Circles play a surprisingly large role in Jewish ritual and thought. Let's look at some examples of circling in Jewish ritual, some well-known and others more obscure.
I. Hoshanot
Compare the Mishnah's description with our hoshanot ritual today.
(ה) מִצְוַת עֲרָבָה כֵּיצַד, מָקוֹם הָיָה לְמַטָּה מִירוּשָׁלַיִם, וְנִקְרָא מוֹצָא. יוֹרְדִין לְשָׁם וּמְלַקְּטִין מִשָּׁם מֻרְבִּיּוֹת שֶׁל עֲרָבָה, וּבָאִין וְזוֹקְפִין אוֹתָן בְּצִדֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְרָאשֵׁיהֶן כְּפוּפִין עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. תָּקְעוּ וְהֵרִיעוּ וְתָקָעוּ. בְּכָל יוֹם מַקִּיפִין אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ פַּעַם אַחַת, וְאוֹמְרִים, אָנָּא ה' הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא, אָנָּא ה' הַצְלִיחָה נָּא. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אֲנִי וָהוֹ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא. וְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם מַקִּיפִין אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים. בִּשְׁעַת פְּטִירָתָן, מָה הֵן אוֹמְרִים, יֹפִי לְךָ מִזְבֵּחַ, יֹפִי לְךָ מִזְבֵּחַ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, לְיָהּ וּלְךָ, מִזְבֵּחַ. לְיָהּ וּלְךָ, מִזְבֵּחַ:
(5) How is the mitzva of the willow branch fulfilled? There was a place below Jerusalem, and it was called Motza. They would descend there and gather willow branches [murbiyyot] from there. And they would then come and stand them upright at the sides of the altar, and the tops of the branches would be inclined over the top of the altar. They then sounded a tekia, a simple uninterrupted blast, sounded a terua, a broken sound and/or a series of short staccato blasts, and sounded another tekia. Each day they would circle the altar one time and say: “Lord, please save us. Lord, please grant us success” (Psalms 118:25). Rabbi Yehuda says that they would say: Ani vaho, please save us. And on that day, the seventh day of Sukkot, they would circle the altar seven times. At the time of their departure at the end of the Festival, what would they say? It is beautiful for you, altar; it is beautiful for you, altar. Rabbi Elazar said that they would say: To the Lord and to you, altar; to the Lord and to you, altar.
אֵיתִיבֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: בְּכׇל יוֹם מַקִּיפִין אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ פַּעַם אַחַת, וְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים. מַאי לָאו, בַּעֲרָבָה? לָא, בְּלוּלָב. וְהָא אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר אֲבוּהּ: בַּעֲרָבָה! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הוּא אָמַר לָךְ בַּעֲרָבָה, וַאֲנָא אָמֵינָא בְּלוּלָב. אִתְּמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: בְּלוּלָב. רַב שְׁמוּאֵל [בַּר נָתָן] אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: בַּעֲרָבָה. וְכֵן אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר אֲבוּהּ: בַּעֲרָבָה.
Abaye raised an objection to Rav Yosef from a mishna: On every day the people circle the altar one time, and on that day, the seventh day of the willow branch, they circle it seven times. What, is the mishna not referring to circling the altar with the willow branch in hand? He answered him: No, it is referring to circling the altar with a lulav. Abaye objects: But didn’t Rav Naḥman say that Rabba bar Avuh said: They would circle the altar with the willow branch? Rav Yosef said to him: He said to you with the willow branch; however, my authority is no less than his, as we are both amora’im, and I say that they circle the altar with a lulav. It was stated that this was the subject of dispute between other amora’im as well. Rabbi Elazar says: They circle the altar with a lulav. Rav Shmuel bar Natan said that Rabbi Ḥanina said: They circle the altar with the willow branch. And likewise, Rav Naḥman said that Rabba bar Avuh said: They would circle the altar with the willow branch.
Why do we march in circles for Hoshanot? This passage from Joshua may hold the answer. What role do circles play in the fall of Jericho?
