Q&A: Bringing Willow Branches to the Temple on a Jewish Holiday
Bringing Willow Branches to the Temple on a Jewish Holiday
Question
The Mishnah in Sukkah says that the willow branch applies on days 6 and 7, and it seems from there that on the first day of the holiday there were willow branches in the Temple. Regarding Hoshana Rabbah, if it fell on the Sabbath, the Mishnah says they would bring them beforehand and place them in golden basins. It seems from this that only on the Sabbath was there a prohibition on cutting the willows, but on a Jewish holiday they would cut willow branches. Since when does a law given to Moses at Sinai permit a prohibition of reaping on a Jewish holiday, when this is not for food preparation?
I looked into it and did not find any discussion of this question in the Talmud or in the medieval authorities (Rishonim). Is the Rabbi familiar with any discussion of the matter?
Answer
I’m not familiar with one, but I don’t see what the problem is with a law given to Moses at Sinai permitting a prohibition.
Discussion on Answer
I don’t see any reason to distinguish. The law given to Moses at Sinai says that doubtful orlah outside the Land of Israel is permitted. That permits cases of doubt-based prohibitions by force of a law given to Moses at Sinai.
So why doesn’t it override the Sabbath?
First, according to Jewish law, the willow rite is a prophetic custom, not a law given to Moses at Sinai.
And as for your question, this is not a question of overriding, but of what the law given to Moses at Sinai itself says. If it said that the willow rite overrides the Sabbath, then it would override the Sabbath.
I thought only an explicit commandment overrides a prohibition.
By the way, the category should be changed to Talmudic analysis.