The Lulav and Etrog Guidebook to Judaism

Rabbi Joel Fleekop

Saturday, October 18, 2008

A Hannukiah makes for an effective calendar – counting up the eight days of the holiday. A Seder plate helps tell the story of going free from Egypt in a way that appeals to our senses. And Shabbat’s twin candles remind us of the dual commands to remember and observe the Sabbath day, commands, which according to the words of L’cha Dodi – shamor v’zachor b’dibur echad – were given at the exact same time.

Judaica or Jewish ritual objects can help us observe the various traditions of our faith, but only the Lulav and Etrog help us understand what it means to live as a Jew. Viewed through the lens of midrash – or rabbinic explanations – this most perishable form of Judaica can teach all of us what it means to be a Bar of Bat Mitzvah – a son or daughter of the commandments.

Commenting on a verse from Psalms, the ancient sage, Rabbi Mani taught that the lulav and etrog represent different parts of the bodies – the palm resembles the spine; the myrtle resembles an eye; the willow a mouth, and the etrog a human heart. Just as four different species must be brought together to fulfill the command, so too must the different parts of one self come together to live a Jewish life.

As Sam and Josh have learned, being Jewish is not simply a matter of faith one keeps in their heart or speaks with ones lips. Nor, though we emphasize study – something they have done a lot of this past year, is it an intellectual pursuit – solely the domain of the eye and mind. Judaism is something we must do with our entire bodies –– an understanding Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel so beautifully captured. Commenting on his experience of marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Heschel said, “I felt my legs were praying.” Being Jewish means praying with our mouths and our feet; studying with our minds and our hearts; and committing our whole selves to the work of tikkun olam.

While Rabbi Mani uses the lulav and etrog to teach that Judaism is a whole body activity, elsewhere this unique ritual object is used to explain that Judaism is not something that can be compartmentalized.

The rabbis explain that the Arbah Minim, or four species of plants that make up the lulav and etrog grow in very different ecosystems. For example, the bible identifies the willow as Aravah Nachal – or willow of the brook as willows often grow best near a reliable water source. In contrast a palm can grow in much more arid conditions. So while all four species can be found in the land of Israel – they occur naturally in different part of the country.

The symbolism of bringing together four plants that grow in four different places to form the lulav and etrog reminds us that Judaism can’t be compartmentalized to one part of life – be that the synagogue or the home. To truly live a Jewish life, the values and teachings of Judaism must influence us whether coming together as a community in prayer or responding to the needs of our communities most vulnerable.

Finally, Vayikrah Rabbah likens the four species that comprise the lulav and etrog to four different types of Jews. The rabbis teach, “the etrog has a smell and a taste which reminds us of those who have a knowledge of Torah and live a life of mitzvoth. The fruit of the palm has no smell but has a taste which reminds us of those Jews who know a lot of Torah but perform only a few mitzvoth. The myrtle has fragrance, but no tastes, which is like a person who performs many mitzvoth but does not study Torah. The willow has neither taste nor smell, which is like those who do not study Torah and do not live according to the commandments. Thus, let all four be held together so that those that are good will be a support to the others.”

The Rabbis who wrote the midrash surely imagined different people filling each of these distinct roles. And in ancient times during festival of Sukkot, known also as Hag Ha-Asif – the festival of ingathering – these four types of Jews did gather together.

They came together because the pilgrimage to the ancient Temple was not just a religious event, but also a major commercial and economic happening. For more than a week Jews from all over Israel and the Near East would gather together. Some came motivated to fulfill a religious obligation. But others were there to sell sheep, grain, blankets, and other assorted sundries to the pilgrims. And so by the very nature of the event, all types of Jews came together on Sukkot.

Today the easiest way to find such a gathering is not to make a pilgrimage to a distant place but a journey to our soul. If we turn inward, if we honestly look at ourselves we will quickly realize that the four types of Jews mentioned in the rabbis’ midrash are already assembled. They are gathered in each and every one of us.

Each of us has moments in our past when we have been like the etrog, moments when we studied and acted upon what we learned. At other times we were like the palm, we studied but failed to act. During our lives we have also been the myrtle, acting without the meaning and context provided by study. And all of us have lived through stretches of time when we are like willow; times when we not only failed to study our tradition, but also did not live according to its teachings.

By looking at the lulav and etrog, by recognizing that we have lived through many stages in the past, we can consciously choose how we would like to live in the future. And that too is an important part of Judaism – that ultimately it is up to us individually to make Judaism a meaningful part of our lives.

Josh and Sam, this sukkot and in future years as you take the lulav and etrog in our hands, I hope you will remember the rabbinic explanations of what they represent. In these midrashim you, and all of us can find guidance about what it is to live as bnai mitzvah – as Jewish adults. Traditionally, one shakes the lulav and etrog in six directions – declaring that God’s blessing is all around. May we all live lives surrounded by holiness.