Hosha’ana Raba - Selected Excerpts from the Sources (2020)

1. Pri Tzadik, “The Festival of Sukkot,” Item 28

This day [seventh of Sukkot] is the completion of the encompassing of the days of the festival when we pleaded and prayed each day “Do Save.” This day is called “Great Salvation” because there comes a great outcry in the heart to be saved by a great salvation since we feel the deficiency of not having been saved yet. King David is the Ushpiz [guest of honor], for he always had a great outcry in his heart because it always seemed to him like he is still standing outside.

2. Baal HaSulam. Shamati. 243. “Examining the Shade on the Night of Hosha’ana Rabbah”

Concerning the shade. On the night of Hosha’ana Rabbah [the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles], it is a custom that each one examines himself to see if he has a shadow, and then he is certain that he will have abundance (Shaar HaKavanot (Gate of Intentions), Sukkot Commentaries, 6-7). The shade implies clothing, the clothing in which the light dresses.There is no light without clothing, since there is no light without a Kli [vessel]. According to the measure of the clothes, the lights increase and multiply. When one loses the clothing, the light that belongs to that clothing is proportionally absent from him.This is the meaning of truth and faith. Truth is called “light,” and faith is called “Kli.” This is the meaning of “the Creator and His Shechina [Divinity],” and the meaning of “Let us make man in our image,” and “Surely man walks by the image.” Man’s walk depends on the Tzelem [image], meaning on faith. And this is why on Hosha’ana Rabbah, one should see if his faith is complete.But why do we call the worlds above Tzelem? After all, above, there is no weight to faith. However, what appears to us as dryness is a great light above.

3. Likutei Halachot, “Rules of Hoshaana Rabbah, Rule No. 1

Hoshaana [Do Save] is regarded as “From the depth I have called upon You, Lord,” from the outcry of the bottom of the heart. By this, the counsels are revealed since Hoshaana indicates the outcry of the heart, as one who is in great trouble but cannot articulate any litanies or pleas or appeasing, but only yells “Do save” from the bottom of the heart. This is why the willows of the book are called “counsels of saving” since the counsels are regarded as the outcry of the heart, as in “From the depth I have called upon You.” Through the revelation of the counsels, the faith grows, and this is required now on the great salvation.

4. Baal HaSulam. Letter 57

There is no happier state in man’s world than when he finds himself despaired with his own strength. That is, he has already labored and done all that he could possibly imagine he could do, but found no remedy. It is then that he is fit for a wholehearted prayer for His help because he knows for certain that his own work will not help him.As long as he feels some strength of his own, his prayer will not be whole because the evil inclination rushes first and tells him, “First you must do what you can, and then you will be worthy of the Creator.”It was said about this, “The Lord is high and the low will see.” For once a person has labored in all kinds of work, and has become disillusioned, he comes into real lowliness, knowing that he is the lowest of all the people, as there is nothing good in the structure of his body. At that time, his prayer is complete and he is granted by His generous hand.

5. RABASH, Article No. 38 (1990), " What Is, “A Cup of Blessing Must Be Full,” in the Work?"
When a person is already standing near the place from which he will receive the help from above, and “near” means that the Kli [vessel], meaning the desire to bestow, is far away from him, then he sees that only the Creator can save him. As Baal HaSulam said, this is the most important point in man’s work, for then he has close contact with the Creator because he sees one hundred percent that nothing can help him but the Creator Himself.

6. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 18, "My Soul Shall Weep In Secret – 1"
When concealment overpowers a person and he comes to a state where the work becomes tasteless, and he cannot picture or feel any love and fear, and he cannot do anything in Kedusha [holiness], his only counsel is to cry to the Creator to have mercy on him and remove the screen from his eyes and heart. Crying is a very important matter. It is as our sages write: “All the gates were locked except for the gates of tears.”

7. Rabash. Article 5 (1991) “What Is, “The Good Deeds of the Righteous Are the Generations,” in the Work?”

We ask the Creator to give us the strength so we can perform all our actions for You, meaning for the sake of the Creator. Otherwise, meaning if You do not help us, all our actions will be only for our own benefit. That is, “If not,” meaning “If You do not help us, all our actions will be only for ourselves, for our own benefit, for we are powerless to overcome our will to receive. Therefore, help us be able to work for You. Hence, You must help us.” This is called “Do for Your sake,” meaning do this, give us the power of the desire to bestow. Otherwise, we are doomed.

8. Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

When one has something to cry out about, and he wants to cry out but cannot, this is the greatest outcry.

9. Zohar for All. Shemot [Exodus]. “Sigh, Cry, and Outcry” Item 356-357

One who prays and cries and cries out until he can no longer move his lips, this is a complete prayer that is in the heart. It is never returned empty, but is accepted. Great is the cry for it tears a man’s sentence from all his days.Great is the cry that governs the quality of Din above. Great is the cry that governs this world and the next world. For a cry, man inherits this world and the next world, as it is written, “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.”

10. RABASH, Article No. 2 (1991), What Is, “Return, O Israel, Unto the Lord Your God,” in the Work?

If the heart is broken, meaning the will to receive controls the heart, abundance cannot enter there because everything that the will to receive receives will go to the Klipot [shells/peels]. This is called “the breaking of the heart.” Hence, a person prays to the Creator and says, “You must help me because I am worse than everyone, since I feel that the will to receive controls my heart, and this is why nothing of Kedusha can enter my heart. I want no luxuries, only to be able to do something for the sake of the Creator, and I am utterly incapable of this, so only You can save me.”

By this we should interpret what is written (Psalms 34), “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” That is, those who ask the Creator to help them so their heart will not be broken and will be whole, this can happen only if a person has been rewarded with the desire to bestow. For this reason, he asks the Creator to give him the desire to bestow, since he sees that he lacks nothing in the world but the ability to work for the sake of the Creator. It follows that he is asking only the nearness of the Creator, and there is a rule, “measure for measure.” Hence, the Creator brings him closer. This is the meaning of the words, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.”

11. Baal HaSulam, Letter No. 52

The measure of the Creator’s listening depends precisely on the measure of the longing that appears during the saying of the prayer. When one feels excessive longing, he should know at that time that the Creator is listening to him attentively.Clearly, when he knows this, he pours his heart out even stronger, for there is no greater privilege than the King of the world being attentive to him. This is quite similar to what our sages said, “The Creator longs for the prayer of righteous,” for the Creator’s desire for a person to draw near Him awakens great power and longing in the person to crave for the Creator... It follows that the saying of the prayer and the hearing of the prayer go hand in hand until they accumulate to the full measure and he acquires everything.

12. Baal HaSulam, Letter No. 34

So we rush our pleas above, knock by knock, tirelessly, endlessly, and do not weaken at all when He does not answer us. We believe He hears our prayer but waits for a time when we have the Kelim [vessels] to receive the faithful bounty, and then we will receive a reply to each and every prayer at once, since “the hand of the Lord will not be short,” God forbid...

This is why we should learn this trade before we enter the King’s palace, meaning muster power and might to stand as a pillar of iron until we elicit the desire from the Creator, as it is written, “Take no rest.” Although the Creator seems silent and unresponsive, let it not cross your minds to be silent, too, “Take no rest.” This is not what the Creator intended by His silence, but rather to give you power to stand afterward in the King’s palace when you have no blemish. This is why, “and give Him no rest.”

13. Baal Hasulam. Letter 18
“The covenant of the fathers did not end,” and “He who comes to purify is aided.”First thing in the morning, when he rises from his sleep, he should sanctify the first moment with Dvekut with Him, pour out his heart to the Creator to keep him throughout the twenty-four hours of the day so that no idle thought will come into his mind, and he will not consider it impossible or above nature.Indeed, it is the image of nature that makes an iron partition, and one should cancel nature’s partitions that he feels. Rather, first he must believe that nature’s partitions do not cut off from Him. Afterward, he should pray from the bottom of his heart, even for something that is above his natural desire.Understand this always, even when forms that are not of Kedusha [holiness] traverse you, and they will instantly stop when you remember. See that you pour out your heart that henceforth the Creator will save you from cessations of Dvekut with Him. Gradually, your heart will grow accustomed to the Creator and will yearn to adhere to Him in truth, and the Lord’s desire will succeed by you.

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