By Rabbi Elimelech Biderman

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.”