A
popular explanation for the arba’a minim (lulav, etrog, hadas and arava)
is that they represent different types of Jews. The etrog tastes and
smells good, like Jews who know the Torah and do good deeds. The dates
from the lulav taste delicious, but the lulav has no smell, like Jews who
know the Torah but don’t do good deeds. Hadasim smell good but have no
fruit, like Jews who do good deeds but don’t know the Torah. Finally,
the aravah has no taste or smell, like Jews who don’t know the Torah and
don’t do good deeds. We hold the arba’a minim close together so that
the good parts of one make up for what’s missing in the others. Only
when they are together are they complete.
A
popular explanation for the arba’a minim (lulav, etrog, hadas and arava)
is that they represent different types of Jews. The etrog tastes and
smells good, like Jews who know the Torah and do good deeds. The dates
from the lulav taste delicious, but the lulav has no smell, like Jews who
know the Torah but don’t do good deeds. Hadasim smell good but have no
fruit, like Jews who do good deeds but don’t know the Torah. Finally,
the aravah has no taste or smell, like Jews who don’t know the Torah and
don’t do good deeds. We hold the arba’a minim close together so that
the good parts of one make up for what’s missing in the others. Only
when they are together are they complete.