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Every Sukkot, the Jewish world gets busy with the Four Species – palm branches, myrtles, willows, and one bright yellow etrog. People wave them, shake them, walk around with them – and inevitably, a million little halachic questions pop up. Do you need to shake them all seven days? Can you talk while you’re waving? What if you borrowed the lulav – do you still get the mitzvah?
Grab your coffee (or your etrog-scented tea) and let’s break it down.
Four Species for one Day or Seven? The Biblical vs. Rabbinic Question
First up: is shaking the Four Species a Biblical commandment (de’oraita) for all seven days of Sukkot, or just the first day?
Back when the Temple in Jerusalem stood, the Torah itself commanded waving the lulav all seven days inside the Temple [Leviticus 23:40]. Everywhere else? Just the first day. That’s straight out of the Mishnah:
“Originally, the lulav was taken for seven days in the Temple, and for one day in the provinces. After the Temple was destroyed, Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai decreed that the lulav should be taken for seven days everywhere, in memory of the Temple.” [Mishnah Sukkah 3:12]
So, post-Temple, waving for all seven days became a rabbinic mitzvah, a kind of spiritual throwback to the Temple days. But there’s a twist: some interpretations of Maimonides (the Rambam) suggest that Jerusalem as a whole might count as “the Temple,” meaning the seven-day mitzvah could have remained Biblical there.
In other words: first day = Biblical everywhere. Days two through seven = rabbinic for the rest of us, unless you happen to be in ancient Jerusalem.
Do You Actually Have to Shake It?
Here’s where things get wavy – literally. Is the mitzvah to take the lulav or to shake it?
The Torah only says “take,” so technically, picking it up fulfills the mitzvah [Leviticus 23:40]. But shaking it in six directions – north, south, east, west, up, and down – became the universal practice. Why? The Talmud hints that shaking wards off bad winds and harmful dew [Sukkah 38a]. Basically, it’s like saying, “Rain in the right places, please, and no storms on my Sukkah roof.”
So while shaking might be what everyone remembers, the baseline mitzvah is the taking. The waving adds some cosmic drama – and who doesn’t love a little drama with their mitzvot?
Shhh… No Talking?
Okay, so you’ve got your lulav and etrog. You make the blessing: Baruch Atah… al netilat lulav. Now someone asks if you want cheesecake for dessert. Can you answer before you start shaking?
Here’s the deal: Halacha generally says no talking between a blessing and the mitzvah itself [Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 651:5]. For example, you don’t bless on putting on a tallit and then stop to chat about the weather before wrapping yourself in it.
But with the lulav, things get interesting. The moment you pick up all four species in the correct position – etrog stem down, pitam (the little floral tip) up – you’ve already technically fulfilled the mitzvah. The shaking, while important, is either a separate custom or an extension, depending on which authority you ask.
So, should you chat away while shaking? Most agree it’s best not to – especially since the main shaking happens during Hallel, the festival prayer, where interruptions are generally frowned upon [Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 488:1]. Bottom line: save the cheesecake debate for later.
Borrowed Lulav? Handle with Care
Now picture this: It’s the first day of Sukkot. An Ashkenazi woman (or man – this law doesn’t discriminate) wants to do the mitzvah but doesn’t own a lulav. A friend has one sitting in the corner. She borrows it without asking. Does she make the blessing?
Not so fast.
On the first day, the Torah says the lulav must be lachem – “yours” [Leviticus 23:40]. A stolen lulav is obviously out [Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 649:1]. But even a borrowed one doesn’t count on Day One [Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 649:2]. The only workaround? The owner has to give it as a gift, with the understanding that it will be returned. In halachic shorthand, this is called matana al menat lehachzir – “a gift on condition of return.”
So: borrowed lulav without permission = no blessing on Day One. With permission but no formal gift = still no blessing on Day One. Formal gift with return conditions = you’re good to go.
From Day Two onward, borrowing works fine, blessing included.
Sukkot Takeaways (Besides Cheesecake)
When you boil it down, here’s the cheat sheet for lulav logistics:
First Day = Biblical. Days Two–Seven = Rabbinic (outside the Temple/Jerusalem) [Mishnah Sukkah 3:12].
Shaking = traditional upgrade. Taking fulfills the mitzvah; shaking adds meaning (and maybe weather protection) [Sukkah 38a].
No Talking (at least for a minute). Bless first, wave second, chat third [Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 651:5; 488:1].
Borrowed Lulav = tricky on Day One. Needs to be a gift-on-condition-of-return; otherwise, no blessing [Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 649:1–2].
So next time you grab that bundle of greenery, you’ll know exactly when to wave, when to stay quiet, and when to double-check the ownership papers. Because nothing says Sukkot like combining spiritual joy with a little halachic fine print.
