Hoshana Rabbah – Staying Up and its Name

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

The Mogain Avrohom (OC 664) explains that it is the minhag to stay up all night and learn Torah on the night of Hoshana Rabbah.

While it is true that the essential reason for this is because the entire world is judged on water, the Sfas Emes (Sukkos 5643) gives us an additional insight.

WATER = SOMETHING ELSE AS WELL

Rav Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter (1847-1905), the Sfas Emes, explains that the essential Tefilah of the davening for water on Hoshana Rabbah refers to Torah being referred to as water. The first pasuk in Yishayahu (55:1) mentions water:

1 Ho, every one that thirsts, come ye for water, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

But the next two Psukim clearly indicate that this water refers to Torah.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your gain for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.  3 Incline your ear, and come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Therefore, one of the reasons that we Daven so urgently and that we stay up all night is because we are davening that Torah be a part of our lives.

It is not just physical water that we are blessed with – it is also spiritual water in which we receive blessing.

As an aside, why is tonight called Hoshana Rabbah?  Below are three answers:

• The Eliyahu Rabba (OC 664:1) cites the Mateh Moshe (957) as to why Hoshana Rabba is called with that name.  “The Holy One Blessed be He said to Avrohom Avinu:  I am One in the world and you are one in your world (See Psachim 118a). In the future, I will grant your children a special day to atone for all their sins – this is the day of Hoshnana Rabbah (great salvation). I shall give them the 21^st day, which is My Name of E’h’e’y’e whose gematria is 21.
• The Levush (664:1) states that it is called Hoshana Rabbah because we have many more Aravos, called Hoshanos, on this day – the 7^th day of Sukkos.
• The Chayei Adam (153:2) explains that it is called Hoshana Rabbah because we recite more Hoshanos on this day – the 7^th day of Sukkos.

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