Hoshana 2011

Hoshana

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The custom of parading around the syngogue - palm branch, myrtle, willow and ethrog in hand - is strange.  It feels old, some kind of semblance of the temple service, not the real service , the sacrificial service, but some ancillary activity.
While we march around the synagogue, on our way to that key place between the Bima and the Aron, we recite, responsively, a poem, a set of alphabeticaly arranaged short phrases that speak of salvation, destruction and protection from destruction.
The activity occurs at the time of year that we repeat Parsath Zoth Habracha.  The transition of power from Moshe to Yehoshua ( the same root as Hoshana)  The reminder that the tragedy occurs ( Moshe dies), justice is not intelligible ( Moshe does not go into the promised land)  and salvation occurs ( the people  are led by [the lesser] Yehosua into the promised land ( and are subsequently exiled.)
The shin  shared between Moshe and Yehoshua implies things about the nature of the call for help - Hoshanah.  It is the sh of hush, the sound of the fire of the burnt offering.