On each morning of the festival of Sukkot, the people would descend to the Siloam pool, adjacent to the Temple, and draw water for libation onto the altar. This custom is unique to Sukkot, and although it is not mentioned in the Torah, it is attributed to a tradition from Moses. The Sages describe the procession to draw the water, and the joyous celebrations of thanksgiving that would continue all night.

The Sages said: One who did not see Simhat Beit HaSho’eva never saw a genuine celebration in his days. At the conclusion of the first day of the festival, the priests and the Levites descended from the Israelites’ courtyard in the Temple to the women’s courtyard, where they would introduce a significant improvement. There were golden candelabra placed atop pillars there, and four basins of gold at the top of each candelabrum, and four ladders for each and every pillar. There were four children from the priesthood trainees, and in their hands were pitchers with a capacity of 120 log of oil that they would pour into each and every basin.

They would loosen and tear strips from the worn trousers of the priests and their belts to use as wicks, with which they would kindle the candelabra. There was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated from the light of Simhat Beit HaSho’eva. The pious and the men of action would dance before the people, juggling flaming torches in their hands, and those men would recite before the people passages of song and praise. And the Levites would play on lyres, harps, cymbals, and trumpets, and countless other musical instruments. The Levites would stand on the fifteen stairs that descend from the Israelites’ courtyard to the women’s courtyard…

It is taught: The Sages said about Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel that when he would rejoice at the Simhat Beit HaSho’eva, he would take eight flaming torches and toss one and catch another, and they would not touch each other. And when he would prostrate himself, he would insert his two thumbs into the ground, and bow, and kiss the floor and straighten, and there was no other person that could do that. This was the form of bowing called kidda mentioned elsewhere.

It is taught that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananya said: When we would rejoice at Simhat Beit HaSho’eva, we did not sleep. How so? In the first hour of the day, the daily morning offering was sacrificed. From there we proceeded to prayer; from there, to the additional offerings; and from there to the additional prayer; from there to the study hall; from there to eating and drinking in the sukka; from there to the afternoon prayer; and from there to the daily afternoon offering. From this point onward, we returned to the Simhat Beit HaSho’eva.

Is that so? But didn’t Rabbi Yohanan say: In the case of one who took an oath: I will not sleep three days, the court flogs him, and he may sleep immediately? Rather, this is what Rabbi Yehoshua is saying: We did not experience the sense of actual sleep; as they would merely doze on each other’s shoulders. (Mishna Sukka 5:1; Sukka 53a)