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The Secret of Hoshana Raba: When All the Jews Ate On Yom Kippur

The Rogatchover's Dazzling Spin on Hoshana Raba -- The One Time in History the Collective Guilt Offering was Brought

2 hr 6 min

Class Summary:

The Mishna and Gemarah define the seventh day of Sukkos as the day designated to the mitzvah of Aravah; the Zohar sees it as the final day of judgement and atonement. But why this day? How did Hoshana Raba become a day of atonement?

It was the Rogatchover Gaon who in a letter suggested a dazzlingly novel idea. It was the day that the entire Jewish nation brought an offering of atonement for a major sin they all committed by mistake: eating and drinking on Yom Kippur. 

At the peak of the celebration for the dedication of the First Beis Hamikdash, the Supreme Court of the Jewish people made a terrible miscalculation. They needed atonement. And that gave us the holiday of Hoshna Rabah. Not only did this major collective failure not destroy the joy; ultimately it transformed the people of Israel into Baalei Teshuvah, and allowed them to reach even greater spiritual and emotional heights.  

Please leave your comment below!

  • Anonymous -1 year ago

    Question

    If they brought a par helem dovor, why isn't something that significant worthy of being mentioned?

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  • CG

    Chaim Goldstein -2 years ago

    Rabbi Y Y. shlitoh 

    The shiur of The secret of Hoshanoh Rabboh  .you bring from Gemorrah Yumoh 57a that  R Elozor Ben Yosi saw the peroches in Rome with the blood on.

    The first Bais Hamikdosh didn't have a peroches and Rome destroyed the 2nd Bais hamikdosh.

    So how does it fit in with Par He'lem Dover from Shlomoh

    Pls advise ?

    YASHAR KOACH

    chaim   Goldstein

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    • YYJ

      Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson -2 years ago

      Great questions. See Tosefos ibid. Yuma 57a

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      • Anonymous -2 years ago

        Rabbi Y Y 

        Many thanks for pointing me to the Tosfos

        Hatzloch and Yasher Koch

        Chaim

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  • A

    avraham -6 years ago

    a radical perspective

    Was listening to the shiur from the Rogatcher on Par helem dovor….

     What a radical approach- yet sounds very much like Pshat by the time  all the questions are resolved.

    1. This vort on slach nu al kal vchomer is your vort?
    2. Exactly where is this Rogatchover- In the letter to Rav kook r in his sefer in horayos?
    3. I was thinking- although he probably meant this as well. That the Par helem didn’t just remve the aveirah of eating on YK, it completed the selicha of YK that was incomplete due to the lack of fasting.

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Rabbi YY Jacobson

  • October 19, 2016
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  • 17 Tishrei 5777
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  • 7881 views

Leilu Nishmas Reb Eliyahu Tzion ben Reb Chananya Niasoff ז״ל

And in the merit of our partner in Torah, Yigal Yisroel ben Sofia, שיחי׳​

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