Hoshana Rabbah

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Pronunciations

Hoshana Rabbah (hoh-SHAH-nuh RAH-buh) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A holiday taking place on the seventh day of Sukkot, "when it is traditional...to parade around the sanctuary carrying the lulav and etrog and to engage in all-night study of Jewish texts" (JPS).

Example Sentences

  • "Come round for a final drink in the sukkah on Hoshaana Raba." (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Aramaic

Etymology

  • הושענא רבא / הוֹשַׁעְנָא רַבָּא hoshana rabba 'the great 'please save''

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      Hoshana Rabba, Hoshana Rabah, Hoshana Raba, Hoshanah Rabbah, Hoshanah Rabba, Hoshanah Rabah, Hoshanah Raba, Hoshaana Rabbah, Hoshaana Rabba, Hoshaana Rabah, Hoshaana Raba, Hoshaanah Rabbah, Hoshaanah Rabba, Hoshaanah Rabah, Hoshaanah Raba, Hoyshane Rabe, Hoshano Rabo, Hoshaano Rabo, Hoshano Rabbo, Hoshaano Rabbo

Notes

  • On Hoshana Rabbah, "seven Torah scrolls are brought out of the ark and seven prayers of hoshaanot...are uttered as worshippers circle the synagogue seven times, lulav in hand, begging for rain. Finally the aravot...are beaten till the leaves fall off. On this day, the world is handed down its judgement for rain" (Glinert).

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