Midrash for Sukkah 4:3
עֲרָבָה שִׁבְעָה כֵּיצַד, יוֹם שְׁבִיעִי שֶׁל עֲרָבָה שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, עֲרָבָה שִׁבְעָה, וּשְׁאָר כָּל הַיָּמִים שִׁשָּׁה:
Aravah — seven. How so? If the seventh day of aravah fell out on Shabbath, aravah — seven. All the other days, six. [The sages made a distinct sign to show that aravah is Torah ordained, i.e., a halachah to Moses on Sinai. In keeping with this, they instituted that on the seventh day, in the Temple, aravah override Sabbath (for they would circle the altar with the aravah.) And today, it is only a custom of the prophets, who had the people take the aravah on the seventh day (Hoshanah Rabbah) aside from the aravah in the lulav (and no blessing is made over it.)]
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer
Rabban Gamaliel said: The Egyptians pursued after the children of Israel as far as the Reed Sea, and encamped behind them. The enemy was behind them and the sea || was in front of them. And the Israelites saw the Egyptians, and feared very greatly, and there they cast away from themselves all the Egyptian abominations, and they repented very sincerely, and called upon their God, as it is said, "And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes" (Ex. 14:10). Moses beheld the anguish of Israel, and arose to pray on their behalf. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward" (Ex. 14:15).
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