Throwing the Aravos onto the Aron Kodesh
On Hoshana Rabba, the Arava, which corresponds to the lips, reigns supreme. The seventh day of Succos is also David HaMelech, the master of prayer's, Ishpizin. The lips appropriately belong to David, and we engage in prayer.
When the extensive Hoshana Rabba prayers are over, many have a custom of hurtling the Aravos onto the Aron Kodesh. That is because from Hoshana Rabba we rise yet higher realms, to Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah. We explain and discuss the meaning of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Succos, Hoshana Rabba, but words fail us when we try to capture the significance of Sheminin Atzeres. The lips serve us no benefit, so we throw that which symbolizes them on top of the Aron Kodesh.
Who can grasp, let alone explain, the significance of Shemini Atzeres, when we experience a small degree of the intense closeness that will exist between Hashem and His people when Mashiach will come? Hugging the Torah and dancing, or joining in the festivities in our hearts and minds from wherever we are, we attempt to get a small taste of the great joy of being intimately bonded with Hashem.
Copyright © 2018 Shiurei Harav Moshe Wolfson Shlit"a, All rights reserved.
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