646 - תרמו דיני הדס ובו י"ד סעיפים

Laws of the Hadas

1. “‘And a branch of a thick tree’”—the Sages interpreted this to mean that its branches (that is, its leaves) cover its wood. This is the meaning of the verse: “and a branch of a tree,” meaning that the entire tree is a branch, that is, it is covered with leaves, because they (are formed in a woven manner), lying flat on their faces.

“Thick”—that its leaves are interwoven like a braid, meaning that they are arranged one over the other like a chain.

And which is this? You must say: this is the hadas (myrtle).

2. It is not called “thick” unless at least three leaves emerge from one node. That is, three or more leaves grow close together in a single circle, with none of them lower than the others. Even if all three leaves do not emerge from the same stem—since they are attached to each other and stand evenly in one circle—this is considered “thick.”

But if only two leaves stand evenly, attached to each other, and the third leaf is above them, or if the third emerges below the two and rises up and overlaps the two—this is not “thick,” but is called a “hadas shoteh” (irregular myrtle).

It is invalid all seven days, even in a pressing situation where it is impossible to find another hadas. One should not take it even without a blessing, since it is not a valid species of hadas at all. See siman 689.

3. Ideally, it is a mitzvah to seek a hadas that is entirely “thick”—that is, every node of leaves along its entire required length, which is three tefachim (handbreadths), as will be explained in siman 690, has three leaves at each node.

Nevertheless, if it is not entirely “thick,” as long as most of it is “thick”—that is, most of the nodes of leaves along its required length, which is three tefachim, have three leaves at each node—it is valid, and one may recite the blessing over it even initially.

4. If at first it was entirely or mostly “thick,” and later some leaves fell off—even if one leaf fell from each node along its entire required length, and even if some nodes lost all their leaves and not even one leaf remains—as long as in most of the nodes, the majority of the “thick” measure remains, that is, in each of them two complete leaves remain that did not fall off, it is valid.

5. The “Egyptian hadas,” which has seven leaves at each node, and four leaves fell from each node—it is valid. Even though most of its leaves have fallen, nevertheless, the required “thick” measure remains at each node.

But if in most of the nodes, five leaves fell from each, even if in a minority of the nodes none fell and they are complete, with seven leaves at each node—since in most of the nodes most of the leaves have fallen, and also the required “thick” measure, that is, three leaves, does not remain at each node, it is invalid.

6. In these countries, where valid hadasim are not commonly found, the custom is to recite the blessing over a hadas that does not have three leaves at each node, but rather two leaves growing one above the other.

Some have justified this practice, saying that the statement “any hadas that does not have three leaves at one node is a hadas shoteh” applies only when the third leaf…

7. And these hadasim, since they have only two leaves at each node—therefore, if in most of the nodes along its required length, which is three tefachim, one leaf fell from each, it is invalid, for in most of the nodes the majority of the “thick” measure, that is, two leaves, does not remain. One must be very careful about this, for often many leaves fall from the hadas and people do not pay attention to this.

8. If its leaves dried out, it is invalid, since it is not beautiful.

But if they have not completely dried, even if they have already withered, it is valid.

What is the measure of dryness? When they crumble under the fingernail when handled, and all their green color is gone and their faces have whitened—then they are called dry. For even if you soak them in water for several days, they will not return to their original appearance. They are like dry wood, which even if soaked in water for several days, does not lose its dryness.

But before their faces have whitened, even if they crumble under the fingernail due to dryness, nevertheless, if you soak them in water for a day or two, they will return to their original texture and appearance.

9. If most of the leaves of each of the three branches of the hadas have dried, but at the top of each branch there remains one node with three fresh leaves, it is valid.

This is provided that this fresh node is at the top of the branch, since the top of the branch is the main appearance of the hadas, as a person sees it at first glance, and if it is dry, the hadas is not beautiful at all, for its main beauty depends on its top.

10. If these three leaves at the tops of the branches are not completely fresh, but only withered—even though if all the hadas leaves were withered it would be valid—nevertheless, now that all the others are dry, withered leaves do not save from the invalidation of dryness; only fresh, beautiful leaves do.

Some disagree and say that since withered is valid, it is considered like fresh in every respect, and it does save from the invalidation of dryness.

One may rely on their words from the second day of the festival and onward, since the obligation to take the lulav on those days is only rabbinic.

11. Although all the species of lulav whose tops are cut off are invalid, since they are not beautiful, a hadas whose top was cut off—even if the body of the hadas itself, together with its leaves, was cut off—is valid. Since the hadas has many leaves, the remaining leaves cover the place of the cut and the cut is not noticeable.

Some disagree and say that even a hadas whose top was cut off, that is, the top of the wood itself from which the leaves emerge, since its top is not beautiful, it is invalid.

Laws of the Myrtle (Hadas)

11. According to their opinion: even if its tip was not cut off, but the three leaves at its top are dry—even though all the other leaves are fresh and beautiful—nevertheless, since the leaves at its top are not beautiful, it is invalid.

One should be stringent like their opinion in a place where it is possible to find another hadas. But if it is not possible to find another, it is permitted to recite the blessing over it and to rely on the first opinion.

12. The way of the myrtle tree is to grow a fruit that resembles grapes. If, along the length of the hadas that measures three tefachim, there are so many of these grape-like fruits that they outnumber the leaves growing along that length, it is invalid—even from the second day of the festival and onward—because these fruits are usually black or red in appearance, while the hadas is green, and thus it appears spotted, which is not beautiful.

Therefore, if the appearance of these fruits is green, like the appearance of the hadas, it is valid—even on the first day—even though they are more numerous than its leaves.

13. Even if the fruits were red or black and were more numerous than the leaves, if he reduced them—that is, he picked and removed some of them from the hadas until the leaves outnumbered the fruits, whether he reduced them before Yom Tov or he transgressed and reduced them on Yom Tov—it is valid, and it is permitted to recite the blessing over it from the outset.

However, from the outset it is forbidden to reduce them on Yom Tov. Even though it is permitted to pluck fruits on Shabbos from a branch that was detached from the tree before Shabbos, as explained in siman 336, nevertheless, since through this plucking the hadas becomes fit for its mitzvah, it is like repairing a utensil on Yom Tov.

Even if he does not intend at all to make the hadas fit, but his intention is to eat the fruits, nevertheless, the hadas inevitably becomes fit, and it becomes a utensil through this plucking, and this is similar to the case of "psik reisha v'lo yamos," as explained in siman 320, see there.

14. When does this apply? When he needs this hadas and does not have another hadas. But if he has another hadas and does not need this one at all, it is permitted for him to pluck the fruits in order to eat them on Yom Tov. And even though through this the hadas becomes fit and becomes a utensil, nevertheless, since he himself does not need this hadas at all, he has not repaired anything.