The willow as the Jew's essential bond with Hashem

ביום הושענא רבה שבחרו חז"ל במצות הערבה שנק' מנהג נביאים.

On the day of Hoshana Rabbah, on which Chazal chose the practice of the aravah (willow), which is called "a custom of the prophets."

The Sefas Emes focuses on the willow rite of Hoshana Rabbah, a practice Chazal describe as a minhag neviim (a custom established by the prophets).

כי הערבה היא עיקר החביבות שניכר שהקב"ה בוחר בבנ"י שיש בהם התקרבות בעצם הגם שאין בהם טעם וריח עכ"ז ערבים הם לפניו.

For the aravah is the essence of the beloved closeness, by which it is recognized that Hashem chooses Bnei Yisrael — that there is an intrinsic closeness within them, for even though they have neither taste nor fragrance, they are nevertheless sweet (areivim) before Him.

The willow has neither taste nor smell, representing a Jew lacking Torah and good deeds; yet it is still beloved. This shows that Hashem cherishes Bnei Yisrael with an essential love, independent of their accomplishments — they are inherently "sweet" (areiv) to Him.

והוא מדת דוד המע"ה דלית לי' מגרמי' כלום רק מה שהוא כלי מוכן לקבל ולשמור כל הניתן בו מלמעלה.

And this is the trait of David HaMelech, peace be upon him, who "has nothing of his own," but is only a vessel prepared to receive and preserve all that is given into him from Above.

The willow embodies the middah of David HaMelech, who, in the language of the Zohar, "has nothing of his own." His greatness lay in pure bittul — being an empty, ready vessel that receives and guards whatever Hashem pours into it.

וזה הסימן פי' חלק.

And this is the sign — its meaning is "a portion" (cheilek).

The very emptiness of the willow is its mark of distinction: it represents the Jew's intrinsic cheilek (portion) in Hashem, a bond that does not depend on having "taste" or "fragrance."

ואיתא במנהגן של בנ"י אעפ"י שאינם נביאים בני נביאים הם ומנהג ישראל תורה.

And it is taught regarding the customs of Bnei Yisrael: even though they are not prophets, they are the children of prophets, and a custom of Yisrael is Torah.

Chazal teach that even when Bnei Yisrael act on their own through a minhag, their instincts are reliable — for they are heirs of the prophets, and a Jewish custom carries the authority of Torah.

והוא מצד שמכוונים בעצמותן לדעת העליונה וזה עדות שיש להם דביקות בעצם למעלה.

And this is because in their very essence they align with the higher Will, and this is testimony that they have an intrinsic deveikus (cleaving) Above.

A Jewish custom can carry Torah's weight because Bnei Yisrael instinctively attune themselves to the daas elyon (the higher Divine Will). This very fact testifies to their essential, built-in deveikus to Hashem.

ובאמת על בחי' זאת הוא עיקר הקטרוג וצריכין להיות נושע ישועה רבה בזה החלק של בחי' הערבה.

And in truth, the main accusation is directed against this very aspect, and one needs to be saved with a great salvation (yeshuah rabbah) in this portion of the aspect of the aravah.

Precisely this hidden, intrinsic bond — the bare connection of the willow without deeds to show — is where the prosecuting forces level their accusation. Therefore one needs a "great salvation," the yeshuah rabbah of Hoshana Rabbah, specifically for this fragile-seeming portion.

ולא על חנם קבעו הרבה בקשות ביום הזה וקראוהו הושענא רבה.

And it is not for nothing that they established many supplications on this day and called it Hoshana Rabbah ("the great salvation").

This is why so many prayers for salvation were instituted on this day, and why it is named Hoshana Rabbah — it is the day to plead for the rescue of that essential, vulnerable connection.

והוא יום האחרון של חג הסוכות.

And it is the final day of Chag HaSukkos.

Hoshana Rabbah falls as the closing day of Sukkos, sealing the closeness attained during the festival.

ובודאי בכללות בנ"י מתגלה ע"י מצות הסוכה דביקות עליון, כמו שזכו בנ"י ע"י הליכתם במדבר אחר השי"ת לכמה מדריגות רמות כדכ' ימצאהו בארץ מדבר.

And certainly, in the collective of Bnei Yisrael, a lofty deveikus is revealed through the mitzvah of the sukkah, just as Bnei Yisrael merited, through following Hashem into the wilderness, to many exalted levels, as it is written, "He found him in a desert land" (Devarim 32:10).

The mitzvah of sukkah reveals a supreme deveikus across all of Bnei Yisrael, mirroring how they reached exalted madreigos by following Hashem into the trackless midbar — the very thing the Torah praises with "He found him in a desert land."

פי' כמ"ש יגעתי ומצאתי.

Its meaning is as Chazal said: "I toiled and I found" (Megillah 6b).

"He found him" implies the principle that finding closeness to Hashem comes through yegiah (toil) — "I labored and I found."

וכתיב ישוטטו לבקש את דבר ה'.

And it is written, "They shall roam to seek the word of Hashem" (Amos 8:12).

The path to this finding is active searching — roaming and seeking out the davar Hashem (the word of Hashem).

וכמו כן בכל עת הקב"ה כביכול מטמין מטמוניות לאותן המבקשין למצוא דבר ה'.

And likewise, at every time, Hashem, as it were, hides hidden treasures for those who seek to find the word of Hashem.

In every era Hashem conceals "hidden treasures" of closeness and revelation, reserved for those who genuinely search for His word — the reward of the seeker.

וכ"כ מי יתנך כו' אמצאך בחוץ אשקך כו'.

And so it is written, "Who would make you like a brother to me… I would find you outside, I would kiss you…" (Shir HaShirim 8:1).

This verse expresses the soul's longing to find Hashem even "outside," in the exposed and ordinary places, and to cling to Him there with a kiss of closeness.

ובמדבר נתקיים בפועל כמ"ש ישקני מנשיקות פיהו והוא הדביקות שנק' השקה וחיבור.

And in the wilderness it was fulfilled in actuality, as it is written, "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth" (Shir HaShirim 1:2); and this is the deveikus that is called "touching" (hashakah) and "joining."

In the midbar this longing became real: the "kiss" of Shir HaShirim describes the consummate deveikus, a direct touching (hashakah) and joining of Bnei Yisrael with Hashem.

אך עתה יש ע"ז קטרוגים וצריך להיות בצינעא ולעתיד כ' גם לא יבוזו לי.

But now there are accusations against this, and it must be in private (b'tzinah); and in the future it is written, "Then they would not scorn me" (Shir HaShirim 8:1).

In our times this intimate closeness draws the prosecution's challenge, so it must be pursued discreetly and inwardly. But the verse promises that in the future this deveikus will be openly revealed, with no one able to scorn it.

ישמע חכם ויוסף לקח:

"Let the wise man hear and increase learning" (Mishlei 1:5).

The Sefas Emes closes by inviting the discerning reader to take these hints and draw out further lessons on his own.

Summary: The willow of Hoshana Rabbah — without taste or fragrance — represents the Jew's essential, intrinsic bond with Hashem, the middah of David HaMelech who "has nothing of his own" and is purely a vessel of bittul. This bare connection is precisely where the accuser strikes, so Hoshana Rabbah is filled with pleas for a "great salvation." Like the deveikus Bnei Yisrael reached by following Hashem into the midbar, this closeness is found through earnest seeking; for now it must remain hidden, but in the future it will be openly revealed.