Normally I use rings made out of lulavim to tie around the Lulav on Sukkos. Would rings made out of velcro be fine for this purpose?
3 Answers
Yes. While R'Yehuda holds "lulav tzorech egged" (they need to be tied), and therefore one must use part of the 4 minim to tie it, the halacha is not like R'Yehuda. Thus you can use anything to tie the 4 minim, or nothing at all. In fact, the Gemara says the anshei Yerushalayim would use gold to tie their lulavim.
Even though its not required, we have a minhag anyways to tie it to make it look nicer, and that may be the reason we used dried lulav to do that also. Though I would think gold and perhaps velcro are nice enough also.
http://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%9B%D7%94_%D7%9C%D7%95_%D7%91
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personally, I like to use a piece of the current lulav to tie it together. (Creating belts from stips of the lulav instead of that Y shaped holder) I only learned about it this year, but apparently its a common Morrocan custom.– aviNov 6, 2011 at 14:30
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@avi Same in Chabad. We don't use the keshelach (those y shaped things, or even the single ones [the y shaped type is made out of two singles]), rather, we tie it. Most people make rings (probably what you mean by belts). We put two on the actual lulov, and three around the three minim– user613Oct 19, 2016 at 22:10
In the Shulchan Aruch HaRav 651:3 he writes that you may do so. And in :4 he writes that it is permitted to even hold that other material when holding the lulav.
However in :5 he cautions that if the extra material is not being used to actually bind the lulav it can be considered a chatzitah. I think this is the reason that it is avoided - just in case it comes loose, or the extra thread after the knot.
Machloket Rabbi Meir an Rabbi Yehuda in 3rd chapter mishna 8: we pasken as Rabbi Meir who allows outside of 4 minim. The reason is that tying is not an obligation for RM so tying material is not a part of the mitsva and tying with a fift species is not bal tosif, a prohibited addition.
Summary: Good 100%. Lechaora no matter to hiddur.
The mitsva to make a knot for RM is itself mishum Hiddur, ze keli veanvehu. See SA OC 651, 1
ומצוה לאגדם בקשר גמור, דהיינו ב' קשרים זה על זה, משום נוי; ויכול לאגדם במין אחר.