Table of contents
1. Hoshanah Rabbah Is the Last Day of Sukkot 2. Hoshanah Rabbah Means ‘Many Prayers for Deliverance’ 3. We Circle the Bimah Seven Times 4. It Features Ancient Willow-Whacking 5. We Pull an All-Nighter 6. The Last Day of Sukkot Is Hoshanah Rabbah 7. Hoshanah Rabbah Is Its Own Mini-Holiday 8. It’s the Final Day of Honey-Dipping 9. It’s the Final Day of ‘Taking’ the Four Species 10. It’s the Final Day of Psalm 27
1. Hoshanah Rabbah Is the Last Day of Sukkot
Sukkot is a bit of a holiday marathon: it kicks off with a two-day celebration, followed by five ‘intermediate days,’ called Chol Hamoed , and wraps up with another two-day festive finale. That last two-day festive finale, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, isn’t technically Sukkot, though, rather they’re festivals unto themselves.
The grand finale of Sukkot is actually Hoshanah Rabbah. It might not be the most famous date of the Jewish calendar, but it’s a fascinating mix of everything Tishrei has to offer. More on the Hoshanah Rabbah themes in our article ‘What is Hoshanah Rabbah?’
2. Hoshanah Rabbah Means ‘Many Prayers for Deliverance’
As we circle the bimah (Torah reading table) with our lulav and etrog sets , we chant Hoshanot– prayers asking G‑d to keep us safe, send us plenty of rain, and bless us with good fortune. Each day of Sukkot (except Shabbat), we recite a special prayer just for that day.
On Hoshanah Rabbah, though, it’s a prayer-palooza . We go through all the Hoshanot from Sukkot again and add in a bunch more prayers with similar themes. The name “Hoshanah Rabbah” means “Many [Prayers for] Deliverance,” and it perfectly captures the flood of supplications we make on this day.
3. We Circle the Bimah Seven Times
Every day of Sukkot, after the Hallel prayer, we grab our Four Species and do a lively circuit dance around the bimah, all while singing Hoshanot. But on Hoshanah Rabbah, we kick things up a notch, and circle the bimah a grand total of seven times.
4. It Features Ancient Willow-Whacking
After completing the Hoshanot, each person takes a bundle of five aravot (willow branches), and beats it on the ground five times. The custom to take aravot on Hoshanah Rabbah is ancient, having been instituted by the final three prophets – Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi – in c. 3440 (c. 360 BCE).
And it gets even deeper. Kabbalistic sources teach that there are five supernal levels of severity, and they are “sweetened” or tempered when we strike the five willows.
5. We Pull an All-Nighter
There’s a tradition of pulling an all-nighter with some serious Scripture reading. Many folks dive into the Book of Deuteronomy before midnight and then tackle the Book of Psalms after the clock strikes twelve. In certain synagogues, they even add a sweet touch by handing out apples to dip in honey while you read your Psalms, to symbolize the sweet new year that’s hopefully on the way.
6. The Last Day of Sukkot Is Hoshanah Rabbah
G‑d takes a good look at us on Rosh Hashanah, seals that judgment on Yom Kippur, and then puts the finishing touches on, finalizing everything by Hoshanah Rabbah.
Hoshanah Rabbah is like the grand finale of the holiday season, mixing serious undertones of judgment with festive cheer – after all, it’s part of the most joyous festival in the entire Jewish calendar.
7. Hoshanah Rabbah Is Its Own Mini-Holiday
Hoshanah Rabbah is like Sukkot’s fun-sized holiday – it’s not quite as big as the first two days, but definitely more festive than the days in between. We hit pause on work until services are done, enjoy a celebratory meal in the Sukkah, and in some communities, people even break out the kittel (white robe) for prayers, just like on Yom Kippur.
And here’s a delicious tradition for the day: Many Ashkenazi Jews dig into kreplach , those tasty meat-filled dumplings usually swimming in soup. So, it’s a day with plenty of spirit…and flavor!
8. It’s the Final Day of Honey-Dipping
Besides for dipping apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah, some families take the sweetness up a notch by dipping their challah in honey too – and they keep the sweet streak going for days, even weeks! This tasty tradition wraps up on Hoshanah Rabbah, when G‑d seals the deal on giving each of us a sweet year ahead.
9. It’s the Final Day of ‘Taking’ the Four Species
Just like every day of Sukkot, we grab the Four Species on Hoshanah Rabbah – only this time, it’s with a little extra heart, knowing it’s our last chance to enjoy this mitzvah until next year (as Hoshanah Rabbah is the last day of Sukkot).
And while we still enjoy our meals in the Sukkah the following day (for those in the Diaspora), Hoshanah Rabbah is the final day to say the blessing “leshev basukkah” when we eat there. So, savor every moment!
10. It’s the Final Day of Psalm 27
In some prayer traditions, Hoshanah Rabbah marks the last time we say L’David Hashem Ori (Psalm 27), which we've been reciting since the start of Elul. Others keep the tradition going for just one more day, wrapping it up on Shemini Atzeret. Either way, it’s the final stretch for this special psalm.
