Kosher Sukkot -->
The Four Species (Hebrew: ארבעת
המינים, Arba'at
Ha-Minim, also called Arba Minim) are plants mentioned in
the Torah as being relevant to Sukkot. Karaite Jews build
their Sukkot out of branches from the four specified species,
while Talmudic Jews take three types of branches and one type
of fruit which are held together and waved in a special ceremony
during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The waving of the Four
Species is a mitzvah prescribed by the Torah, and contains
symbolic allusions to a Jew's service of God.
The mitzvah of waving the Four Species derives from the Torah.
In Leviticus, it states: “And you shall take for yourselves
on the first day [of Sukkot], the fruit of the beautiful [citron]
tree, tightly bound branches of date palms, the branch of
the braided [myrtle] tree, and willows of the brook, and you
shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.”[1] During
the time of the Temple in Jerusalem, the waving ceremony (called
na'anu'im – נענועים)
was performed in the Holy Temple on all seven days of Sukkot,
and elsewhere only on the first day. Following the destruction
of the Temple, Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai ordered that the
Four Species be waved everywhere on every day of Sukkot
(except on Shabbat), as a memorial to the Temple.
To prepare the species for the mitzvah, the lulav is first
bound together with the hadass and aravah (this bundle is
also referred to as "the lulav") in the following
manner: One lulav is placed in the center, two aravah branches
are placed to the left, and three hadass boughs are placed
to the right. (This order is the same for both right-handed
and left-handed people.[2]) The bundle may be bound with strips
from another palm frond, or be placed in a special holder
which is also woven from palm fronds.
Sephardic Jews place one aravah to the right of the lulav
and the second aravah to its left, and cover them with the
three hadass boughs—one on the right, the second on the left,
and the third atop the lulav's spine, leaning slightly to
the right. The bundle is held together with rings made from
strips of palm fronds. Many Hasidic Ashkenazi Jews follow
this practice as well.
In all cases, all of the species must be placed in the direction
in which they grew. (For the etrog, this means that the stem
end should be on the bottom and the blossom end on top; this
is the direction in which the etrog begins to grow, though
as it matures on the tree it usually hangs in the opposite
direction.)
History
In old Jewish Eastern European communities, the Jews lived
in cities far from fields, which then required substantial
travel in order to purchase the Four Species. Often whole
towns would have had to share them. The etrog especially was
rare and thus very expensive. In Northern African communities,
in Morocco, Tunis and Tangier, the communities were located
closer to fields, but the etrog was still fairly expensive.
There, instead of one per city, there was one per family.
But in both areas, the community would share their etrogs
to some extent.
Today, with improved transportation, farming techniques etc.,
more people have their own. An etrog can cost anywhere from
$3 to $500 depending on their quality. [1]
Reciting
the blessing
To recite the blessing over the lulav and etrog, the lulav
is held in one hand and the etrog in the other. Right-handed
users hold the lulav in the right hand and the etrog in the
left. The customs for those who are left-handed differ for
Ashkenazim and Sephardim. According to the Ashkenazi custom,
the lulav is held in the left hand, and according to the Sephardi
custom, in the right hand.[3]
According to Sephardi custom, the blessing is said while holding
only the lulav and the etrog is picked up once the blessing
is completed. According to Ashkenazi custom, before the blessing
is said, the etrog is turned upside-down, opposite the direction
in which it grows. The reason for these two customs is that
the blessing must precede the performance of the mitzvah.
Should all the species be held in the direction in which they
grew, the mitzvah would be fulfilled before the blessing is
recited.
After reciting the blessing, "Blessed are You, Lord our
God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His
commandments, and commanded us to take the lulav" (the
"Shehecheyanu" blessing is also recited the first
time each year that one waves the lulav and etrog), the etrog
is turned right side up (or picked up), and the user brings
his or her two hands together so that the etrog touches the
lulav bundle. The Four Species are then pointed and gently
shaken three times toward each of the four directions, plus
up and down, to attest to God's mastery over all of creation.
The waving ceremony can be performed in the synagogue, or
in the privacy of one's home or sukkah, as long as it is daytime.
