Sukkot Inspiration: The Greatest Mitzvah

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According to Chazal, the arbah minim, the four species, represent different types of people - different kinds of Jews. The etrog represents the tzaddik, the wholly righteous person. The lulav ‎ ‎ and hadassim represent the Jew who is a work in progress, and the arava personifies the Jew who is totally derelict - one hasn't learned the Torah and is unkind to others. When we make a bracha upon shaking the lulav ‎and etrog the brachah is focused on the lulav ‎(as we say al netilas lulav‎‎). Furthermore, when we make the brachah, the lulav ‎is held in the right hand – the more significant hand. Why? Why is such eminence and honor ascribed to the lulav? Why is the lulav so paramount? The etrog, the tzaddik, is relegated to the left hand! It is not even mentioned in the brachah! Why is the etrog so seemingly mistreated? Isn’t it the tzaddik? It should be held with utmost importance!

My father, Rav Yitzchok Fingerer shlit”a, beautifully responds based on the Kesav Sofer. When we take the etrog - the tzaddik, and unify it with the lulav‎, hadassim, and arava’s - the other types of Jews, those other Jews become ignited and inspired. Because of the tzaddik, the etrog), the other categories of Jews (the lulav‎, hadassim, and arava) want to do teshuvah; they want change.

The Kesav Sofer incredibly relates that when Jews who are transformed by the tzaddik return, they are considered even holier than the tzaddik altogether! When those who were unaffiliated or needed chizuk, come back, they are considered greater than the tzaddik because the power of teshuvah elevates a person to the greatest of heights, therefore the lulav‎ ‎ is the focus of the brachah and is held in the right hand. The lulav‎ and the accompanying hadassim and aravas become greater than the etrog, behold that is the power of teshuvah. The Gemara in Berachot 34b states that in the place where a ba’al teshuvah stands, the greatest tzaddikim cannot because ba’alei teshuvah suppress their desires and conquer their impulses revealing their great and unique attributes. Thus, those who return spiritually are considered even holier than those who impacted them! Hence, the lulav ‎is held in such high regard denoting the power and greatness of teshuvah!

One year, one of the students, Naftali, of the Mir Rosh HaYeshivah, Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel ztk”l, travelled for the Shabbat between Yom Kippur and Sukkot and mistakenly left the lulav that he had purchased on his bed in the yeshivah dormitory. Upon Naftali’s return, the talmid found his lulav smashed on his bed; his lulav had become pasul, invalid. Naftali questioned his roommate who explained that a friend came for Shabbat and borrowed Naftali’s bed. Upset, Naftali brought his query to Rav Nosson Tzvi who stated that many people bring forth lulav‎im because they want the gadol to use their lulav‎. So, the Rosh HaYeshivah invited Naftali to his home to select a lulav of his liking. Once Naftali had chosen his lulav, his rebbe would only accept how much he had originally paid for his lulav as payment, much less than half the value of this lulav‎. The sage said, “I'm doing this on one condition - you cannot bear a grudge against your roommate.” The student agreed and went back to yeshivah elated at the thought of using this beautiful lulav on Sukkot. As the story is told, it was later revealed to Naftali that his rebbe did not have any extra lulav‎im and instead asked all his family members to place their lulav‎im on the table, then ensuring that each had a lulav aside from himself.


Rav Nosson Tzvi was punctilious in his mitzvah observance because he loved all mitzvot - and the mitzvah of promoting peace in the yeshivah was as important as the others; what greatness!