CITRON - ETROG

CITRON - ETROG

- Should preferably be turning yellow rather than green.
- The peel cannot be punctured through in any spot, nor can it lack any of its inner skin.
- The peel cannot be overly soft, cracked, dry or peeled.
- Even a small black dot on the upper part invalidates it.
- The shape should preferably be like a tower - wider at the bottom and narrow at the top.
- If this particular Etrog grew with a protruding stem (called a pitom), then that stem cannot

be broken off. (However, if the Etrog grew in the first place without a pitom, it is still

kosher.)

MYRTLE - HADDAS

- You will need three myrtle branches.
- A kosher myrtle has a pattern of three leaves coming out from the same point in the

branch. This three-leaf pattern must be repeated over at least half the length of the branch.
- Each branch should be at least 11 inches (29 cm.) long.
- The branch cannot be dried out.

WILLOW - ARAVA

- You will need two willow branches.
- The stem should preferably be red.
- The stem should be at least 11 inches (29 cm.) long.
- The leaves should be oblong, not round in shape.
- The leaves should have a smooth edge, not serrated.

DATE-PALM - LULAV

- Look at the very top of the branch and make sure that the center-most leaf is not split, but

rather is closed (at least half-way down).
- The top cannot be cut off.
- The branch cannot be dried out.
- It should be at least 16 inches (39 cm.) long.
- The straighter the branch, the better.

The 4 species a reflection to oneself

Another way to look at the Lulav is mentioned in "Sefer Bahir," a kabbalistic work almost 2,000 years old. It describes the four species as four parts of a human being:

* The Etrog (citron) represents the heart, the seat of our emotions.
* The Hadas (myrtle) has leaves shaped like an eye.
* The Lulav (date palm) represents the spine, from where our actions emanate.
* The Aravah (willow) represents the lips, our speech.

The four species must be taken together as a unit. So too, to achieve happiness, one must use all of his faculties in unison. You cannot say one thing and feel another. We must unify our feelings, our actions, our speech and our outlook. With all of these working together, we are well on the path to self-esteem, tranquility and joy.

Relationship With God
The four species also represent the Name of God. Aravah (willow), Hadas (myrtle), Lulav (date palm) and Etrog (citron) represent the Yud and Heh and Vav and Heh of the four-letter Name of God.

Again, the key here is unity. As we say everyday in the Shema prayer: "God is One." Whether things may appear to us as good or evil, we must realize that it all comes from God. One must deal with various pleasant or unpleasant circumstances -- ultimately for one's maximal growth, but at the root everything comes from God.

Being aware of this keeps our focus and helps us to deal with the issues of life. When we relate to God's unity, we come closer to achieving joy in the world.

Sukkot is a one-week opportunity to build these relationships and incorporate them into our lives