Women and girls may also choose to perform the mitzvah of
waving the lulav and etrog, although they are not required
by Halakha to do so. Because women are not required to perform
this mitzva, some are of the opinion that Sephardi women do
not need to recite the blessing.[4]
The waving is performed again (though without the attendant
blessings) during morning prayer services in the synagogue,
at several points during the recital of Hallel.
Additionally, in the synagogue, Hallel is followed by a further
ceremony, in which the worshippers join in a processional
around the sanctuary with their Four Species, while reciting
special supplications (called hoshaanot, from the refrain
hosha na, "save us"). From the first through the
sixth day of Sukkot, one complete circuit is made; on Hoshanah
Rabbah, the seventh and last day of Sukkot, seven complete
circuits are made. As the Four Species are not used on Shabbat,
there are variant customs as to whether hoshaanot are said
and a circuit made on that day.
Selecting the Four Species
While all mitzvot should be performed in the best manner possible,
hiddur mitzvah (beautifying the mitzvah) especially applies
to the Four Species. The halacha is explicit on what constitutes
the "best" in each species.[5] To that end, people
will spend large amounts of money to acquire the most perfect
etrog, the straightest lulav, and the freshest hadass and
aravah. Usually a father will buy several sets of the Four
Species to outfit his sons, as well. Another custom for hiddur
mitzvah is to, depending on your custom of wrapping lulav
and etrog, is to have more than two aravos and three haddasim.
Some people have the custom to have as many as 40 extra haddassim
and aravos.
Hiddur mitzvah applies to all mitzvot, but its absence does
not impede the mitzvah from being performed. For the Four
Species specifically, there is a further "technical"
requirement of hadar (beauty), which does impede the mitzvah
of the Four Species from being performed. Despite their similar
names and details, these two requirements are distinct from
one another.[6]
Symbolism
Several explanations are offered as to why these particular
species were chosen for the mitzvah. The Midrash[7] notes
that the binding of the Four Species symbolizes our desire
to unite the four "types" of Jews in service of
God. An allusion is made to whether or not the species (or
their fruits) have taste and/or smell, which correspond to
Torah and good deeds. The symbolism is as follows:
The lulav has taste but no smell, symbolizing those who study
Torah but do not possess good deeds.
The hadass has a good smell but no taste, symbolizing those
who possess good deeds but do not study Torah.
The aravah has neither taste nor smell, symbolizing those
who lack both Torah and good deeds.
The etrog has both a good taste and a good smell, symbolizing
those who have both Torah and good deeds.
A second explanation[8] finds the four species alluding to
parts of the human body. Each of the species or its leaves
is similar in shape to the following organs:
Lulav – the spine
Hadass – the eye
Aravah – the mouth
Etrog – the heart
By binding them together for a mitzvah, the Jew shows his
desire to consecrate his entire being to service of God.
An additional reason for waving the Four Species in all directions
alludes to the fact that all these species require much water
to grow. The lulav (date palm) grows in watered valleys, hadass
and aravah grow near water sources, and the etrog requires
more water than other fruit trees. By taking these particular
species and waving them in all directions, the Jew symbolically
voices a prayer for abundant rainfall for all the vegetation
of the earth in the coming year.
Other interpretations
The mitzvah is derived from the Book of Leviticus: "And
you shall take for yourself on the first day the fruit of
goodly (meaning of Hebrew uncertain, but modern Hebrew "citrus")
trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees,
and willows of the brook" (Lev. 23:40). The use to which
these species are to be put is not indicated; this gave rise
to divergent interpretations at a later time. Two breakaway
sects, the Sadducees and the Karaites, maintained that they
were meant for building the sukkah, as would appear from Neh.
8:14-18, while their opponents contended that they were to
be carried in the synagogue procession.
Bibliography
Kitov, Eliyahu (1978). The Book of Our Heritage. Jerusalem:
Feldheim Publishers. ISBN 0-87306-152-7.
References
^ Leviticus 23:40
^ Mishnah Berurah 651:12 in the name of the Pri Megadim.
^ Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 651:3 and Rabbi Moses Isserles'
commentary.
^ Mansour, Eli. "Succot- Should a Woman Answer “Amen”
to the Beracha of “Lesheb Ba’sukka”?".
^ Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 645-648.
^ Taragin, Moshe. "The Hadar Clause for the Four Minim".
^ Vayikra Rabbah 30:12.
^ ibid. 30:14.
Reciting
the blessing