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Mishna in Sukkah 4:3 describes the mitzvah of Aravah, which was performed in the temple by circling the mizbeach with willow branches. This mitzvah is not mentioned in any indexes of the 613 mitzvos. What is the origin and the logical explanation for this mitzvah?
It is presumed that any mitzvah not mentioned in the Torah (i.e. mitzvah that's not a chok) should have a logical explanation behind it.
Taanis 3a “Rav Yochanan said in the name of Nechunia man of the valley of the house of Churtan ...Arava...pouring of the water...are all Halachas for Moshe From Sinai”
The Bartenura writes expressly that it is Halacha L'Moshe MiSinai:
יום שביעי של ערבה כו׳ דעבוד הכירא לדעת שהיא דאורייתא, כלומר הלכה למשה מסיני. ומשום האי הכירא תקון דשביעי שלה דוחה שבת במקדש, שבערבה היו מקיפים את המזבח. והאידנא אינה אלא מנהג נביאים שהנהיגו את העם ליטול ערבה בשביעי חוץ מערבה שבלולב, ואין מברכין עליה:
יום שביעי של ערבה כו' – for the sake of recognition to know that it is from the Torah, that is to say, a usage dating from Moses as delivered from Sinai (i.e., a traditional interpretation of a written law), and because of this recognition, it was established that its seventh [day] supersedes the Sabbath in the Temple, for with the willow, they would make a circuit around the altar. But today, it is not other than a custom of the Prophets that they directed the people to take the willow on the seventh day other than the willow in the Lulav, but we don’t make a blessing upon it.
However, when looking at Rambam in Mishna Torah, Hilchos Lulav 7:22 it writes:
וַעֲרָבָה זוֹ הוֹאִיל וְאֵינָהּ בְּפֵרוּשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה אֵין נוֹטְלִין אוֹתָהּ כָּל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הֶחָג
And since this [practice with the] willow is not explicit in the Torah, we do not lift it up all seven days of the festival
The Lechem Mishna there goes on to write your express question, wondering where exactly it comes from and questions whether it is to be viewed as a DeRabanan or Halacha leMoshe MiSinai. He concludes there:
ואין זו קושיא כלל דפי' הגמ' לדברי רבינו כך הוא אמאי מקלינן ביה אע''ג דהוי מדרבנן כיון דהוי הל''מ או רבוי א''כ יש להחמיר בו כדין תורה וכפי מה שהניח רבינו בשרשו דאע''ג דהוי דרבנן יש להחמיר בו כדין תורה:
So one should view it stringently as if it is an explicit halacha, since even though he (i.e. Rambam) views it as a derabanan, one should be strict like it is a law in the Torah.
Vayikra 23:40 https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.23.40?lang=bi&aliyot=0
" וּלְקַחְתֶּ֨ם לָכֶ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן פְּרִ֨י עֵ֤ץ הָדָר֙ כַּפֹּ֣ת תְּמָרִ֔ים וַעֲנַ֥ף עֵץ־עָבֹ֖ת וְעַרְבֵי־נָ֑חַל וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם לִפְנֵ֛י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. "
