Make A Lulav Shake

A Users Guide to The Lulav And Etrog

Saying the blessings over the Lulav And Etrog is not a difficult skill. It does require some practice.

The lulav, a single palm branch, occupies the central position in the grouping. It comes with a holder-like contraption (made from palm leaves) which has two extensions. With the backbone (the dark. green solid spine) of the lulav facing you and the holder near the bottom, two willow branches are placed In the left extension and three myrtle branches are placed in the right. The myrtle should extend to a greater height than the willows. The word willow has two letter "l"s in it, to help remind you that it is on the left. Myrtle also has an "1," but unlike willow, it also has an "r" for right.

The lulav is tied at three places. Some make a tie just around the lulav, others make the tie around the holder. Either practice is acceptable. Usually the ties that come with the lulav fall off or are lost during the holiday. You may need to make more of them during the holiday.

The etrog comes packed in a padded box. Be very careful with it. If the protrusion from the end, the pittam or pitma breaks off, the etrog is no longer fit to be used. Be sure to replace it in the box after you say the blessings each day. Our gift shop sells wooden etrog holder boxes.

This whole cluster is held in the right hand, the etrog is held in the left, and the two should be touching one another. Some have the custom of picking up the etrog first and then the lulav -- reversing the order when putting them down -- because the etrog is referred to before the others by the biblical verse.

It is a mitzvah to wave the lulav on each of the first seven days of Sukkot (except Shabbat). The proper time is in the morning -either before the Morning Service or during the service immediately before the Hallel.

Blessings on taking up the lulav and etrog

Before reciting the blessing and while reciting it, the etrog is held with the pittam (protrusion) pointed down in the left hand. The lulav in the right hand. After the blessing, turn the etrog around so that it is held with the pittam facing up.

The blessing is:

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al netilat lulav.

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe whose mitzvot add holiness to our lives and who gave us the mitzvah to take up the lulav.

Each year upon taking the lulav for the first time the following is recited:

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, she-heheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higi'anu laz'man ha-zeh.

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, for granting us life, for sustaining us, and for helping us to reach this day.

After the blessing you wave/shake the lulav (together with the other three) in the following manner:

• Stand facing east.
• Hold the lulav out to the east ( in front of you) and shake it three times. Each time the motion of shaking should be a drawing in to you -- i.e., reach out and draw in, reach out and draw in, reach out and draw in.
• Repeat the same motion three times to your right (south), behind and over your shoulder (west), to your feet (north), raising it up above you, and lowering it down below you.
• All of these should be done slowly and deliberately concentrating on the symbolisms and intentions of the act.
• The lulav is also waved during Hallel while saying:
  "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His lovingkindness endures forever. (This verse occurs twice during Hallel.)
• The lulav is again waved while saying:
  "Let Israel say that His lovingkindness endures forever"
• And it is waved again while saying:
  "We implore You, Lord, save us."

1. During services we will explain these wavings. However to help you, these are the basic principles:As we say the lines in Hebrew we wave the lulav and etrog in six directions just as we did after saying the blessing. We wave in the four directions of the compass and then up and down.
2. We do not wave while saying God's name in Hebrew.
3. In the first two of these three verses we wave in one direction for each word. In Hebrew there are six words, one for each waving, not counting God's name.
4. The third phrase is short and therefore we wave in each direction as we say each syllable of each word. It contains six syllables in Hebrew not counting God's name.

The etrog and lulav are a mystery. The Torah makes them a mitzvah, a commandment, but doesn't explain why.

One teacher explained "The etrog and lulav are like a person. The palm looks like a backbone. The myrtle leaves look like eyes. The willow leaves look like a mouth. And, the etrog looks like the heart." The lesson is that we are supposed to thank God with our whole body.

Another teacher explained: "Just as there are four kinds of plants, so there are four kinds of Jews:

• The willow has no taste and cannot be smelled. It is like the Jew who learns no Torah and who does no good deeds.
• The myrtle branch can be smelled, but has no taste. This is like the Jew who knows little Torah, but who still does many good deeds.
• The palm branch has a taste but no smell. This is like the Jew who knows much Torah, but who does not do good deeds.
• The etrog can be both tasted and smelled. This is like the Jew who both knows much Torah and does good deeds.

A third teacher explained: "These four different kinds of plants show that God helps all kinds of plants to grow."

Of the Four Species:

The four represent the four-letter Name of God - with the lulav being the vav which channels the divine energy into the world and man. If for no other reason, the four must be held together while waving for the Unity of the Name.

There is a masculine-feminine symbolism within the four Species. The lulav is obviously a masculine symbol and the etrog, with the form of a breast, is obviously feminine. Since these are conduits of divine flow, it is important that they be perfect and whole. The necessity of having the pittam intact makes ultimate sense in the context (cf. Sefer Sefat Emet: comment on Sukkot). Each of the species is a hint or allusion to God, according to a Midrash found in Leviticus Rabbah, 83:

ETROG—because it is written (Psalms 104: 1): You are clothed in glory and majesty.
PALM—because it is written (Psalms 92:13): "The righteous bloom like a date palm."
MYRTLE—because it is written Zechariah 1:8): "And he stood among the myrtle trees."
WILLOW—because it is written (Psalms 68:5): "Extol Him who rides on the clouds (aravot in Hebrew similar to Hebrew for willow), the Lord is His name."

Each of the four relates to a particular limb through which man is to serve God (cf. Sefer ha-hinukh, #285):

ETROG—refers to the heart, the place of understanding and wisdom.
LULAV—refers to the backbone, uprightness.
MYRTLE—corresponds to the eyes, enlightenment
Willow (aravah}—represents the lips, the service of the lips (prayer).

Of the wavings:

• The motion and order of the wavings is highly significant.
• On a basic level it simply expresses our joy, thanksgiving and praise of God at the time of the final fruit harvest.
• The directions are symbolic of divine rule over nature.
• It represents the fertility of the land and the desire for rain.

The waving also represent our complete immersion in the holiday. On one level, we are surrounded by the sukkah. On another level, through this motion (of bringing in toward us), Sukkot enters us. The lulav becomes a conduit of peace and God's presence from every direction. Transcendence and immanence. We gather in and are gathered in.

Through all of these, the themes of Sukkot are played out and interwoven beautifully—redemption, universal peace and brotherhood, and completion.