(ב) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ רְאֵה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי בְיָֽדְךָ֔ אֶת־יְרִיח֖וֹ וְאֶת־מַלְכָּ֑הּ גִּבּוֹרֵ֖י הֶחָֽיִל׃ (ג) וְסַבֹּתֶ֣ם אֶת־הָעִ֗יר כֹּ֚ל אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה הַקֵּ֥יף אֶת־הָעִ֖יר פַּ֣עַם אֶחָ֑ת כֹּ֥ה תַעֲשֶׂ֖ה שֵׁ֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים׃ (ד) וְשִׁבְעָ֣ה כֹהֲנִ֡ים יִשְׂאוּ֩ שִׁבְעָ֨ה שׁוֹפְר֤וֹת הַיּֽוֹבְלִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָאָר֔וֹן וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י תָּסֹ֥בּוּ אֶת־הָעִ֖יר שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים יִתְקְע֖וּ בַּשּׁוֹפָרֽוֹת׃ (ה) וְהָיָ֞ה בִּמְשֹׁ֣ךְ ׀ בְּקֶ֣רֶן הַיּוֹבֵ֗ל (בשמעכם) [כְּשׇׁמְעֲכֶם֙] אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַשּׁוֹפָ֔ר יָרִ֥יעוּ כׇל־הָעָ֖ם תְּרוּעָ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֑ה וְנָ֨פְלָ֜ה חוֹמַ֤ת הָעִיר֙ תַּחְתֶּ֔יהָ וְעָל֥וּ הָעָ֖ם אִ֥ישׁ נֶגְדּֽוֹ׃
(2) GOD said to Joshua, “See, I will deliver Jericho into your hands—its king and warriors. (3) Let all your troops march around the city and complete one circuit of the city. Do this six days, (4) with seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns preceding the Ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. (5) And when a long blast is sounded on the horn—as soon as you hear that sound of the horn—all the troops shall give a mighty shout. Thereupon the city wall will collapse, and the troops shall advance, every man straight ahead.”
Here are a couple ideas from modern scholars. How do you feel about these interpretations?
I suggest that the hoshanot ritual, like the circuits around Jericho, is a summoning ritual. With this ritual we bring God’s presence (shekhinah) into our synagogues so that we can make our request. What is our request? Specifically, rain, more broadly, survival. (Rabbi Zev Farber)
On Sukkot, we have an opportunity to break down walls – walls that separate us from Hashem, our spouses and community members. Jericho is described as completely enclosed, quarantined – “Jericho was shut up because of the children of Israel: None went out, and none came in.” We, unfortunately, can relate to Covid quarantines that have walled us in and away from others. Sukkot is a time to symbolically break down these walls as we circle the bima. These are circles of prayer for rain and prosperity, circles of praise for miracles of salvation in the Land of Israel, circles of atonement, and circles of marriage – breaking down barriers and rebuilding a covenant of commitment with our Beloved. (Rabbanit Shani Taragin)
II. Circling With The Torah Scroll Before It Is Read
How does this description of the Torah procession compare to what we do in the synagogue?
(א) כְּשֶׁמּוֹצִיאִין אֵת הַסֵּפֶר תּוֹרָה מִן אֲרוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ, וְנוֹשְׂאִין אוֹתוֹ אֶל הַתֵּבָה, שֶׁקּוֹרִין בּוֹ שָׁם, נוֹשְׂאִין אוֹתוֹ דֶּרֶךְ צָפוֹן, שֶׁהוּא לִימִין הַנּוֹשֵׂא, וכְשֶׁמַּחְזִירִין אוֹתוֹ אֶל הָאֲרוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ, נוֹשְׂאִין אוֹתוֹ דֶּרֶךְ דָּרוֹם, וּצְרִיכִין לְהַחְזִיק אֵת הַסֵּפֶר תּוֹרָה בְּיַד יָמִין, וּמִצְוָה עַל כָּל אָדָם שֶׁהַסֵּפֶר תּוֹרָה עוֹבֵר לְפָנָיו, שֶׁיְלַוּוּ אוֹתוֹ עַד אֶל הַתֵּבָה.
