AL NETILAS LULAV

This post is a brief listing of things, which if you had not seen them before at this time of year, might baffle you. Such as waving palm-fronds and what looks like a lemon, followed by a thrashing of willows a few days hence, which will leave the floor of the shul looking like a forest crawled in and had a tantrum. Do not worry. It is normal.


Part of the observance of the season is shaking shrubbery. Which is a beautiful thing.
The shrubbery is a lulav (palm frond), with willow and myrtle. The lemony thing is an esrog (a fruit related to the lemon and to the Buddha's Hand Citron). The willow-thrashing happens this Friday.


The blessing recited upon taking up the lulav and the esrog (al netilas lulav) is: "Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha olam, asher kidshannu be mitzvosav ve tzivanu al netilas lulav" (Blessed are you, our Lord our G-d, king of the universe, who sanctifies us with your commandments, and who commands us to take up the lulav).


The waving, per the Mechaber, the Rama, and the Taz, is east, south, west, north, up, down (clockwise: derech yemin, al pi Chazal).
Nusach Ashkenaz, nusach Sefarad, and nusach Mizrahi – all follow this order.

Mechaber = Author. Appellation of Yosef Karo (1488 – 1575), author of the Shulchan Aruch and the Beis Yosef.
Rama = Rav Moishe Ben Yisroel Isserless (born 1525 or 1530 in Krakow, died 1572). Ashkenazic commentator, author of the Mappah (tablecloth), a supplement to Joseph Karo's Shulchan Aruch (the Set Table).
Taz = Turei Zahav (Rows of Gold), an explicatory commentary on the Shulchan Aruch by Rabbi David Ben Shmuel HaLevi (Krakow 1586 - Lvov 1667), one of the foremost rabbinical authorities in seventeenth-century Poland. The Taz was the son in law of the Bach.


Chassidim usually follow the Ari (nusach Yerushalayim), as cited by the Magen Avraham, who paskenned south, north, east, up, down, west.

Ari = The Arizal, Rabbi Yitzhak Luria, born 1534 in Yerushalayim, nifter 1572 in Sfat (Safed).
Magen Avraham = The Shield of Abraham – a commentary on Orach Chayim (the first section of the Shulchan Aruch by Yoisef Karo, which handles prayers, shuls, sabbaths, and holidays) by Rabbi Avraham Gumbiner of Kalitch, Poyland (1637 – 1683).


The Levush preferred east, south, north, up, down, west; the Tur – east, north, south, west, up, down; Rashi – north, south, east, west, up down.

Levush = The Ba'al HaLevushim, Rav Mordechai Ben Avraham Yaffah (1535 - 1612), Talmudist and Kabalist, chief Rabbi of Grodne, who wrote a commentary on the Shulchan Aruch known by this name, short for Levush Malchus (Royal Vestment), and in reference to its ten divisions - the levushim (vestments).
The TUR = Also called the Baal HaTurim ( Master Of The Rows). Rabbi Yakov Ben Asher (1270 – 1340), author of a Halachic compendium entitled Arba Turim (four rows), which consists of four divisions - Orach Chayim (Path of Life; worship and ritual), Yoreh Deah (Teach Knowledge; prohibitions and impurities), Even Ha Ezer (Rock of the Helper; marriage and family, plus divorce), Chosen Mishpat(Breastplate of Judgement; administration and civil laws).
[The title ‘four rows' is an apt reference to the rows of precious stones on the breastplate of judgement (chosen mishpat), which is part of the outfit worn by the high priest.
Rabbi Yakov Ben Asher often follows the opinions of his father Rabbi Asher Ben Yehiel (the Rosh), but also refers to opinions of the RIF (Rabbi Yitzhak El Fassi, 1013 – 1103), as well as the scholars of Tzarfas (France) and Ashkenaz (Germay). Rabbi Yosef Karo (the Mechaber) based his work the Beis Yosef on the Arba Turim.]


ADDENDUM

ARBA MINIM
The four species waved about on Sukkos.  Esrog = Citron (1). Lulav = Palm frond (2). Hadassim = Myrtle branches (3). Aravos = Willow branches (4).).

Last year, the complete arba minim could be found for as low as $20.00 on the Lower East Side (corner of Essex and Canal street), up to forty dollars in Boro Park. Also try Main Street, Queens, or the tables in the diamond district, 47th street near 7th avenue.


1. ESROG
The esrog is described as the most beautiful of the four minim - pri eitz hador. The greater the fruit, the greater the mitzvah. As there are esrogim which are not true esrogim (being the result of cross-breeding with other citrus fruits), only an esrog which is bulbuous, bumpy, and ridged, can be assumed to be kosher le sukkos.
Esrog has both taste and fragrance, and symbolizes the understanding and wisdom behind all of our actions. As it says in Psalms 104:1 "barachi nafshi et yehva Adonai Elohai gadalta meod, hod ve hadar lavashta" (Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my G-d, you are extremely great, clothed with glory and majesty).


2. LULAV
The lulav (date palm frond) is waved when we recite the blessing ‘Al netilas lulav’, again during hallel, when we say ‘hodu l’Hashem’, and also at ‘yomar na’ (the reminder by the sheliach tzibbur to repeat ‘hodu l’Hashem’), but not at ‘yomru na’.
Lulav has taste (that is, the fruit of the tree, which is in part symbolized by the frond) but no fragrance, and represents someone with knowledge of the Torah but no good deeds. But by a different interpretation, the lulav symbolizes upright conduct and character. As is written in Psalms 92:13 "tsadik ka tamar yifrach" - The righteous like the date palm shall bloom (tamar = Date-palm).


3. HADAS
Myrtle, which smells lovely, symbolizes good deeds, but no knowledge of Torah. The hadassa represents straightforwardness and common sense, such as an uncomplicated person would have. It says in Zecharia 1:8 "raiti ha laila ve hine ish rochev al sus adom ve hu omed bein ha hadasim" (I looked in the night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees).


4. ARAVOS
Arava (brook-willow) is not associated with either taste or smell, and represents someone who has neither good deeds nor knowledge of Torah. As is written in Psalms 68:5 "shiru l'Elohim zamru shemo solu larochev ba aravot be ya shemo ve ilzu le fanav" (Chant unto God, sing praises to His name, extol Him who rides upon the clouds, whose name is the Lord, and exult before Him). And, like the clouds upon which He rides, the willows represent the lips that praise, the prayer that is His service – these being all that a person with neither deeds nor knowledge can offer. Note the similarity between ‘aravot’ (clouds) and ‘arava’ (brook-willow).