The three hundred and twenty-fourth "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Sunday, 18 Tishrei, second day of Chol HaMoed Sukkot, 5709.
Shiurim: Chumash, the portion of Berachah, the first section with Rashi's commentary. We begin the portion of Berachah again, since on Shabbat the Chol HaMoed Sukkot reading was read; therefore the Chumash shiurim continue once more from the beginning of Berachah.
Tehillim, on the 18th day of the month, one recites chapter 88 and chapter 89.
Tanya: On this day we continue in Iggeret HaKodesh, section 23. The daily portion is on page 136, from the word "veHahefresh," and concludes with the words "amelah bah."
In the daily teaching, the Rebbe notes the study portions of the day, as well as several customs connected with the hoshaanot.
The first thing the Rebbe notes is that "we say both Om Ani Chomah and also Adon HaMoshia, but we circle only once." The passage that begins with the words "Om Ani Chomah" is the Hoshaanot section belonging to the third day of Sukkot, which this year fell on Shabbat; whereas the passage that begins with the words "Adon HaMoshia" belongs to the fourth day of Sukkot — which is today. And since on Shabbat one does not recite Hoshaanot — as we already had in the saying of the previous day — therefore the section belonging to Shabbat, which was not said on Shabbat, is recited today, on the first day of the week. But when circling the bimah, one circles only with the Hoshaanot particular to this day, which are "Adon HaMoshia."
The second point that the Rebbe notes: "One says the word Hoshana both at the beginning and at the end — in those phrases which the chazzan recited aloud; in the rest, one says it only once." In the passage said each day — for example, the passage of "Om Ani Choma" — one says once: "Hoshana Om Ani Choma, Hoshana Bara KaChama, Hoshana Gola VeSura," and so on, and in each of the phrases one says "Hoshana" a single time. But in the phrases that the chazzan says aloud, one says "Hoshana" twice — before and after: "Hoshana Se'irim Lehani'a Hoshana," and so on.
The third custom the Rebbe notes: "Our custom is to begin aloud from the letter Samech or Ayin." There are various and diverse customs in different communities as to from which point the chazzan begins to recite aloud — some follow the practice that already from the very first letter, from Alef, the chazzan recites aloud, while other customs advance to later letters. Here the Rebbe notes that our custom is that from the letter Samech or Ayin the chazzan recites aloud and begins the hakafah together with the entire congregation around the bimah.
The final custom: "Care is taken to complete an entire circuit, finishing at the letter tav." Since one must circle the bimah from the point at which the chazzan began the hakafah, the circuit should be completed at that same point. Therefore one endeavors to recite the hoshaanos at a pace that will bring the completion of the circuit precisely as the recitation is completed: if the congregation is more crowded, one recites it more slowly, so as to time it such that the circuit will be complete by the time one reaches the letter tav and finishes the hakafah.