Where does the commandment of lulav and etrog come from?
(מ) וּלְקַחְתֶּ֨ם לָכֶ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן פְּרִ֨י עֵ֤ץ הָדָר֙ כַּפֹּ֣ת תְּמָרִ֔ים וַעֲנַ֥ף עֵץ־עָבֹ֖ת וְעַרְבֵי־נָ֑חַל וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם לִפְנֵ֛י יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
(40) On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees [commonly an etrog], branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees [commonly myrtle], and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before your God יהוה seven days.
What do the four species (etrog, palm, myrtle, willow) symbolize?
1. Attributes of God that we can model ourselves after.
(ט) פְּרִי עֵץ הָדָר, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (תהלים קד, א): הוֹד וְהָדָר לָבָשְׁתָּ. כַּפֹּת תְּמָרִים, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (תהלים צב, יג): צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח. וַעֲנַף עֵץ עָבֹת, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִיב (זכריה א, ח): וְהוּא עֹמֵד בֵּין הַהֲדַסִּים. וְעַרְבֵי נָחַל, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ (תהלים סח, ה): סֹלּוּ לָרֹכֵב בָּעֲרָבוֹת בְּיָהּ שְׁמוֹ.
(9) “The fruit of a pleasant [hadar] tree” – this is the Holy One blessed be God, in whose regard it is written:
“You are clothed in splendor and majesty [hadar]” (Psalm 104:1). [This represents the etrog, the fruit from the hadar tree.]
“Branches of date palms” – this is the Holy One blessed be God, in whose regard it is written: “The righteous blossoms like a date palm” (Psalms 92:13).
“A bough of a leafy tree [myrtle]” – this is the Holy One blessed be God, as it is written: “God stands among the myrtle shrubs” (Zechariah 1:8).
“Willows of [ve’arvei] the brook” – this is the Holy One blessed be God, in whose regard it is written: “Praise God who rides in the highest heavens [baaravot], whose name is יָהּ
Yah” (Psalms 68:5).
How can we model ourselves after these attributes of God, represented by the four species?
Which attributes do you possess in abundance already? Which are you working to cultivate?
2. Human beings in different roles and stages of their life, together making up a holy community.
(יא) פְּרִי עֵץ הָדָר, זוֹ סַנְהֶדְרֵי גְדוֹלָה שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִדְּרָם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט, לב): מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה תָּקוּם. כַּפֹּת תְּמָרִים, אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁכּוֹפִין אֶת עַצְמָן לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה אֵלּוּ מֵאֵלּוּ. וַעֲנַף עֵץ עָבֹת, אֵלּוּ שָׁלשׁ שׁוּרוֹת שֶׁל תַּלְמִידִים שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין לִפְנֵיהֶם. וְעַרְבֵי נָחַל, אֵלּוּ שְׁנֵי סוֹפְרִים שֶׁל דַּיָּנִין שֶׁעוֹמְדִים לִפְנֵיהֶם וְכוֹתְבִין דִּבְרֵי הַמְזַכִּים וְדִבְרֵי הַמְחַיְּבִין.
(11) “The fruit of a pleasant [hadar] tree [etrog]” – this is the Great Sanhedrin (judges), whom the Holy One blessed be God glorified [shehideram] with good old age, as it is stated: “You shall rise before the elderly [and show deference [vehadarta] to the old]” (Leviticus 19:32).
“Branches of [kapot] date palms” – these are Torah scholars, who humble [shekofin] themselves to learn from one another.
“A bough of a leafy tree [myrtle]” – these are the three rows of students who sit before them.
“Willows of the brook” – these are the two judges’ scribes who stand before them and record the words of those who acquit and the words of those who convict.
What role do each of these types of people play in Jewish community?
Which of these four types of roles and stages of life do you identify with now? (it can be more than one)
Which have you experienced previously in your life?
What would you add to this list (elderly, scholars, students, scribes) to fully represent the roles and stages of life of Jewish community members?
3. Parts of the Body
(ד) וְעוֹד יֵשׁ בְּאַרְבָּעָה מִינִין אֵלּוּ עִנְיָן אַחֵר, שֶׁהֵם דּוֹמִים לְאֵבָרִים שֶׁבָּאָדָם הַיְּקָרִים (עי' מדרש רבה ויקרא פ' ל' ומדרש תנחומא אמור אות יט). שֶׁהָאֶתְרוֹג דּוֹמֶה לַלֵּב, שֶׁהוּא מִשְׁכַּן הַשֵּׂכֶל, לִרְמֹז שֶׁיַּעֲבֹד בּוֹרְאוֹ בְּשִׂכְלוֹ, וְהַלּוּלָב דּוֹמֶה לַשִּׁדְרָה שֶׁהִיא הָעִקָּר שֶׁבָּאָדָם לִרְמֹז שֶׁיַּיְשִׁיר כָּל גּוּפוֹ לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְהַהֲדַס דּוֹמֶה לָעֵינַיִם, לִרְמֹז שֶׁלֹּא יָתוּר אַחַר עֵינָיו בְּיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ, וְהָעֲרָבָה דּוֹמָה לַשְּׂפָתַיִם, שֶׁבָּהֶן יִגְמֹר הָאָדָם כָּל מַעֲשֵׂהוּ בְּדִבּוּר, לִרְמֹז שֶׁיָּשִׂים רֶסֶן בְּפִיו וִיכַוֵּן דְּבָרָיו וְיִירָא מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ אַף בְּעֵת הַשִּׂמְחָה.
