The Mishna on daf TB Sukkah 45 seems to settle the debate whether the willow ceremony means circling the altar holding the willow branch (נטילה) or standing it upright on the altar (זקיפה). "MISHNA: How is the mitzva of the willow branch fulfilled? There was a place below Jerusalem, and it was called Motza. They would descend there and gather willow branches [murbiyyot] from there. And they would then come and stand them upright at the sides of the altar, and the tops of the branches would be inclined over the top of the altar. They then sounded a tekia, a simple uninterrupted blast, sounded a terua, a broken sound and/or a series of short staccato blasts, and sounded another tekia. Each day they would circle the altar one time and say: “Lord, please save us. Lord, please grant us success-אָנָּא ה׳ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא, אָנָּא ה׳ הַצְלִיחָה נָּא” Psalms 118:25). Rabbi Yehuda says that they would say: Ani vaho, please save us-״אֲנִי וָהוּ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָא״. And on that day, the seventh day of Sukkot, they would circle the altar seven times." (Sefaria.org translation).
Those of us who attend services regularly on holidays (excluding Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Purim) are familiar with the selection of Psalms called Hallel. Part and parcel of Hallel are the verses "“Lord, please save us. Lord, please grant us success-אָנָּא ה׳ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא, אָנָּא ה׳ הַצְלִיחָה נָּא". However, only those people who attend Hoshana Rabba services come across the phrase "Ani vaho, please save us-״אֲנִי וָהוּ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָא״." This phrase demands explanation.
Most commentators say that "Ani Vaho" is one of God’s 72 names. (See Rashi) The Talmud Yerushalmi understands the correct version to be אני והוא-me and He, the He meaning God of course. Whenever Israel finds itself in suffering God, so to speak, suffers with them in their travails The Ritba comments that the word
He-הוא i.e. הו is written in a secretive way because out of respect for God's glory or honor (כבוד). Based on the premise that God suffers along with Israel, Tosefot and the Meiri say that this name was chosen based on two verses, "I was in the community of exiles" (Ez 1:1) and "chained in fetters, among those from Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon." (Jer. 40:1) In other words God went into exile with the Jewish people. Rambam proposes a different verse in his commentary on the Mishnah, "See, then, that I, I am He." (Dt 32:39) Because here in this verse we see a prayer that God should reveal Himself.
Even though Hoshana Raba morning services are the longest weekday services in the year (plan for an hour and 1/2), I highly recommend that you attend. The pageantry walking around the sanctuary holding a lulav and etrog seven times is awesome.
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