The Four Species Shabbat Lunch Chavurah - 10/7/2017

"In ancient times, the four species were used in the temple each day of Sukkot. Outside of the temple, they were used only on the first day of Sukkot. After the second temple was destroyed (C.E. 70), only on the first day was the taking of the four species still considered a biblical commandment. Yet the rabbis instructed that the taking of the four species be performed the rest of the days of Sukkot as a remembrance of the temple." -- Michael Strassfeld

"The emphasis on the number 4 at Sukkot seems especially appropriate for a festival so rooted in the earth. The four winds, the four directions, and the four seasons are all reminders of how related to the growth cycle is the number 4." -- Everett Gendler

The four species together comprise one mitzvah. Thus, if one is missing, the mitzvah is not fulfilled.

Relationship with the Land

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The four species represent different ecological settings where they are able to grow. "These 4 species emphasize the agricultural nature of Sukkot." - Michael Strassfeld
The etrog (citron) represents lower coastal areas and valleys.
The lulav (palm) represents the desert.
The hadas (myrtle) represents the mountains.
The aravah (willow) represents land by waterways (could be streams as long as they always have water).

All of these species need water. We are reminding God that we also need water.
The species represent all types of land in Israel.
You can't put the lulav together without help from every corner of the land.
When we wave them all together, it is a symbol of God's rule over nature, the fertility of the land and desire for rain.
When we wave:
- in 4 directions: we are asking God to restrain harmful winds
- up and down: we are asking God to prevent harmful dew (too much)

Relationship with Others

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The four species represent four different types of Jews.
According to Vayikra Rabbah, taste represents learning and smell represents good deeds.
The etrog (citron) has a good taste and good fragrance. It represents a person with both wisdom (Torah learning) and good deeds.
The lulav (palm) is edible, but has no smell. This represents the person with wisdom, but without good deeds.
The hadas (myrtle) has a good fragrance, but is inedible. It represents a person who has good deeds, but lacks wisdom.
The aravah (willow) has neither taste nor smell. It represents a person with neither good deeds nor Torah learning.
"On Sukkot, we gather these four species, bind them, and wave them all together. The Lulav is only kosher if all four species are taken together. If one of the species is missing, the entire Lulav is invalid.
"There may be people we don't like, but we still have to deal with. We cannot simply say that certain people are not part of our world, or that they do not belong to us. On the contrary, humanity is one indivisible unit. This recognition is basic to our happiness because when we realize that we are all interconnected, we can be more patient and tolerant of others."
This is also why we place the etrog next to the willow -- the one with the "most" should position himself to be near the one with the "least", in order to favorably influence him. --Aish.com

Relationship with Self

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Sefer Bahir, a kabbalistic work almost 2,000 years old, describes the four species as four parts of a human being.
The etrog (citron) represents the heart, the seat of our emotions.
The lulav (palm) represents the spine, from where our actions emanate.
The hadas (myrtle) has leaves shaped like an eye.
The aravah (willow) represents the lips or our speech.
"The four species must be taken together as a unit. So too, to achieve happiness, one must use all of his faculties in unison. You cannot say one thing and feel another. We must unify our feelings, our actions, our speech and our outlook. With all of these working together, we are well on the path to self-esteem, tranquility and joy." --Aish.com

All traces of sin or transgression in a person's limbs, senses, or powers are atoned for in the merit of this mitzvah which is performed out of love and fear of God. -- The Book of Our Heritage, volume 1.
Midrash by Anat Yosef (also from The Book of Our Heritage, volume 1)
etrog: atones for heart's evil thoughts
myrtle: atones for evil sights which eye seeks
willow: atones for the expressions of the lips
lulav: only has one stem, like how we recognize that there is only one God (atones for the idea of multiple gods?)
Vayikra Rabbah 30: "David said: There are no more important parts of the body than these and they are equivalent to the entire body. Thus [when one takes the four species, he is saying,] 'All my bones shall declare: God, who is like You?' (Psalms 35:10)"

Relationship with God

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The four species are seen as conduits of the divine flow into the world, each representing one of the four letters of God's special name.
The willow symbolizes the yod, the first letter of the tetragrammaton.
The myrtle represents the hey, the second letter of the tetragrammaton.
The lulav represents the vav, the third letter of the tetragrammaton. It is also said that this species is the main channel for the divine flow.
The etrog represents the hey, the fourth letter of the tetragrammaton.
"The key is unity. Wheter things may appear to us as good or evil, we must realize that it all comes from God. One must deal with various pleasant or unpleasant circumstances -- ultimately for one's maximal growth, but at the root, everything comes from God.... Being aware of this keeps our focus and helps us to deal with the issues of life. When we relate to God's unity, we come closer to achieving joy in the world." - Aish.com

"Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib of Ger points out that in gematria, lulav (68) equals in numerical value hayim (68)--life. No wonder there is such vitality transmitted by this symbol!" -- Everett Gendler