meal between Shacharis and Musaf, there is a concern that a kohen might arrive after drinking, so we do not have Birchas Kohanim at all during Musaf. We make Kiddush after Shacharis, have a farbrengen, and then do hakafos. The hakafos are done a little differently from last night. We make half-circuits, one after another. In other words, we simply do the hakafos, and if people want to dance, they can dance at the end. We recite all seven hakafos, but for each one we make only half a circuit around the bimah. The gabbai does not announce, “This is the end of the hakafah.” We simply pass the Torah scroll to the next person and continue. We do this for all the hakafos: three and a half circuits, without announcements. The Rebbe explains that we make half the hakafos and Hakadosh Boruch Hu makes the other half that is missing. He thus completes the hakafos with us and surrounds us with His love and awe. This appears in Sefer Hasichos 5750. As for aliyos to the Torah, our practice is for everyone to receive an aliyah. There is a custom for each person to go up individually and, of course, make the blessings, with the reading repeated again and again. That was not the practice in the Rebbe’s presence. There, kohanim, Levi’im and Yisraelim went up, and among the Yisraelim, fathers and sons also went up together, without concern. Then those who wanted to went up for Kol Hane’arim. When everyone goes up for Kol Hane’arim, only the oldest among them who is over bar mitzvah makes the blessings; they do not all make them together. Our custom is not to spread a tallis over them or say “Hamalach Hagoel.” They simply go up, and the oldest makes the blessings on behalf of everyone at Kol Hane’arim. Regarding Yizkor, remember that someone who, G-d forbid, is in the first year of mourning does not

30:48 Speaker 2 say Yizkor, but remains in the shul; he does not leave. Why do we say Yizkor in the middle of Yom Tov, and why is it not said in the first year? I’ll share an interesting answer from the author of Tzitz Eliezer, Rabbi Waldenberg. He writes in his book that in the first year the pain is very great, and mentioning the person who passed away causes distress. It is therefore not good to mention departed souls on Yom Tov during that first year; it causes great heartache. But after the first year, the pain subsides and the memory grows stronger. At that point, remembering them can actually bring a kind of pleasure on Yom Tov. That is why we remember departed souls even on Yom Tov. We mention their names and help elevate their souls through our prayers. Afterward comes Musaf. The chazzan begins, and only during the repetition do we say the prayer for rain. The chazzan knocks on the bimah and says, “Mashiv haruach umorid hageshem.” What if someone danced to his heart’s content last night, performing the mitzvah beautifully, and then, through no fault of his own, got up late, learned Chassidus, and arrived at shul when they were already at Musaf and the chazzan had already knocked and said “Mashiv haruach umorid hageshem”? He has not yet davened Shacharis. If there is no other shul in his area, he should say “Mashiv haruach umorid hageshem” in Shacharis as well. It is important to be aware of this. So, as we said, there is no Birchas Kohanim during Musaf, and afterward everyone goes home. It is customary to have a seder niggunim in shul. Outside Israel, it is Simchas Torah, while in Israel there are second hakafos. We make a point of joining in the joy of our brethren outside Israel, and it is a great joy. We still have the opportunity, during these forty-eight

33:05 Speaker 2 hours that the Frierdiker Rebbe spoke about, to fill our buckets with blessings in material and spiritual matters for the entire year. We wish everyone mo’adim lesimchah. Gut moed, gut Yom Tov, and with Hashem’s help, may our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy. A happy Yom Tov to everyone!