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Every day of Sukkot, there is a Torah obligation to “take” (pick up) the four species: etrog (citron), lulav (palm branch), hadas (myrtle), and arava (willow). As we read, “On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days” (Leviticus 23:40).
Ideally, they should be taken at the same time. The lulav is bundled with the hadasim and aravot and held upright, while the etrog is held in the other hand (section 18 below). However, someone who takes them serially has fulfilled the obligation.
The requirement to take all four species together teaches us something profound. Our Sages tell us in the midrash that just as among the four species, there are two types – those which are fruitful (lulav and etrog) and those which are not (hadas and arava), so too among the Jews there are two types of achievers – people who study Torah and people of action. Just as the presence of all four species is necessary to fulfill the mitzva, so too the presence of both scholars and doers is necessary for the Jewish people to thrive. Scholars cannot survive without doers, who help support them financially, and who put the Torah’s vision into practice, and doers cannot survive without scholars, who enrich their lives spiritually and help connect them to the World to Come.
According to another midrash, the four species correspond to four types of people:
The etrog, which both tastes and smells good, corresponds to ideal Jews who excel at Torah study as well as good deeds. (This gives us a glimpse of the perfected world of the future.) Accordingly, of all the four species, it is the etrog whose beauty we are most particular about.
The lulav, which has fruits (dates) that taste good, but which has no smell, corresponds to those Torah scholars who, because they immerse themselves in Torah study, have fewer opportunities to perform good deeds. Nevertheless, as representatives of the holy Torah, they are preeminent. Accordingly, the lulav is the tallest of all the four species. It is the only one singled out in the blessing (section 18 below), and the mitzva is generally referred to as “taking the lulav.” This conveys the message that the sublime Torah must serve as our guide for life.
The Torah has one more thing in common with the lulav: the unique form of the lulav expresses unity. Its leaves grow on each side of the branch, but stay close to the spine. There are multiple leaves, but they are not separate from each other. Rather, they overlap and protect one another, and together they cover the spine. Furthermore, each “leaf” is actually two leaves held together at the tip. The straightness of the lulav also expresses unity, because all its parts point toward the same goal. Unity is very important in studying Torah as well: a basic prerequisite for Torah study is that it should flow from a feeling of being united with the entire Jewish people. Even though Torah study involves disagreements and multiple opinions, all the opinions originate from the same source and share a common goal.
The hadas, which smells good but has no taste, corresponds to people who are not Torah scholars but who are righteous. Their many mitzvot include acts of kindness and settling the Land. The impact of their good deeds radiates outwards in the same way as a fragrant aroma. The world continues to exist in their merit.
One of the mitzvot the hadasim hint at is to be fruitful and multiply, as its threefold leaves express fruitfulness.
The arava, which has neither taste nor smell, corresponds to simple Jews who neither study much Torah nor do many good deeds. At first glance, we might think their lives are not worth that much, and they might not even make it to the World to Come. This is why it is a mitzva to bundle the aravot together with the other species, so these Jews can share in the blessing earned by the others. This inclusion will also allow their hidden talents to manifest themselves.
Additionally, the arava has tremendous growing power. We are witness to this vitality because both scholars and doers frequently emerge from simple families.
All types of people are necessary for the wellbeing of the community. It is only by unifying all abilities that we can fulfill our destiny, improve the world, and benefit all of creation in accordance with the word of God.
