What does the lulav and etrog symbolize?
Each species is said to kabbalistically represent an aspect of the user’s body; the lulav represents the spine, the myrtle the eyes, the willow the lips, and the etrog represents the heart.
Why do we hold the etrog upside down?
Right-handed users hold the lulav in the right hand and the etrog in the left. According to Ashkenazi custom, before the blessing is said, the etrog is turned upside-down, opposite the direction in which it grows. The reason for these two customs is that the blessing must precede the performance of the mitzvah.
What days do you shake the lulav?
One of the greatest mitzvot of the Sukkot holiday is shaking the lulav and etrog. Note: The hadas (myrtle) should be on the right of the lulav.
What do the 4 species of Sukkot represent?
These species are lulav (palm branch), hadas (myrtle), arava (willow) and etrog (citron) and they are used to bless the Sukkah or booth in which Sukkot is celebrated. These four plants are mentioned in the third book of the Torah, Leviticus.
Is etrog edible?
Etrog skin, when rubbed, is intoxicatingly fragrant, somewhat like a lemon. And although hardly a meal, the thick white pith inside is edible and mildly sweet. Etrog are tricky to grow, especially with the unblemished skin desirable for Sukkot ceremonies.
What is shake the lulav?
What is a “Lulav”? One Sukkot tradition involves the etrog, or citron, a fruit similar to a lemon, and and the lulav, a bouquet made up of palm, myrtle, and willow branches. People shake the lulav in a special way to send a blessing out to all of creation.
Is Hoshana Rabbah a Yom Tov?
Hoshana Rabbah is known as the last of the Days of Judgment, which begin on Rosh Hashana. Since Hoshana Rabbah blends elements of the High Holy Days, Chol HaMoed, and Yom Tov, in the Ashkenazic tradition, the cantor recites the service using High Holiday, Festival, Weekday, and Sabbath melodies interchangeably.
How do you hold a lulav and etrog?
Hold the lulav and etrog so that the top of the etrog is next to the bottom of the lulav and so that the etrog is covered with your fingers. Face east and, holding the lulav and etrog with both hands, extend your arms, shake the lulav and etrog together, then bring your arms back towards you. Repeat this twice more.