Four Species (Hebrew: ארבעתהמינים , Arba' At HaMinim , or Arba Minim ) is three species of branches and a fruit species held together and shaken at the time of a special ceremony held with the Jewish holiday of Soukkot. The swinging of the Four Species is a Mitzvah prescribed by the Torah, and contains allusions symbolic systems to the service of God by the Jews.

The Four Species are:

• the Loulav (לולב) - a green and closed branch coming from a Date palm

• the Hadass (הדס) - a branch of sheets of Myrtle
• the “Aravah (ערבה) - branches of Willow
• the Etrog (אתרוג) - fruit of the Citron

Practical

Mitzvah off waving the Species Furnace derived from the Torah. In Leviticus, it states: “ And you shall take for yourselves one the first day Sukkot, the fruit off the beautiful tree, tightly bound branches off date palms, the branch off the braided tree, and willows off the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. ” During the time off the Temple in Jerusalem, the waving ceremony (called na' anu' im - נענועים) was performed in the Holy Temple one all seven days off Sukkot, and elsewhere only one the first day. Following the destruction off the Temple, Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakkai ordered that the Furnace Species Be waved everywhere one every day off Sukkot (except one Shabbat), ace has memorial to the Temple.

To prepares the species for the Mitzvah, the lulav is first bound together with the hadass and aravah (this bundle is also referred to ace " the lulav ") in the following manner: One lulav is placed in the center, two aravah branches are placed to the left, and three hadass boughs are placed to the right. (This order is the same for both righties and lefties.) The bundle may Be bound with strips from another palm frond, but Be placed in has special holder which is also woven from palm fronds.

Lubavitch er Hasidim places one aravah to the right off the lulav and the second aravah to its left, and cover them with the three hadass boughs— one one the right, the second one the left, and the third atop the lulav' S spine, leaning slightly to the right. The bundle is held together with boxing rings made from strips off palm fronds.

In all boxes, all off the species must Be placed in the direction in which they grew. (For the etrog , this means that the stem end should Be one the bottom and the blossom end one signal; this is the direction in which the etrog begins to grow, though mature aces it one the tree it usually hangs in the opposite direction.)-->

Ceremony of swinging

lulav apart from the etrog during the recital off the blessing. Right-handed users hold the bound lulav in the right hand and the etrog in the left hand. Lefties cuts differing customs ace to which hand holds the lulav and which holds the etrog before the blessing is made. Year Ashkenazi lefty holds the lulav in the left hand. With Sephardi lefty holds the lulav in the right hand.

Before the blessing is said, the etrog is turned upside-down, opposite the direction in which it grows. The reason for this is that the blessing must precedes the performance off the mitzvah. Should all the species Be held in the direction in which they grew, the mitzvah would Be fulfilled before the blessing is recited.

With variable custom, followed by Lubavitch er Hasidim and nap others, is to not hold the etrog At all while reciting the blessing, only afterwards.

After reciting the blessing, " Blessed are You, Lord our God, King off the universe, Who has sanctified custom with His commandments, and commanded custom to take the lulav" (the " Shehecheyanu" blessing is also recited the first time each year that one waves the lulav and etrog ), the etrog is turned right side up (gold picked up), and to use brings his gold her two hands together so that the etrog keys the lulav bundle. The Furnace Species are then pointed and gently shaken three times toward each off the furnace directions, more up and down, to attest to God' S mastery over all off creation.

Year additional reason for waving the Species Furnace in all directions alludes to the fact that all thesis species require much toilets to grow. The lulav (date palm) grows in watered valleys, hadass and aravah grow near toilets sources, and the etrog requires more toilets than other fruit trees. By taking thesis particular species and waving them in all directions, the Jew symbolically voices has off prayer for abundant rainfall for all the vegetation the earth in the coming year.

The waving ceremony edge Be performed in the Synagog, but in the privacy off one' S home gold Sukkah , ace long ace it is daytime. Women and girls may also choose to perform the Mitzvah off waving the lulav and etrog , although they are not required by Halakha to C so.

The waving is performed again (though without the awaiting blessings) during morning prayer services in the Synagog, At several points during the recital off Hallel.

Additionally, in the synagog, Hallel is followed by has further ceremony, in which the worshippers join in has processional around the sanctuary with to their Four Species, while reciting special supplications (called hoshaanot , from the refrain hosha Na , " save us"). From the first through the sixth day off Sukkot, one supplements circuit is made; one Hoshanah Rabbah, the seventh and last day off Sukkot, seven supplements circuits are made. Ace the Furnace Species are not used one Shabbat, there variable are customs ace to whether hoshaanot are said and has circuit made one that day. -->

Symbolism

Several explanations were advanced to justify the choice of these particular species for the mitzvah. Among the most known, the Midrash sign which the connection of the Four species symbolizes the desire to unify the four " types" Jews in the service of God. Allusion to those is made by the odoriferous character of the species (or their fruits), like their taste, which correspond respectively to the study of the Torah and the good deeds:

• the etrog has good taste and good odor, symbolizing those which have at the same time the Torah and the good deeds.

• the loulav has good taste but not odor, symbolizing those which, without studying the Torah, practice good deeds.
• the hadass has good odor but not taste, symbolizing those which study the Torah without carrying out good deeds.
• the aravah has neither of taste nor of odor, symbolizing those which are deprived at the same time of the one and others.

One second explanation, of the same source suggests an allusion to the shares of the human body, each the species or its sheet resembling the following bodies:

• Etrog - the heart

• Loulav - the column
• Hadass - the eye
• Aravah - the mouth

The unification of the species for the Mitzvah symbolizes the desire of the Jew then to devote all his being to the divine service.

One will note also the notarikon for Etrog : E mouna shelema (perfect faith), T orah shelema (perfect Torah), R efoua Shelema (cure, therefore health, perfect), G ueoula shelema (perfect redemption).

The choice of the species

Although all the mitzvot should be realized more " joliment" possible, this hiddour mitzvah (embellishment of the mitzvah) applies particularly to the Four Species. The Halakha is very explicit on what constitutes the " meilleur" for each species. This is why people will be able to spend broad sums to acquire the most perfect etrog, the loulav more the right, the sheets of hadass and aravah freshest. Usually, a father will buy several units of them, in order to carry out the regulation for his sons at the same time.

See too

• Soukkot

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