Power of the humble aravah

חכמינו ז"ל קבעו לומר הושענות בימים הללו.

Our Chachamim, of blessed memory, established to say the Hoshanos on these days.

The Sages fixed the recitation of the Hoshanos prayers during the days of Sukkos.

ודברי חכמים כדרבונות לרמז בכל עת היפה בעתו.

And "the words of the wise are like goads" — to hint, at each moment, to what is fitting in its time.

The takanos of Chazal are precisely calibrated to draw down the particular spiritual light suited to each season.

כי ימ ם הללו נקראו ימי ישועה.

For these days are called the days of yeshuah (salvation).

Sukkos is a time when divine salvation is especially available.

וכתיב אודך כי עניתני הוא בימים נוראים יוהכ"פ ועניתם את נפשותיכם.

And it is written, "I thank You for You have answered me [anisani]" — this refers to the Yamim Nora'im and Yom Kippur, "and you shall afflict [v'inisem] your souls."

The Sefas Emes links the word "anisani" to the "affliction" (inuy) of Yom Kippur, reading the verse as a continuum from the awe of the Days of Judgment to the salvation that follows.

עי"ז ותהי לי לישועה בחג הסוכות.

Through this, "and You have become my salvation" — on the festival of Sukkos.

The teshuvah and inuy of Yom Kippur ripen into the salvation experienced on Sukkos.

וכתיב הראנו ה' חסדך הוא הסוכה.

And it is written, "Show us, Hashem, Your kindness" — this is the Sukkah.

The Sukkah itself is the manifestation of Hashem's chesed, surrounding us with His protective shade.

וישעך תתן לנו הלולב ומיניו.

"And grant us Your salvation" — this is the lulav and its species.

The four minim are the vehicle of the yeshuah promised in the verse.

כדכתיב ולקחתם שהיא מתנה מהבורא ית' שיכולין לדבק באלה המצות שמהם בא הישועה.

As it is written, "and you shall take" — for it is a gift from the Borei Yisbarach that one is able to cling to these mitzvos, from which the salvation comes.

The very ability to grasp the mitzvah of the four minim is itself a present from Hashem, and through this deveikus salvation flows.

בחסדך בטחתי הוא הסוכה.

"In Your kindness I have trusted" — this is the Sukkah.

Dwelling in the Sukkah is an expression of bitachon, trusting wholly in Hashem's chesed.

יגל לבי בישועתך הוא במינים הללו דכתיב ולקחתם כו' ושמחתם כו'.

"My heart will rejoice in Your salvation" — this is through these species, of which it is written, "and you shall take… and you shall rejoice…"

The joy of the four minim is the joy of salvation, as the Torah pairs "taking" the species with "rejoicing."

ויום הושענא רבה יום הערבה שמרמז לפה.

And the day of Hoshana Rabbah is the day of the aravah (willow), which alludes to the mouth.

The willow leaf is shaped like lips, hinting at the power of speech and tefillah on Hoshana Rabbah.

וכתיב הרחב פיך שבעת גאולה וישועה צריכין להרבות בתחנונים להיות נושע תשועת עולמים.

And it is written, "Open wide your mouth" — for at a time of geulah and yeshuah one must increase in supplications in order to be saved with an everlasting salvation.

When salvation is near, we must "open wide our mouths" in heartfelt tefillah so that the deliverance becomes permanent.

וזה החן שיש להבורא ית' גם בדומין לערבה לא טעם ולא ריח רק ע"י הכנעה להתפלל לפניו ית'.

And this is the favor (chein) that the Borei Yisbarach has even for those who resemble the aravah, which has neither taste nor smell — only through humble submission to daven before Him.

Like the willow that has no taste or fragrance, a Jew who lacks Torah and mitzvos still finds favor before Hashem through sheer hachna'ah (submission) and prayer.

וכחן של ישראל בפה כמ"ש מתגאה בירושתו הקול קול יעקב שקולן ערב לפניו ית'.

And the strength of Bnei Yisrael is in the mouth, as it says, "[Hashem] takes pride in His inheritance" — "the voice is the voice of Yaakov" — for their voice is sweet (areiv) before Him.

The unique power of Bnei Yisrael lies in the "voice of Yaakov," in tefillah, which is pleasing and sweet before Hashem — a play on "aravah" and "areiv" (sweet).

אמנם העיקר החן על אותן שיש להם טעם וריח.

However, the essential favor is upon those who have taste and smell.

Ideally one strives to be like the esrog or hadas — possessing both Torah (taste) and good deeds (fragrance).

ואעפ"י כן ע"י האגודה ביחד שמכניס עצמו לכלל ישראל ומדבק עצמו בערבה.

Even so, through the binding together [of the species], one enters himself into Klal Yisrael and attaches himself to the aravah.

By binding the four minim as one, even the loftiest Jew joins himself to the simplest "willow," uniting all of Klal Yisrael.

על ידי שיודע שיותר יכול להיות נושע בתפלה מבכח מעשיו.

Through knowing that one can be saved more through tefillah than through the power of his own deeds.

Even a great person recognizes that ultimately salvation comes through humble prayer, not through reliance on his own merits.

לכן הניחו חכמים כל המינים ואחזו רק בערבה.

Therefore the Chachamim set aside all the species and took hold of the aravah alone [on Hoshana Rabbah].

On Hoshana Rabbah the Sages singled out the willow — the symbol of pure submission and tefillah — above all the other minim.

וע"ז נאמר אדם ובהמה כו' שערומין בדעת ועושים עצמן כבהמה לפני הבורא ית':

And concerning this it is said, "man and beast [You save, Hashem]" — those who are clever in knowledge yet make themselves like a beast before the Borei Yisbarach.

The truly wise are those who, despite their wisdom, nullify themselves completely before Hashem like a simple animal, embodying the bittul of the aravah.

Summary: The Hoshanos and especially the aravah of Hoshana Rabbah teach that the deepest avodah of Sukkos is humble tefillah. Though one strives for "taste and fragrance" — Torah and good deeds — the ultimate chein before Hashem comes through bittul: making oneself like the tasteless, scentless willow, joining all of Klal Yisrael, and trusting in the sweet "voice of Yaakov" to bring everlasting salvation.