How was the mitzvah of the willow [performed]? There was a place below Jerusalem called Motza. They descended there, gathered from there large willow branches, and came and stood them up against the sides of the Altar, with their tops drooping over the top of the Altar.  They blew [on a trumpet] a tekiah, a teruah, and a tekiah. Each day they would circle the Altar one time and say, “Please HASHEM bring salvation now, please HASHEM bring success now!” R’ Yehudah says: [They would say,] “ANI VAHO, bring salvation now!” But on that day they circled the Altar seven times.  When they left what did they say? “Beauty is yours, O Altar! Beauty is yours, O Altar!” R’ Eliezer says: [They said,] “To YAH and to you, O Altar! To YAH and to you, O Altar!”

Just as it was performed on the weekdays, so it was performed on the Sabbath, except they gathered them on the eve of the Sabbath and placed them in golden vessels so that they should not wilt.  R’ Yochanan ben Berokah says: They brought date palm branches and beat them on the ground at the sides of the Altar. That day was called the day of the beating of the [date palm] branches.

Immediately the children loosened their lulavim and ate their esrogim.

How are [the recitation of] the Hallel and the [mitzvah of] rejoicing [done for] eight [days]? This teaches that a man is obligated in [the recitation of] the Hallel, in the [mitzvah of] rejoicing, and in [the] honor of the last Festival day of Succos, like all the other days of Succos.  How is [the mitzvah of] succah [observed for] seven [days]? When one has finished eating, he may not take apart his succah, but he may take down his utensils from Minchah time and later, in honor of the last Festival day of Succos.

How is the water libation done? He filled a golden flagon holding three lugim, from the Shiloach. When they reached the Water Gate they sounded a tekiah, a teruah, and a tekiah. He went up the ramp and turned to his left.  There were two silver bowls there. R’ Yehudah says: They were of plaster, but their surfaces were darkened from wine.  Each had a hole like a thin nostril, one wider and the other narrower, so that both would drain out at the same time. The western one was for water; the eastern one was for wine. If he poured [the flagon] of water into [the bowl] for wine, or [the flagon] of wine into [the bowl] for water, he fulfilled the obligation.  R’ Yehudah says: He would pour with one log all eight [days].  To the pourer they would say, “Raise your hand!” For once someone poured it over his feet, and all the people pelted him with their esrogim.

Just as it is performed on a weekday, so it is performed on the Sabbath, except that he would fill an unconsecrated golden barrel on the eve of the Sabbath from the Shiloach, and place it in a chamber.  If they were spilled or uncovered, he would refill it from the laver, for uncovered wine and water are unfit for the Altar.

The flute [is played] five or six [days]; this is the flute of the Beis HaSho’evah, which overrides neither Sabbath nor Festival.  They said, “Whoever did not see the rejoicing of the Beis HaSho’evah, never saw rejoicing in his lifetime.”

At the conclusion of the first festival day of Succos they descended to the Women’s Court, where they made a great improvement.  There were golden candelabra there with four golden bowls atop them, four ladders for each [candelabrum], and four youths from [among] the young priests holding pitchers of oil containing one hundred and twenty log, which they poured into each bowl.

From the worn-out trousers of the Kohanim and their belts they made wicks and they would kindle them.  There was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated by the light of the Beis HaSho’evah.

Devout men and men of [good] deeds would dance before them with flaming torches [that were] in their hands and would utter before them words of songs and praises; and the Leviim with harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets, and countless musical instruments [stood] on the fifteen steps that descend from the Court of the Yisraelim to the Women’s Court —- corresponding to the fifteen Songs of Ascent in Psalms. Upon them the Leviim would stand with musical instruments and chant songs. Two Kohanim stood at the Upper Gate that descends from the Court of the Yisraelim to the Women’s Court, with two trumpets in their hands. [When] the crier called out, they sounded a tekiah, a teruah, and a tekiah.  [When] they reached the tenth step, they sounded a tekiah, a teruah, and a tekiah. [When] they reached the Court, they sounded a tekiah, a teruah, and a tekiah. They would continue sounding tekiah until they reached the gate leading out [to the east]. [When] they reached the gate leading out to the east, they turned to the west and said, “Our forefathers who were in this place —- their backs [were] toward the Sanctuary and their faces toward the east, and they bowed eastward toward the sun. But as for us —- our eyes are toward YAH.”  R’ Yehudah says: They repeated and said, “We are for YAH and toward YAH are our eyes.”

They make no fewer than twenty-one trumpet blasts in the Temple, and no more than forty-eight.  Every day there were twenty-one trumpet blasts in the Temple: three for the opening of the gates; nine for the daily morning burnt-offering; and nine for the daily afternoon burnt-offering. With the mussaf-offerings they added another nine. And on the eve of the Sabbath they added another six: three to stop the people from work; and three to distinguish between the sacred and the secular.  On the eve of the Sabbath during Succos, there were forty-eight: three for the opening of the gates; three for the Upper Gate; three for the Lower Gate; three at the filling of the water; three on top of the Altar; nine for the daily morning burnt-offering; nine for the daily afternoon burnt-offering; and nine for the mussaf-offerings; three to stop the people from work; and three to distinguish between the sacred and the secular.

On the first festival day of Succos there were thirteen bullocks, two rams, and one he-goat; there remained fourteen yearling sheep for eight watches.  On the first day six [of the watches] offered up two each, and the rest [offered] one each. On the second [day] five offered up two each, and the rest one each. On the third [day] four offered up two each, and the rest one each. On the fourth [day] three offered up two each, and the rest one each. On the fifth [day] two offered up two each, and the rest one each. On the sixth [day] one offered up two, and the rest, one each. On the seventh [day] all were equal.  On the eighth [day] they reverted to [casting] lots as on the [other] festivals.  [The Sages] said, “Whoever offered up bullocks today should not offer them tomorrow”; but they took turns in rotation.