Sukkah, Daf Lammed Zayin, Part 4

 

Introduction

Today’s section focuses on another statement by Rabbah, this time concerning the manner in which one is to hold the four species.

 

ואמר רבה: לולב בימין, ואתרוג בשמאל. מאי טעמא? הני תלתא מצות, והאי חדא מצוה.

 

Rabbah further stated, The lulav [must be held] in the right hand and the etrog in the left. What is the reason? This one is three commandments and this is only one.

 

One should hold the lulav bundle in his right hand because it has three mitzvot in it lulav, hadas and aravah. Since the right hand is usually the stronger one, that’s where you put the greater number of mitzvot (sorry lefties). The etrog goes in the weaker left hand.

 

אמר ליה רבי ירמיה לרבי זריקא: מאי טעם לא מברכינן אלא על נטילת לולב? – הואיל וגבוה מכולן. – ולגבהיה לאתרוג, ולבריך! – אמר ליה: הואיל ובמינו גבוה מכולן.

 

R. Yirmiyah asked of R. Zerika: Why do we bless only "To take the lulav"?

Since it is higher than the others.

Let him lift up the etrog and recite the blessing over it?

He said to him: Since as a species it naturally is higher than the others.

 

This section is related to the previous one, for both talk about why the lulav is more prominent than the others. Here, R. Zerika explains that the blessing is "to take the lulav (על נטילת לולב) and not "to take the etrog" because the lulav is taller than the others. This is true both in the way that we hold the lulav but also in the way that they naturally grow. Palm trees are higher than the trees on which the other species grow.