בְּתִקּוּן לֵיל הוֹשַׁעֲנָא רַבָּה גַּם פַּרְשָׁה בְּרָכָה אוֹמְרִים רַק פַּעַם אַחַת מִקְרָא - הָיוּ יְחִידִים שֶׁאַאַמוּ"ר צִיוָּם לְאוֹמְרָהּ בְּהוֹשַׁעֲנָא רַבָּה עִם פֵּרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י וְאֵינָהּ הוֹרָאָה לְרַבִּים - וּבְעֶרֶב שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה אוֹמְרִים אוֹתָה שְׁנַיִם מִקְרָא וְאֶחָד תַּרְגּוּם. קוֹדֶם הַלֵּל מְסִירִים שְׁתֵּי הַכְּרִיכוֹת שֶׁעַל הַלּוּלָב, וְנִשְׁאָרִים רַק הג' מְאַגְּדִים ג' הַמִּינִים יַחַד. עֵרוּב תַּבְשִׁילִין. בְּהוֹשַׁעֲנָא רַבָּה טוֹבְלִים פְּרוּסַת הַמּוֹצִיא בִּדְבַשׁ, אֲבָל לֹא בִּשְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת וְשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה.

1 When reciting the Tikkun of Hoshana Rabbah night,2 Parshas Berachah3 is read only once. There were specific individuals whom my revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab], instructed to read it on Hoshana Rabbah together with the commentary of Rashi. This, however, is not a general directive. On the day before Simchas Torah4 it should be recited [verse by verse] twice in the original and once in its Aramaic translation.5

[On the morning of Hoshana Rabbah], before Hallel, one removes the two upper bands around the lulav itself, leaving only the three bands that bind it together with the hadassim and the aravos.6

An Eruv Tavshilin is made.7

On Hoshana Rabbah,the bread over which one recites the blessing is dipped in honey.8 This is not the case on Shemini Atzeres or Simchas Torah.

To Fill In the Background

The Alter Rebbe explains9 that honey represents the Divine attribute of Chessed (“lovingkindness”) that emerges from the Divine attribute of Gevurah (“power” or “stern judgment”). Gevurah defines the very nature of the Days of Awe, the period between Rosh HaShanah andYom Kippur, whose judgmental aspect is echoed on Hoshana Rabbah. Our prayers and teshuvah on these days are intended to elicit the sweetness that is hidden within this rigorous attribute. Thus, we dip our bread in honey on all the festivals until and including Hoshana Rabbah.

By Shemini Atzeres, however, the judgment Above has been concluded. The spiritual atmosphere has already changed to one of overt kindness; thus, this custom is no longer called for.