The 4 plant species (citron, willow, myrtle, and palm), that are used for the mitzvah of lulav during the holiday of Sukkot.
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1answer
43 views
Why tie the Lulav?
Why do we tie the Lulav? Why not let the fronds spread out?
I know that there is symbolism derived from the binding, but is it actually required to bind the Lulav? What about binding the Hadasim and ...
2
votes
1answer
43 views
Why are tzadikim compared to myrtles?
The gemarah (megillah 13b, sanhedrin 93a) states that tzadikim are compared to haddasim. We also know that of the four species the haddas is described as only having a pleasant fragrance but not a ...
3
votes
1answer
75 views
Mehudar: a Subset of the Daled Minim?
I remember seeing a teshuva about this once. Could be it was even here. If someone has daled minim and one of the minim is not "mehudar" does it then "take away" from the hidur of the other minim. ...
8
votes
2answers
137 views
Saying “Shehecheyanu” on Mitzvot on the second day of Yom Tov
The two days of Rosh Hashanah are considered as one day (Yoma Arichta), so why do we say Shehecheyanu when we blow the Shofar on the second day? Moreover even if we somehow view it as two days, why ...
1
vote
2answers
56 views
Source for 4 species and the name of God?
I have seen many people say that one of the things that the arba minim (four species used on Succot) relate symbolically to the name of God, each species corresponding to another letter. What is the ...
3
votes
2answers
68 views
What is the right way to wave the lulav and esrog in the down direction?
We wave the lulav and esrog (4 minim) in six directions including “down”.
What is the right way to wave down?
I have seen two procedures.
1) The 4 minim are held lower (nearer to the ground) than ...
4
votes
1answer
67 views
Women and arba minim on first day
On the first day there is a din of "lechem" ("to you") that the arba minim must belong to you. Many women will take the arba minim of their father or husband (or brother perhaps) in order to fulfill ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
Din of Lachem by arba minim when saying Hallel
On the first day of sukkos there is a din of "lachem" by the arba minim that they must belong to you in order to fulfill the mitzvah. After someone has already made a bracha on his arba minim and ...
10
votes
2answers
118 views
Is there a way to tell if a Pitom of an Etrog has been broken, or was grown that way?
Is there a way to tell whether the Pitum of an Etrog has been broken off
or whether the Etrog had just grown that way (without a pitum)?
(I just seem to be a little worried about mine, so any advice ...
4
votes
1answer
57 views
May a child make a Berachah on a Pasul set of 4 species?
May a child make a Berachah on a Pasul set of 4 species that their parents gave them to learn how to make the Berachah and do the Mitzvah?
8
votes
2answers
99 views
Esrog with “gartel”
Esrogim can be found in the shuk (market) that have on them a sort of "gartel" shape around the middle. That is to say a sort of indentation that make the esrog appear as if it's wearing a "gartel" ...
6
votes
3answers
92 views
Why do we beat the arava?
The gemarah (succah 44a-b) indicates that we beat (or according to Rashi, wave) the arava on Hoshana Rabba, what is the symbolic or theological reason behind doing this?
12
votes
3answers
144 views
If a person voids a purchase/sale, what happens to the Bracha?
You buy a new Talis and after you wear it you notice a defect. You want to return it to the store for a refund or replacement. However a person is only obligated in Tzitzis if he owns or borrows the ...
7
votes
1answer
74 views
Connection between the metzora's purification and the Four Species of Sukkos?
In the procedure prescribed for the first stage of a metzora's purification (Lev. 14:1-7), the Torah lists four items to be dipped into a mixture of blood and water: a live bird, a piece of cedar ...
7
votes
2answers
134 views
Why can't I use velcro to tie a Lulav?
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?
6
votes
1answer
80 views
Why don't those outside of Israel shake Lulav on Shmini Atzeres?
If one holds that Jews living outside of Israel should sit in a sukkah because of Sfeika Dyoma (We aren't sure what day it is), then why shouldn't we shake lulav and esrog? Worst comes to worst we are ...
6
votes
1answer
81 views
Pounding the pavement WITH LEAVES?
Is hitting the Hoshanos on the ground a universal practice? And what is the source for this custom?
5
votes
2answers
399 views
What does biting off the Pitum have to do with Pregnancy?
I recently read that it's a Segulah (others put it as a minhag) for a pregnant woman to bite off the Pitum of the esrog on Hoshana Rabbah for an easy labor.
(please correct me if I misunderstood it)
...
6
votes
3answers
112 views
Esrog flax on woolen clothes
I haven't seen it in a few years, but esrogim used to come wrapped in flax. Or, at least, a yellowish, brownish, hairy substance people called "flax", which leads us to my first question:
Was it ...
6
votes
2answers
105 views
Bal Toisif on the Four Minim
It seems that there exists a Minhag (a practice of the last Lubavitcher Rebbe Zatzal) of adding extra Hadassim or Aravos (Hashanos) — I am uncertain which, maybe both — to the standard 4 ...
8
votes
1answer
70 views
Shehechiyanu on Lulav
Why is it that we make Shehechiyanu both nights of Sukkos at candle lighting and Kiddush due to Sefeika DeYoma yet we only make Shehechiyanu on the Lulav on the first day?
5
votes
2answers
133 views
Lulav-shake count varying with shake history
T'hilas Hashem, the standard sidur (prayer book) of the Lubavitch chasidim, includes, passim, rulings of their first rabbi ("the Rav"), copied from his own sidur. The rules printed before halel ...
3
votes
1answer
45 views
What species of esrog do people use?
I know Lubavitchers are makpid to use only Esrogim from Genoa (if not grown there, at least that species).
What do other communities use?
Does anyone still use Korfu?
9
votes
2answers
419 views
How do Etrogs grow, pitom-up, or pitom-down?
I've done a bit of research here, but I still have some questions.
To start with, for anyone who isn't familiar with this, we can't say the brucha for lulav & etrog after completing the mitzvah, ...
1
vote
2answers
107 views
Tu Bishvat Esrog
Why do people Pray for a Esrog on Tubishvat what the source and what is the connection between Tubishvat between them?
5
votes
3answers
305 views
Source of Burning Lulav with Chometz
What is the source of the custom to keep the Lulav untill Erev Pesach and burn it with the Chometz?
3
votes
1answer
62 views
Is there a source for inverting the lulav while shaking it in different directions?
I was always told that when shaking the lulav towards the north, for instance, you keep the lulav oriented as usual (pointing towards the ceiling), just turn your body northwards first, and then ...
1
vote
2answers
58 views
Buying Arba Minnim- when is the best time?
There is a discussion in the Poskim whether one should purchase Arba Minnim during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva in order to increase your Mitzvos prior to Yom Kippur or should you wait till after Yom ...
10
votes
4answers
194 views
How do you maximize your aravot's period of freshness?
Every Sukkot any aravot that I start the holiday with tend to get dried up by the end of the holiday, if not to the point of being unfit for service, at least enough to be ugly. What do you do to ...
