651 - תרנא דין נטילת לולב וברכתו ובו י"ז סעיפים

The Laws of Taking the Lulav and Its Blessing

1. The mitzvah of these four species is that every Jew should take: one esrog in one hand, and in the other hand, one lulav, two willow branches, and three myrtle branches.

In a pressing situation, when it is not possible to find three myrtle branches, one fulfills his obligation with a single branch, even if its tip is cut off. (See siman 586.)

If one took these three species together with the esrog in one hand, he has not fulfilled his obligation. For after it says, "the fruit of a beautiful tree," it says, "branches of palm trees" without a vav ("and"), unlike "and boughs of thick-leaved trees" and "and willows of the brook." From here you learn that the esrog must be separate, and not bound together with the lulav and its species, as the myrtle and willow are written with a vav that adds to the previous matter. Therefore, it is permitted to bind them with the lulav.

(In fact, it is a preferred mitzvah to bind them, as will be explained.)

There are those who disagree and say: the verse only excludes binding the esrog with the lulav and its species in a single bundle, but as long as it is not actually bound together in one bundle, even if he takes them all in one hand, it does not matter, and he fulfills his obligation according to the Torah.

Regarding the halachah: one should be stringent with a Torah law. If he recited the blessing and took them both in one hand, he should take them again in two hands without a blessing, for in cases of doubt regarding blessings, we are lenient, and perhaps he already fulfilled the blessing with the first taking.

2. It is a preferred mitzvah to bind the lulav with the myrtle and willow in one bundle, for the sake of beautification, as it is written: "This is my G‑d and I will beautify Him"—beautify yourself before Him with mitzvos.

3. It is permitted to bind them even with a string or cord, even though the binding string is of a different type and not one of the species of the lulav, and thus he is holding five species in his hand. Nevertheless, he does not transgress "do not add," since the binding is not an essential part of the mitzvah, but rather an enhancement of the mitzvah. The Torah only warned not to add to the essence of the mitzvah.

4. It is permitted to hold the lulav at the place of the binding when taking it to fulfill the mitzvah. Even though the binding separates between his hand and the lulav and its species, it does not matter, since the binding is for beautification and enhancement of the mitzvah, and anything for beautification is not considered a separation, because it is nullified to the lulav and its species, as if it were part of the lulav and its species.

5. Even if leaves fell from the lulav or from the myrtle and willow, and the leaves remained inside the binding in a way that these leaves separate between his hand and the lulav, it does not matter, since the thing that separates is from the species of the lulav, and one kind with its own kind is not considered a separation.

But if something that is not from these species separates between them and his hand at the time of taking, he has not fulfilled his obligation with this taking.

Therefore, one must be very careful to remove the string that is usually wrapped around the myrtle when they are brought from distant places.

But it is permitted to wrap the myrtle with lulav leaves or with thin willow twigs, since the wrapping is from the species of the lulav, it is not considered a separation.

6. Some have the custom to make the binding in this way: they wrap around these three species until they are tightly bound, and insert the ends of the wrapping into the circle wrapped around the three species.

Some are stringent and tie the two ends of the wrapping with two knots, one on top of the other. On Yom Tov, when it is not possible to tie them in this way, since it is a permanent knot and he does not intend to ever untie it, they bind it with a bow, meaning they make two bows, one on top of the other.

(But it is forbidden to make a bow on top of a knot, since he does not intend to ever untie it. See siman 317.)

Or they insert the ends of the wrapping into the circle of the wrapping, as explained above.

7. Some have the custom to raise the myrtle within the binding slightly above the willow, for a reason known to them.

8. Some have the custom to bind the myrtle on the right of the lulav and the willow on its left, with the lulav in the middle.

9. Some have the custom to bind the three myrtles: one on the right of the lulav, meaning to the right of the person, one on the left, and one in the middle leaning to the right. The two willows, one on the right and one on the left.

10. It is good to lower the myrtle and willow within the binding of the lulav, meaning to bind them at the bottom of the lulav, so that when he takes the lulav in his hand for the mitzvah, the myrtle and willow are also in his hand.

(If he did not lower them and took the lulav alone in his hand, and the myrtle and willow are bound to it higher up, this is permitted. Even though he is not holding the myrtle and willow in his hand, it does not matter, for taking by means of something else is still considered taking, as will be explained.)

11. The custom is to make three bindings on the lulav corresponding to the three Patriarchs. That is, besides the binding that binds the three species together, they make two more bindings on the lulav itself, to bind the leaves to the spine.

One must be very careful that the spine of the lulav extends above the upper binding by a tefach (handbreadth), to allow for shaking, as explained in siman 650.

12. All four species must be taken in the manner in which they grow, meaning their tops upward and their bases downward. If he reversed them when taking, he has not fulfilled his obligation with this taking.

Even though the esrog hangs on the tree with its stem upward, nevertheless, its "natural way of growing" is considered with the stem downward.

One must be very careful with a myrtle that comes from distant places to untie its binding and check if it is placed correctly, for sometimes the tip of one branch is placed at the base of another, and sometimes the tips of the branches are bent.

13. One must take the lulav and its species in his right hand and the esrog in his left hand, since the lulav includes three mitzvos—lulav, myrtle, and willow—and the esrog is one mitzvah. If he reversed them, he has fulfilled his obligation, but it is good to take them again in the proper manner, without a blessing.

The Laws of Taking the Lulav and Its Blessing

14. Even if one has already fulfilled the obligation of taking the lulav and wishes to take it again for the sake of the mitzvah, such as at the time of reciting Hoshanos, one must take the lulav in the right hand and the esrog in the left hand.

A left-handed person takes the lulav in his right hand, which is the left hand of most people, and the esrog in his left hand, which is the right hand of most people.

But one who is ambidextrous takes the lulav in his right hand and the esrog in his left hand, like any other person.

15. One whose right hand has been amputated should take the lulav with his right arm, for the Torah does not state, "And you shall take in the hand," and taking with the arm is considered taking.

If it is not possible for him to take the lulav with his right arm, he should take the lulav with his left hand, which for him is considered like the right, and the esrog with his left arm. However, he should not take both in one hand at the same time, as has been explained.

If he is also unable to take the esrog with his left arm, he should take the lulav and the esrog in his left hand, one after the other, as will be explained.

16. Similarly, one whose left hand has been amputated should take the esrog with his left arm. If this is not possible, he should take it with his right arm. If this too is not possible, he should take both in his right hand, one after the other.

17. For all mitzvos, the blessing is recited before performing them, that is, immediately before beginning to perform them, as stated in siman 25. And what blessing is recited for the mitzvah of taking these four species? "Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the taking of the lulav," because the lulav is taller than all of them, it is considered the most important, and the entire bundle is called by its name.

Completed and finished, praise to G‑d, Creator of the world.