The following events occurred on Hoshana Rabbah:

Hoshanah Rabbah – the Great Rejoicing. The last and greatest day of the feast. Gateway to Judaism Pg.342

A burnt offering of seven young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:32

Ritual of the water libation is performed. day 7. Sukkah 42b

Zerubbabel is strengthened and told that a future temple would be greater than Solomon’s temple. Haggai 2:1-9

Yeshua invites the thirsty to drink living water. Note the “last and greatest day” in Yochanan (John) 7:37.

John 7:1-44 After this, Yeshua went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Yeshua’s brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore Yeshua told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.” Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, “Where is that man?” Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. Not until halfway through the Feast did Yeshua go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” Yeshua answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” Yeshua said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.” At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Mashiach? But we know where this man is from; when the Mashiach comes, no one will know where he is from.” Then Yeshua, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, But I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, “When the Mashiach comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?” The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. Yeshua said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?” On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Yeshua had not yet been glorified. On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Mashiach.” Still others asked, “How can the Mashiach come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Mashiach will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” Thus the people were divided because of Yeshua. Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

Yeshua is the light of the world. Yochanan (John) 8:12

Talmudic Texts

Shabbath 22a R. Joshua b. Levi was asked: Is it permitted to make use of the booth decorations during the whole of the seven days?[74] He answered him [the questioner], Behold! it was said, One must not count money by the Hanukkah light.[75] God of Abraham! exclaimed R. Joseph, he makes that which was taught dependent upon what was not taught: [of] booths it was taught, whereas of Hanukkah it was not. For it was taught: if one roofs it [the booth] in accordance with its requirements, beautifies it with hangings and sheets, and suspends therein nuts, peaches, almonds, pomegranates, grape clusters, garlands of ears of corn, wines, oils and flours; he may not use them until the conclusion of the last day of the Feast; yet if he stipulates concerning then,[76] it is all according to his stipulation. — Rather, said R. Joseph: The basis[77] of all is [the law relating to] blood.[78]

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Shabbath 45a Resh Lakish asked R. Johanan: What of wheat sown in the earth or eggs under a fowl?[79] When does R. Simeon reflect [the prohibition of] mukzeh? Where one has not rejected it [an object] with his [own] hands; but where one rejects it with his own hands,[80] he accepts [the interdict of] mukzeh: or perhaps there is no difference? — He answered him: R. Simeon accepts mukzeh only in respect of the oil in the [Sabbath] lamp while it is burning: since it was set apart for its precept,[81] and set apart on account of its prohibition.[82] But does he not [accept it where] it [only] was set apart for its precept?[83] Surely it was taught: If one roofs it [the booth] in accordance with its requirements, beautifies it with hangings and sheets, and suspends therein nuts, peaches, almonds, pomegranates, grape clusters, garlands of ears of corn, wines, oil, and flours, he may not use them until the conclusion of the last Festival day of the Feast; yet if he stipulates concerning them, it is all according to his stipulation.[84] And how do you know that this is R. Simeon’s view? Because R. Hiyya b. Joseph recited before R. Johanan: Wood must not be taken from a hut on a Festival,[85] save from what is near it;[86] but R. Simeon permits it.[87] Yet both agree in respect to the sukkah of the Festival[88] that it is forbidden on the Festival;[89] yet if he [the owner) stipulated concerning it, it all depends on his stipulation![90] — We mean, similar to the oil in the lamp: since it was set apart for its precept, it was set apart for its interdict.[91] It was stated likewise: R. Hiyya b. Abba said in R. Johanan’s name: R. Simeon rejects mukzeh save in a case similar to the oil in the lamp while it is burning: since it was set apart for its precept, it was set apart for its interdict.
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Sukkah 48a MISHNA. THE SUKKAH [MUST BE USED ALL] SEVEN DAYS. HOW IS THIS [TO BE UNDERSTOOD]? WHEN A MAN HAS FINISHED HIS [LAST] MEAL,[92] HE MAY NOT DISMANTLE HIS SUKKAH.[93] HE MAY, HOWEVER, REMOVE ITS FURNITURE[94] FROM THE AFTERNOON ONWARDS IN HONOUR OF THE LAST DAY OF THE FESTIVAL.[95]

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Sukkah 55b R. Eleazar[96] stated, To what do those seventy bullocks[97] [that were offered during the seven days of the Festival] correspond? To the seventy nations.[98] To what does the single bullock [of the Eighth Day] correspond? To the unique nation.[99] This may be compared to a mortal king who said to his servants, ‘Prepare for me a great banquet’; but on the last day he said to his beloved friend, ‘Prepare for me a simple meal that I may derive benefit from you’.

In The Temple

Simhat Bet Ha-Sho’eivah
Simchat Bais HaShoeva

Simchat Bet Hashoeva is celebrated every night of Succoth. On Hoshana Rabbah, however, the joy of the celebration must be infinitely greater, as emphasized in its very name, “the Great Hoshana.” Likewise, additional prayers are said on this day.

The performances and activities were led by the greatest Sages and the most venerable tzadikim. The simcha of Beit Hashoeva – literally the place of drawing water, is described in the Gemara (Succah 51) as being unprecedented and unparalleled, anywhere and anytime. “He who has not seen the Simchat Beit Hashoeva has never in his life seen simcha (joy)!” The Talmud Yerushalmi (Succah 5:1) goes further to say that that the word shoeva – drawing – refers not only to the water that was drawn, but to the Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit) that was available to be drawn from that most exquisitely inspiring and spiritually stirring simcha. The Gemara elaborates this in great detail.

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Bibliography

“The Complete ArtScroll Machzor – Succos”, Mesorah Publications.

The Jewish Holidays, A Guide and Commentary, by Michael Strassfeld.