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As we celebrate the fall harvest festival of Sukkot, please join us in
the Hampshire sukkah (on the Merrill Quad underneath the Spiritual Life
Office window) from 5-6:30 pm tomorrow (Thursday) for our 2nd annual
Sushi (and more) in the sukkah. We will be serving veggie (and some
fish) sushi plus tea rolls from Fresh Side. Come early so you'll get
the best selection of food! I look forward to seeing many of you
there. There will also be a lulav and etrog for those who would like
to say the blessing and shake your lulav (If you have no idea what I'm
talking about, just look below my signature for an explanation!).<br>
<br>
Chag Sameakh/Happy Holiday,<br>
<br>
SPN<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<div class="Section1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"></span><font
color="#333399" face="Geneva"><big><big><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><big>Steven
P. Nathan</big><o:p></o:p></span></big></big><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Campus
Rabbi <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">
</span>
<div class="Section2">
<br>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><a
href="mailto:snathan@hampshire.edu"></a><o:p></o:p></span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><big><b>Lulav and
Etrog: The Four Species</b></big></p>
<h3>What they are and
what to do with them</h3>
<p><big><i>The commandment regarding the <a class="ilg"
href="javascript:showILG('four_species.htm');">four species</a> is
found in
the Torah. After discussing the week-long <a class="ilg"
href="javascript:showILG('Sukkot.htm');">Sukkot</a> </i></big><big><i>festival</i></big><big><i>(fall
harvest festival of thanksgiving) , specific
instructions for how to celebrate the holiday are given. <a class="ilg"
href="javascript:showILG('Leviticus.htm');">Leviticus</a> 23:40
instructs: “On the first day you shall take the product of </i>hadar<i>
trees,
branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the
brook, and
you shall rejoice before <a class="ilg"
href="javascript:showILG('Adonai.htm');">Adonai</a> your God seven
days." These are the four
species that form the lulav and <a class="ilg"
href="javascript:showILG('etrog.htm');">etrog</a>.
The four species are waved in the <a class="ilg"
href="javascript:showILG('synagogue.htm');">synagogue</a> as part of
the service
during the holiday of Sukkot. While it is customary for
each individual to have a lulav and etrog, many synagogues leave some
sets in
the synagogue <a class="ilg" href="javascript:showILG('sukkah.htm');">sukkah</a>
for the use of their members. The lulav and etrog may also
be waved at home.</i></big><br>
<i><br>
Reprinted with permission from </i>The Jewish Catalogue:
A Do-It-Yourself Kit<i>, edited by Richard Siegel, Michael Strassfeld
and Sharon
Strassfeld, published by the <a target="_blank"
href="http://www.myjewishlearning.com/redirect/redir.php?U=http://www.jewishpub.org/">Jewish
Publication Society</a>.</i><br>
<br>
It is a positive commandment (Hebrew: <i>mitzvah</i>) from the Torah
[Leviticus
23:40] to gather together the Four Species during Sukkot:<br>
<br>
"The first day" refers to the first day of Sukkot.
"Fruit of goodly trees" refers to the <i><a class="ilg"
href="javascript:showILG('etrog.htm');">etrog</a> </i>(citron).
"Branches of palm trees" refers to the <i>lulav</i>. "Boughs of
leafy trees" refers to the <a class="ilg"
href="javascript:showILG('myrtle.htm');">myrtle</a>. "Willows of the
brook" refers
to the <i>aravot</i>.<br>
<br>
The four are lumped together under the inclusive term
lulav, since the lulav is the largest and most prominent. Thus, while
the
mitzvah is to wave the lulav, this actually refers to the four taken
together
as one. </p>
<h3>How the Four Fit Together</h3>
<p>The lulav is a single palm branch and occupies the central
position in the grouping. It comes with a holder-like contraption (made
from
its own leaves) which has two
extensions. With the backbone (the solid spine) of the lulav facing you
and this holder in place near the bottom,
two willow branches are placed in
the left extension and three myrtle branches are placed in the right.
The
myrtle should extend to a greater height than the willows.<br>
<br>
This whole cluster
is held in the right hand, the etrog is held in the left, and the two
should be touching one another. Some have the custom of picking up the
etrog
first and then the lulav--reversing the order when putting them
down--because
the etrog is referred to before the others in the biblical verse. </p>
<h3>Waving the Lulav </h3>
<p>It is a <a class="ilg" href="javascript:showILG('mitzvah.htm');">mitzvah</a>
(commandment) to wave the lulav on each of the first seven
days of Sukkot. The proper time is in
the morning--either before the <a class="ilg"
href="javascript:showILG('morning_service.htm');">Morning service</a>
or during the service
immediately before the <a class="ilg"
href="javascript:showILG('hallel.htm');">Hallel</a>. A meditation
(found in the Siddur) is recited prior to the blessing (this has many
kabbalistic secrets concealed within it). The blessing is: </p>
<p> <br>
"Blessed are
You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has sanctified us
with Divine commandments and has commanded us concerning
the waving of the lulav."</p>
<p>Before the blessing, the etrog is held with its pittam
(stemlike protrusion) pointed downward. After the blessing, it is
inverted so
that the pittam faces up. At this point you wave/shake the lulav
(together with
the other three) in following manner:</p>
<p> <br>
1. Stand facing east.<br>
<br>
2. Hold the lulav out to the east (in front of you) and
shake it three times. Each time the motion of shaking should be a
drawing in to
you--reach and draw in, reach out and draw in, reach out and draw in.<br>
<br>
3. Repeat the same motion three times to your right (south),
behind over your shoulder (west), to your left (north), raising it up
above
you, lowering it down below you.</p>
<p>4. All of these should be done slowly and
deliberately--concentrating the symbolisms and intentions of the act. </p>
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