(1) When the Seifer Torah (Torah Scroll) is taken from the Aron Hakodesh (Holy Ark) to be carried to the reader's lectern where the reading takes place, it is to be carried toward the north, that is, to the right of the carrier. When it is returned to the Aron Hakodesh, it is carried toward the south. The Seifer Torah must be held in the right hand [when it is carried]. It is a mitzvah for everyone before whom the Seifer Torah passes, to accompany it to the reader's lectern.
Scholars believe that the Torah procession is at least a thousand years old. Interestingly, the early Reformers often eliminated it from their services. What is the purpose of the Torah procession?
It is important to note that the Torah is carried into the very midst of the worshippers, into the community itself. At Sinai…all 600,000 B’nei Yisrael saw and heard the awesome majesty of Revelation, from the smallest child to the oldest woman and man, from the least enlightened Jew to Moshe…Torah is not the exclusive property of anyone. It belongs to all. The hakafah affirms this in the most direct way possible, allowing—indeed encouraging—all of us to show our love of God’s greatest gift. (George Robinson Essential Torah)
III. Simchat Torah
The customs of Simchat Torah took hold in the late Middle Ages. What core practices of Simchat Torah do you see in this passage from the Rema's commentary on the Shulchan Aruch (16th century) ?
(א) סדר יום שמחת תורה ובו סעיף אחד
הגה: וקורין יום טוב האחרון שמחת תורה לפי ששמחין ועושין בו סעודת משתה לגמרה של תורה... ועוד נהגו במדינות אלו להוציא בשמחת תורה ערבית ושחרית כל ספרי תורה שבהיכל ואומרים זמירות ותשבחות וכל מקום לפי מנהגו ועוד נהגו להקיף עם ספרי התורות הבימה שבבית הכנסת... והכל משום שמחה ונהגו עוד להרבות הקרואים לספר תורה... עוד נהגו לקרות כל הנערים לספר תורה..
Rama: This last day is referred to as Simchat Torah, because we rejoice and make a celebratory feast on that day to celebrate the completion of the Torah… We also have the custom in these lands… to remove all of the Torah scrolls in the ark and recite songs and praises… We also have the custom to encircle the bimah with the scrolls… all [of these customs are] out of joy. We also have the custom to call up many people to the Torah… we also call up all of the children.
Why do we circle the sanctuary with the Torah seven times on Simchat Torah. Here is one explanation from a contemporary scholar.
The circular parades augment the symbolism too. Circles in many cultures are a symbol of wholeness. So, too, in Judaism. In this magical drama of Simchat Torah, celebrating God’s revealed letters, the congregation and its circular parades physically mimic the story cycle of Torah readings. The congregation parades seven times for the number seven is an indication of wholeness – a complete rotation.
Then, finally, to add to the mystery of the Simchat Torah moment, the congregation adds an eighth circle. Eight is the number that indicates beyond the complete. That eighth cycle is the reading of Torah itself as the community chants the last words of Deuteronomy immediately followed by the first words of Genesis. In that eighth circle, beyond totality, is our hint that an understanding of Torah is outside what we can comprehend. The Torah comes from the One Without End, the One with whom we yearn to comprehend and connect. Torah originates and continuously flows from God’s abundance.
IV. Circling the Groom (or Bride and Groom) at a Jewish Wedding:
V. Circling a Body
Does the explanation here resonate with any of the other circling ceremonies above?
On Simchat Torah, Jewish communities across the world will take to the streets and the synagogue social halls to dance circles around the Torah for the holiday. But long before this 15th-century custom began, Jewish mysticism encouraged a very different kind of circling: circling around a corpse, to ward off evil spirits.
The kabbalists, ever cautionary about the dark forces of the world, canonized a series of practices surrounding death and, in particular, the deceased themselves. The hevra kaddisha, the Jewish burial society, was tasked with linking arms and making seven circles, around the corpse, called hakafot—the very same word that’s used to describe the joyous dancing around the Torah.
The idea was that those circles would ward off the evil spirits that might try to invade the corpse and the grave. And for that reason, those circles were advised to be made at the cemetery, right before burial.
In some communities, though, it wasn’t the burial society that made the circles, but rather, the bereaved themselves. In some Sephardic and Mizrahi communities, including in Jerusalem, the bereaved make the seven circles around the deathbed before preparing the body for burial. (JTA)