Hayom Yom 21 Tishrei - Customs for Hoshana Rabba

בְּתִקּוּן לֵיל הוֹשַׁעֲנָא רַבָּה גַּם פַּרְשָׁה בְּרָכָה אוֹמְרִים רַק פַּעַם אַחַת מִקְרָא1 When reciting the Tikkun of Hoshana Rabbah night, Parshas Berachah is read only once. הָיוּ יְחִידִים שֶׁאַאַמוּ"ר צִיוָּם לְאוֹמְרָהּ בְּהוֹשַׁעֲנָא רַבָּה עִם פֵּרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י There were specific individuals whom my revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab], instructed to read it on Hoshana Rabbah together with the commentary of Rashi. וְאֵינָהּ הוֹרָאָה לְרַבִּים This, however, is not a general directive. וּבְעֶרֶב שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה אוֹמְרִים אוֹתָה שְׁנַיִם מִקְרָא וְאֶחָד תַּרְגּוּםOn the day before Simchas Torah it should be recited [verse by verse] twice in the original and once in its Aramaic translation.קוֹדֶם הַלֵּל מְסִירִים שְׁתֵּי הַכְּרִיכוֹת שֶׁעַל הַלּוּלָב, [On the morning of Hoshana Rabbah], before Hallel, one removes the two upper bands around the lulav itself, וְנִשְׁאָרִים רַק הג' מְאַגְּדִים ג' הַמִּינִים יַחַדleaving only the three bands that bind it together with the hadassim and the aravos.עֵרוּב תַּבְשִׁילִיןAn Eruv Tavshilin is made. [This is required only when Hoshana Rabbah falls on Wednesday, on the eve of two successive days of Yom-Tov that are immediately followed by Shabbos. (This was the case in 5704/1943, the year of publication.)]בְּהוֹשַׁעֲנָא רַבָּה טוֹבְלִים פְּרוּסַת הַמּוֹצִיא בִּדְבַשׁ, אֲבָל לֹא בִּשְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת וְשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָהOn Hoshana Rabbah,the bread over which one recites the blessing is dipped in honey. This is not the case on Shemini Atzeres or Simchas Torah.Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English