The torah commands us in Parshas Emor (Leviticus 23:40) “Vilakachtem Lachem Bayom Horishon …”— “and you shall take for yourself on the first day” ;
1) “Pri Eitz Haddar”— a fruit of a beautiful tree THE ESROG (citron) 2)“Kapos Temarim” — date palm branches THE LULAV (palm) 3)“Vianaf Eitz Avos” — twigs of a plaited tree THE HADDAS (myrtle) 4)“Viarvei Nachal” — willows of the river THE ARAVAH (willow)
To fulfill the commandment (the Mitzvah) we need
all four species and not one can be missing. The Rabbis have
interpreted the Mitzvah as follows:
One (1) Esrog
One (1) Lulav
Three (3) Haddassim (this is the minimum but many people
add more to beautify the Mitzvah)
Two (2) Aravos
What to look for when selecting the
Arbah Minim.
There is the Mitzvah (Torah commandment) and then there is Hiddur Mitzvah
which in essence translates to not just purchasing any Kosher
Esrog set to satisfy the bare minimum, but trying to purchase the most beautiful one.
What is beauty?
Beauty in a Etrog could mean many things;
Cleanliness, bumps and ridges, no stains, no scratches, no
holes etc.
The shape also plays a major roll in the Etrog, some look
for a shape of a “Migdal” or tower, wider
on the bottom and narrower on top – almost to a point.
Others prefer the shape of a heart, wider on top and smaller
on bottom (in the Midrash the Etrog is compared to
the heart of a person).
Many Etrogim grow with a Pitum (a wood like growth
on the top of the Etrog.) Most of the Yanover Etrogim(from Calabria,
Italy) grow without it, as it dries up during the first few
weeks of growth. The Esrog remains 100% kosher if it falls
off while still growing on the tree, but if the Pitom falls off after the fruit has been cut from the tree it will make the Etrog unfit. Some Yanover Esrogim
do have a Pitum, but they are more costly because of the rarity.
Most of the Esrogim from Israel do have a Pitum and
the cost is generally the same for ones with or without.
Beauty in a Lulav, means that it should be green, fresh, straight and not bent. The middle leaf should be mostly closed (but don't worry – even if it opens up 1/3 of the way down, its still Kosher.)
Beauty in the Haddas (a myrtle twig) means that it has three leaves growing out of the stem on the same level and those leaves cover the entire wood of the stem. The minimum requirement is just three branches but some add extra branches.
Beauty in the Aravah (willows twig) means branches with a red stem,
and leaves with smooth edges.
At GotEtrog.com we strive to be the number 1 source for all your Lulav and Etrog needs, we take care to do our best and satisfy our customers. Please let us know if you have any suggestions.
