במדבר, פרק כ״ט, פסוק ל״ב

As the Festival of Tabernacles draws to a close, its unique system of daily offerings reaches a significant milestone. The seventh day marks the final day of the festival. Throughout history, this day has been known by different names. The early sages referred to it as the Day of the Willow, while today it is widely known as Hoshana Rabbah [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

On this specific day, the offerings included seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen yearling sheep, all completely free of any physical flaws. The sacrifice of these seven final bulls brings the total number of bulls offered over the entire seven days of the festival to exactly seventy. This total is highly deliberate and holds deep symbolic meaning, directly corresponding to the seventy nations of the world.

During the era of the Temple, the offering of these seventy bulls served a global purpose. It provided spiritual protection for all the nations of the world, shielding them from suffering. This profound connection explains why the biblical prophecies in the Book of Zechariah, which speak of future punishments for the nations, are specifically linked to the Festival of Tabernacles. The very sacrifices brought during this festival were the source of the spiritual defense that protected those nations [חזקוני].