Succot Species and FAQ

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The source for the Arba'ah Minim on Succot (4 species - lulav/palm, etrog/citron, hadasim/myrtle, aravot/willows) is in Vayikra (Levitcus) 23:40 - 'And you shall take for yourselves on the first day, a beautiful fruit of the tree branches of palm trees and boughs of trees, willows of the brook. And you shall rejoice before the Lord your G'd for 7 days'.

G-d gave Moses the Torah in two parts. The first part was the written Torah - in Hebrew, Torah Shebichtav - and the Oral Torah - in Hebrew Torah Shebe'al Peh. The two are indivisible and together make up one whole which is the Torah. Torah Shebe'al Peh sometimes works on the principle that a picture is worth 1000 words. For example, the Torah Shebichtav has minimal headline style information about what a Mezuza is,(those familiar lines of the Shema) whilst the Torah Sheba'al Peh describes what the Mezuza looks like, how it is to be placed and all of the other details that go into making Mezuzot what they are. Torah Shebe'al Peh is a much more effective instrument for this task than the written word. Torah Shebe'al Peh was passed down from teacher to student, parent to child until it was finally codified by Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi who preserved it in the Mishna to combat Roman persecution. This is but an introduction to Torah Shebe'al Peh. There is much more to say about Torah Shebe'al Peh and the process of Jewish law, but let's save that for another time, all being well.

The reason for this introduction is that Torah Shebe'al Peh tells us what the Arba'ah Minim actually are. It explains the verse quoted above to tell us how we perform the Mitzva that the verse describes and that we call Arab'ah Minim (or colloquially, lulav and etrog but I dont like that because what about the hadasim and aravot!!) See Talmud Tractate Sukkah pages 32 and 34 for examples.

How to choose a set

Here are a few very basic tips for choosing and using a set of Arba'ah Minim. If you did not order through the Shul, go to Golders Green Road. You wont get away without having purchased a set as there are loads of sellers!!

Lulav

• Make sure that it is not dry (ie not white and brittle).
• Make sure that the leaves are not split at the top.
• Make sure that it is at least 50cm long.

Etrog

• If the etrog grew with a Pitam, make sure it is still intact.
• Make sure that there are no disease-like growths or obvious black marks in the top third of the Etrog.

Hadasim

• Most vendors sell these pre-packeted so just pick up a Penguin, oops, I mean a packet of Hadasim. Each pack has 3 Hadasim, the minimum number of branches required.

Aravot

• Most vendors will sell these pre-packaged. Make sure that the leaves are not snapped. You need at least 2 branches. These should be about 32cm long minimally.

Here are some FAQ regarding the Arba'ah Minim.

How do I arrange the Arba'ah Minim?

You can assemble the Arba'ah Minim on the morning of Succot (Thursday this year) but make sure that you have opened the Hadasim and/or Aravot packs before Succot starts on Wednesday night. The spine/backbone of the Lulav (ie the green side which is the 'top' side if you were to lay the Lulav horizontally) should be facing you. Carefully put the Hadasim into the holders on the right hand side of the Lulav, taking care not to break any leaves. Then put the Aravot into the holders on the left hand side, also taking care not to break any leaves.

The Hadasim should be higher than the Aravot.

There should be at least 11cm between the top of the Hadasim and the top of the Lulav.

How do I use the Arba'ah Minim?

Turn to the appropriate page in your Succot Machzor (Festival Siddur) for taking the Arba'ah Minim (it is listed in the contents page). It is also on page 630 in Artscroll Siddur and page 616 in the Green Siddur.

Pick up the Lulav after you have inserted the Hadasim and Aravot as described above. Then turn pick up the Etrog, turning it upside down before you hold it together with the Lulav. Recite the beracha/blessing (say the 'Shehecheyanu' beracha the first time that you use the Arba'ah Minim). Then turn the Etrog the right way up and hold it so that it touches the Lulav. Gently shake the Lulav and Etrog 3 times in the following directions whilst holding them together: forward, right, over your right shoulder, left, up and down.

In Shul, there are more opportunities to shake during communal prayers. Rabbi Shlomo will explain these at the time.

Who can use the Arba'ah Minim

On the first two days of Succot in the Diaspora, you must own the set of Arba'ah Minim that you use. This is because the verse quoted above, which is the source for the mitzva of Arab'ah Minim, says that you must take the Arba'ah Minim for yourself, which the Talmud explains means that you must own them.

Do not worry if you do not have a set. You can accomplish this though somebody giving you their set as a 'matana al menat lechachzir' - a gift on condition that you return it. This means that you own the Arba'ah Minim when you use them but then ownership reverts back to the original owner.

This also applies to a family that only has one set of Arba'ah Minim.

As Barry C pointed out in Shul this morning, it's a bit like a loan transfer in football (thanks Barry!). A player goes from Club A to Club B on a season's loan. During that season, he is Club B's player completely but once the season ends, he becomes Club A's player completely once again.

Another option is to use a Shul set. Rabbi Shlomo will explain this in Shul. If you do not have a set, you are welcome to use mine in Shul as a matana al menat lechachzir.

What should I think about when I use the Arba'ah Minim

Remember that you are:

• fulfilling a Mitzva from the Torah
• thanking G-d for nature and nature's blessings
• concentrate on the importance of those blessings spreading in every direction, hence the waving of the Arba'ah Minim in the different directions described above.

How long are the Arba'ah Minim used for?

They are used every day of Succot other than Shabbat. The last day for using them is Hoshana Rabba.

What should I do with the Arba'ah Minim after Succot?

You can make jam from the etrog but dont ask me how. I think it tastes nice when you add lots of sugar! Some people cover their Etrog with cloves, to try and preserve some of the sweet smell of the Etrog. The Aravot are placed above the Aron Hakodesh (Ark) in the Shul. In some communities, they are stored there until before Pesach when they are used to heat the ovens for making Matzot.

The lulav and hadasim can be put in the garden. If necessary, they can be thrown out.

Chag Sameach!