lulav

What might I have said? That that applies only where one does not lift [the lulav] a second time, but not where one does lift it a second time [he would fulfill his obligation], therefore he teaches us that it is not so. R. Hisda said in the name of R. Yitzchak: One may fulfill his obligation with the aravah in the lulav.

The mitzvah of the lulav. How so? A tanna recited in front of R. Nahman: They arranged them upon the roof of the portico. He said to him:

R. Abbahu said: What is its Scriptural proof? As it is said, “Order the festival procession with boughs, up to the horns of the altar” (Psalms 118:27). R. Abbahu said n the name of R. Elazar: Whoever takes the lulav with its binding and the hadas in its thickness is regarded by Scripture as though he had built an altar and offered on it a sacrifice. For it is said,

As was its performance on a weekday. R. Huna said: What is the reason of R. Yohanan b. Beroka? As it is written, “Branches” which implies two, one for the lulav and one for the altar. But the Rabbis say: The word “branches” is written defectively (כפת).

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: The blessing is recited over] the lulav for seven [days] and over the Sukkah for only on one day. What is the reason? In the case of the lulav where the nights interrupt the days, each day is a separate commandment; in the case of the Sukkah where the nights do not interrupt the days, all seven days are regarded as one long day.

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: The blessing is recited over] the lulav for seven [days] and over the Sukkah for only on one day. What is the reason? In the case of the lulav where the nights interrupt the days, each day is a separate commandment; in the case of the Sukkah where the nights do not interrupt the days, all seven days are regarded as one long day.

Rabbah b. Bar Hana said in the name of R. Yohanan: [The blessing is recited over] the Sukkah for seven days and over the lulav for one day. What is the reason? For the Sukkah which is a Toraitic commandment [the blessing must be recited all] seven [days]; in the case of the lulav which is only a rabbinical commandment [a blessing on] one day suffices.

Rabbah b. Bar Hana said in the name of R. Yohanan: [The blessing is recited over] the Sukkah for seven days and over the lulav for one day. What is the reason? For the Sukkah which is a Toraitic commandment [the blessing must be recited all] seven [days]; in the case of the lulav which is only a rabbinical commandment [a blessing on] one day suffices.

He who makes a lulav for his own use says, “Blessed [are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] who has kept us in life, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season.” When he takes it to fulfill his obligation, he says, “Blessed [are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] who hast sanctified us by His commandments, and commanded us concerning the taking of the lulav” And even though he has recited the blessing on the first day, he must again recite it on all seven days. He who makes a Sukkah for his own use says, “Blessed [are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] who has kept us in life, and sustained us etc.” When he enters the Sukkah to dwell in it he says, ‘. . . Who has sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us to dwell in the Sukkah.” And once he has recited the blessing on the first day, he does not bless again.

He who makes a lulav for his own use says, “Blessed [are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] who has kept us in life, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season.” When he takes it to fulfill his obligation, he says, “Blessed [are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] who hast sanctified us by His commandments, and commanded us concerning the taking of the lulav” And even though he has recited the blessing on the first day, he must again recite it on all seven days. He who makes a Sukkah for his own use says, “Blessed [are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] who has kept us in life, and sustained us etc.” When he enters the Sukkah to dwell in it he says, ‘. . . Who has sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us to dwell in the Sukkah.” And once he has recited the blessing on the first day, he does not bless again.

There is contradiction between the one statement concerning the lulav and the other, and between the one concerning Sukkah and the other.

The difficulty between the one statement concerning the lulav and the other is resolvable, since one refers to Temple times and the other to the time when the Temple was no longer in existence; But there is a contradiction between the two statements concerning the sukkah.

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: The mitzvah of the lulav is for all seven days. But R. Joshua b. Levi said: The mitzvah of the lulav is for the first day only. From that point onward it is a mitzvah of the elders. And R. Yitzchak said: Every day it is a mitzvah of the elders, even the first. But have we not an established that on the first day it is a toraitic commandment? Say rather “except for the first day.” But if so, is this opinion not the same as that of R. Joshua b. Levi? — Say, “And so said R. Yitzchak.”

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: The mitzvah of the lulav is for all seven days. But R. Joshua b. Levi said: The mitzvah of the lulav is for the first day only. From that point onward it is a mitzvah of the elders. And R. Yitzchak said: Every day it is a mitzvah of the elders, even the first. But have we not an established that on the first day it is a toraitic commandment? Say rather “except for the first day.” But if so, is this opinion not the same as that of R. Joshua b. Levi? — Say, “And so said R. Yitzchak.”

Rav also holds that the mitzvah of the lulav is for all seven days, f or R. Hiyya b. Ashi said in the name of Rav: One who lights the Hanukkah lamp must recite a blessing. R. Yirmiyah said: One who sees the Hanukkah lamp must recite the blessing. What blessing does one recite? Rav Judah said: On the first day the one who lights must recite three blessings and the one who sees it must recite two. From that day on the one who lights recites two blessings and the one who sees them only one.

Which [blessing] does one omit? — The blessing on the time. Say that one omits the blessing of the miracle? The miracle occurred every day. R. Nahman b. Yitzchak taught this explicitly: Rav said: The commandment of the lulav applies to all seven days.

R. Zera said: One should not transfer possession of the hoshana to a child on the first day of the Festival. What is the reason? — Because a child is able to acquire possession but not to transfer possession, and it will turn out that he will fulfil his duty with a lulav which is not his.

And R. Levi b. Hama or, as some say, R. Hama b. Hanina said: Know [that this is so], since [the Eighth Day] is different [from the preceding days] in three things: ... In the Sukkah, lulav and water libation, And according to R. Judah who holds that with one log of water that they performed the water libation for eight days, it is different in two respects.

May we return to you Chapter: Lulav and Aravah

This is also the reason for [not blowing] the shofar on Shabbat and [for not carrying] the lulav.

The whole day is a valid time for reading the Megillah; reciting Hallel; for the blowing of the shofar; for taking up the lulav; for the Musaf prayer; for Musaf sacrifices; for confession over the oxen;

Gemara. From where do we know this? Because the verse says, “And these days shall be mentioned and kept” (Esther 9:28). For reading the Hallel: As it is written, “From the rising of the sun to its going down” (Psalms 113:3). R. Joseph says: Because it is written, “This is the day which the Lord has made” (Psalms 118:24). For the taking of the lulav: As it is written, “And you shall take for yourself on the first day” (Leviticus 23:40).

Our rabbis taught: Accessories used in a mitzvah [when worn out] may be thrown away; accessories of holiness are must be placed in a geniza. The following are accessories used in a mitzvah: A sukkah, a lulav, a shofar, tzitzit. The following are accessories of holiness: large sacks for scrolls of Scripture, tefillin and mezuzot, a mantle for a Sefer Torah, and a tefillin bag and tefillin straps.