(4) And there is also another matter with these four species — that they are similar to precious parts in the body of a human being:
The citron [etrog] is similar to the heart, which is the dwelling place of the intellect, to hint that they should serve their Creator with their intellect.
The lulav is similar to the backbone, which is the essence of a person, to hint that they should stand steadfast in service to God.
The myrtle [leaves are] similar to the eyes, to hint that they should not stray after their eyes, even on days when their heart rejoices.
The willow [leaves are] similar to the lips, with which a person completes all of their acts of speech, to hint that they should put a buffer between their thoughts and their mouth, choose their words with care, and practice awe and fear for God, even at a time of joy.
In this rabbinic text, the attributes of each of the four symbols as related to the body are put in relationship to God only. How would you describe, in more general terms, the attributes of the etrog? The palm? The myrtle? The willow?
One might say that each of us lead with a different type of intelligence. What types of intelligence do each of these four symbols represent?
What symbolic attributes do you tend to lead with? How does that manifest in your engagement with Jewish community?
Why might it be important to have a diversity of character in Jewish community, representing people whose strengths fall in all four types of intelligences?
4. Differing levels of engagement with Judaism through study and tikkun olam (repairing the world).
(יב) פְּרִי עֵץ הָדָר, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מָה אֶתְרוֹג זֶה יֵשׁ בּוֹ טַעַם וְיֵשׁ בּוֹ רֵיחַ, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ בָּהֶם בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם תּוֹרָה וְיֵשׁ בָּהֶם מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים. כַּפֹּת תְּמָרִים, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מָה הַתְּמָרָה הַזּוֹ יֵשׁ בּוֹ טַעַם וְאֵין בּוֹ רֵיחַ, כָּךְ הֵם יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ בָּהֶם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם תּוֹרָה וְאֵין בָּהֶם מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים. וַעֲנַף עֵץ עָבֹת, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מָה הֲדַס יֵשׁ בּוֹ רֵיחַ וְאֵין בּוֹ טַעַם, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ בָּהֶם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים וְאֵין בָּהֶם תּוֹרָה. וְעַרְבֵי נָחַל, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מָה עֲרָבָה זוֹ אֵין בָּהּ טַעַם וְאֵין בָּהּ רֵיחַ, כָּךְ הֵם יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ בָּהֶם בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם לֹא תּוֹרָה וְלֹא מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, וּמָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה לָהֶם, לְאַבְּדָן אִי אֶפְשָׁר, אֶלָּא אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יֻקְשְׁרוּ כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אַחַת וְהֵן מְכַפְּרִין אֵלּוּ עַל אֵלּוּ, וְאִם עֲשִׂיתֶם כָּךְ אוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אֲנִי מִתְעַלֶּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (עמוס ט, ו): הַבּוֹנֶה בַשָּׁמַיִם מַעֲלוֹתָו, וְאֵימָתַי הוּא מִתְעֲלֶה כְּשֶׁהֵן עֲשׂוּיִין אֲגֻדָּה אַחַת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עמוס ט, ו):
(12) “The fruit of a pleasant [hadar] tree” – this is the Jewish people; just as the citron [etrog] has taste and has fragrance, so the Jewish people have among them those who study Torah and do good deeds.
“Branches of date palms” – this is the Jewish people; just as the date palm has taste but has no fragrance, so the Jewish people have among them those who study Torah but do not do good deeds.
“A bough of a leafy tree [myrtle]” – this is the Jewish people; just as the myrtle has fragrance but has no taste, so the Jewish people have among them those who do good deeds but do not study Torah.
“Willows of the brook” – this is the Jewish people; just as the willow has no taste and has no fragrance, so the Jewish people have among them those who do not study Torah and do not do good deeds.
What does the Holy One blessed be God do [to those who neither study Torah nor do good deeds]? To eradicate them is not possible. Rather, the Holy One blessed be God said: Let them all be bound together in a single bundle and they will atone for one another. If you do so, at that moment, I will be ascendant [mitaleh]. That is what is written: “Who built His upper chamber [maalotav] in the heavens” (Amos 9:6). When is God ascendant? When each of these four personas within the Jewish peoplehood are made into a single group, as it is stated: “And God established God's group upon earth” (Amos 9:6).
We know that Jewish community is made up of people of all types of observances and connections to Judaism. Why is it not just permissible but specifically holy to have all these types of engagement (and lack of engagement) represented in Jewish community?
What can this teach us about how to conceptualize Jewish observances as it relates to being a part of Jewish community?
Unity is the Key
Rav Dov Halevi Soloveitchik (1903-1993) writes, “In retreat or in togetherness - where does a person find their true self?" The answer to the problem is rather a dialectical one, namely, each person needs both... In fact, the greatness of humanity manifests itself in our inner contradiction, in our dialectical nature, in our being individuals and unrelated to anyone, as well as in our interconnectedness and our belonging to a community structure."
Closing Questions for Reflection:
1. Which symbolism of the four species of lulav and etrog spoke to you most deeply?
2. What did you learn about yourself or about Jewish community today that you'd like to carry with you beyond this evening?