Table of Contents
What is lulav made of?
One Sukkot tradition involves the etrog, or citron, a fruit similar to a lemon, and and the lulav, a bouquet made up of palm, myrtle, and willow branches. People shake the lulav in a special way to send a blessing out to all of creation.
What does an etrog smell like?
Palms produce delicious dates but no significant scent. Etrog skin, when rubbed, is intoxicatingly fragrant, somewhat like a lemon.
What is the purpose of lulav?
The lulav, part of a fruit tree, is used for a mitzvah during Sukkos (the harvest season) to remind us that all of the produce we just gathered has a higher purpose.
What is an etrog and lulav?
The lulav is a cluster of plants: a palm branch, two boughs of willow, and three boughs of myrtle. The etrog is a citron fruit — basically an overgrown lemon. Together the lulav and etrog are called arba minim (ahr-BAH mee-NEEM), which is Hebrew for “the four species.”
What is a Hadar tree?
Taken literally, ets means “tree” and hadar means “splendor” or “majesty,” so that the biblical p’ri ets hadar simply means either “the fruit of a splendid tree” or “the splendid fruit of a tree.” The rabbis, therefore, interpreted ets avot as a tree with dense branches and identified it with the hadas or myrtle.
Is an etrog a lemon?
The Etrog citron looks like a large, knobby and sometimes ribbed lemon. It is a species of citrus fruit and is related to the Buddah’s Hand. One characteristic of this variety of citrus is a very thick rind and aromatic skin. It has very small sections and many, many seeds.
How much does an etrog cost?
Most etrogim sell for $10 to $15 retail; wealthy buyers might pay $1,000 for an especially fine specimen. Prices like those for an unprepossessing citrus fruit have led some consumers to wonder whether the market has been rigged.
What does the lulav symbolism?
These three species are held in one hand while the etrog is held in the other. Each species is said to kabbalistically represent an aspect of the user’s body; the lulav represents the spine, the myrtle the eyes, the willow the lips, and the etrog represents the heart.
Why do we shake a lulav and etrog?
The palm, willow and myrtle branches are bound together and referred to collectively as the lulav, because the palm branch is by far the largest part. The etrog is held separately. The act of waving or shaking the lulav becomes an aid in bringing the person offering the blessing closer to God.
How many hadassim are there?
hadassim
Hadass is one of the Four species (arba’ah minim–ארבעת המינים). The others are the lulav (palm frond), aravah (willow), and etrog (citron). Three hadassim are incorporated into the Four Species and are bound together with the lulav and aravah.
How do you keep a lulav fresh?
Once the lulav is bound with the hadassim and aravos attached, the optimal method for preserving the hadassim and aravos is to lightly spray them with water and keep them wrapped in aluminium foil. Many experts do not recommend the use of a damp cloth.
What does the smell and taste of the lulav mean?
Smell represents good deeds. The etrog has both taste and smell. The lulav has taste but no fragrance. The myrtle has smell but no taste. And the willow has neither. Each represents a different type of man.
Why do we wave the lulav and smell the etrog?
So, when we wave or shake the lulav, we bring the letters of God’s name together and channel that Divine energy. We also have a lovely teaching about the make up of people and community as it relates to the lulav and etrog. It begins this way: Taste represents learning. Smell represents good deeds. The etrog has both taste and smell.
What’s the difference between a myrtle and a lulav?
Palm refers to the backbone, uprightness. Myrtle corresponds to the eyes, enlightenment. Willow represents the lips, the service of the lips (prayer). Taste represents learning. Smell represents good deeds. The etrog has both taste and smell. The lulav has taste but not fragrance. The myrtle has smell but no taste. And the willow has neither.
What does it mean to shake the lulav?
I actually love the ritual of shaking the lulav, because it’s so filled with symbolism and meaning. We take up, or hold the lulav and etrog, also referred to as “the Four Species” ( arba minim in Hebrew). We are commanded to take these four items and use them to “rejoice before the Lord.”