23 Sep SUKKOS: THE AWESOME JUDGMENT

Everyone knows
that Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur are
days of judgment;
therefore, we do
teshuvah and daven
a lot on them.
The Kabbalah
sefarim reveal that
Hoshana Rabbah
is also a day of
judgment. But since
Shas and poskim
hardly mention the
judgment on Hoshana Rabbah, most
people weren’t aware of this aspect of the
day.
Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt’l
explained that in the early generations,
the fear of judgment was so great that if
people knew that Hoshana Rabbah was
a day of judgment, it would ruin their
simchas yom tov. Therefore, the judgment
was concealed from them so they could
perform the mitzvah of Vesamachta
Bechagecha, and it was only discussed in
kabbalah sefarim. In later generations, the
fear isn’t as intense in people’s hearts as

it used to be, and therefore, more sefarim
revealed that a tremendous judgment
transpires on Hoshana Rabbah. What will
happen in the year is largely dependent
on this day.
Reb Shlomo Zalman explains that
one aspect of the awesome judgment
of Hoshana Rabbah was revealed to
the average man. The Mishnah states,
“Succos we are judged for rain,” and the
Levush writes, “Therefore, people light
more candles in the beis medresh on
Hoshana Rabbah, similar to Yom Kippur
because it is the final day of judgment for
rain.” It was always known that Hoshana
Rabbah was a day of judgment for rain.
In later generations, it became known
that it is also a day of judgment for all
areas of life.
Reb Shlomo Zalman adds that in the past,
rain meant life. If it didn’t rain, people
would die from thirst. Today, things have
changed because governments maintain
water reservoirs, and water can be
transported if needed. [The Chazon Ish
ruled that we don’t fast for rain anymore
because a lack of rain isn’t as tragic as

it used to be.] Therefore, years
ago, it was sufficient for people
to know that they were being
judged for rain, and this would
arouse them to teshuvah, tefillah,
and tzedakah. Today, that isn’t
enough. Therefore, the sefarim
revealed more details of the
awesome judgment of this day.
The Halichos Shlomo (Succos,
p.241) brings down Reb Shlomo
Zalman Auerbach’s customs on
this day. “From the beginning of
the night, Reb Shlomo Zalman
had immense fear, similar to
the fear of Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur. From nightfall, he
spent most hours of the night
saying Tehillim with a lot of kavanah.
Also in his elder years, he would get
out of bed several times on this night
to say Tehillim. He didn’t appreciate it
when people visited him on that night.
When someone came, he would speak
with him very briefly, and as soon as the
conversation was over, he returned to his
Tehillim.”

Two yungerleit were schmoozing on
Hoshana Rabbah night in the beis medresh
of Reb Avraham Elimelech of Karlin zt’l.
The rebbe rebuked them, “I am certain
you have something very important to
discuss because otherwise you wouldn’t
discuss it tonight. However, you would
have been better off had you discussed
these matters during Kol Nidrei than to
speak on this holy night.”