Shaking Your Soul Awake: The Spiritual GPS of the Four Species

Ever wonder why we don't just hold the  Lulav and Etrog  like a fancy prop, make the blessing over the Four Species , and call it a day? Instead, each day of Sukkot (except for Shabbat), we give them a good shake (three times, to be exact) in six directions: East, South, West, North, up and down. It’s not just a quirky Jewish custom – as always, there's a beautiful, symbolic reason behind it!

According to Kabbalistic tradition, as explained by Rabbi Isaac Luria, the Arizal, you wave the Four Species in the following directions: South, North, East, up, down, and West, bringing them back to your heart each time.

The Arizal then adds a mystical layer to this routine. Each direction, he explains, corresponds to a specific emotion:

South: Kindness (chesed)

North: Discipline (gevurah)

East: Harmony (tiferet)

Up: Perseverance (netzach)

Down: Submission (hod)

West: Connection (yesod)

…And bringing the Four Species to your heart? That’s all about communication (malchut). This is like turning a spiritual GPS on. But what does that mean? Our sages explain that the manifestation of the Divine Presence in this world – the Shechinah – stems from the West. If the Shechinah is in the West, figuratively, when facing East, South would be to its right and North to its left.

In this way, the Four Species are your personal power pack! Think of each movement, as charging a different part of you. Waving them North and South sparks your inner kindness and discipline. East and West movements bring harmony and connection to your center, while upward and downward boost your perseverance and humility. And the best part? The seventh attribute, “communication,” is represented by the heart to which the Four Kinds are continually returned. 

In the Chabad tradition, they face East the entire time they wave the Four Species . After each movement, the lulav and etrog touch the area of the chest where the heart is. It’s a heartfelt connection, l iterally and figuratively!

And that’s not the only fascinating custom Chabad has. See our “To Decorate, or Not?... Two Approaches to Sukkah Decorations,” for more on their unexpectedly light-touch approach to Sukkah decorating, and how that can work for you too. 

The Talmud goes beyond those six directions, though, and explains that the Four Species themselves represent the four different types of people in our nation:

Lulav (palm frond): Has taste but no smell, symbolizing the Torah scholar who excels in learning but not in righteous deeds.

Hadas (myrtle): Has a smell but no taste, representing someone great in good deeds but not in Torah knowledge.

Etrog (citrus fruit): Has both a pleasant taste and smell, symbolizing someone excelling in both Torah study and good deeds.

Aravah (willow): Has neither taste nor smell, representing those lacking in both.

The goal is to bring all four types of people together into a single, unified and indivisible group.

Interestingly, the blessing we recite over the Four Species, however, only mentions the lulav , even though all four species are present. Let’s take a look at why. 

The Talmud explains that the blessing over the Four Species only mentions the lulav, because it’s the tallest and most noticeable.

This physical prominence reflects the spiritual dominance of the lulav, representing Torah study, which fuels Jewish life. Torah study empowers us to transform our world.

When we wave the lulav and its companions (the Four Species), we symbolize this transformative power. The Southern Hemisphere is hotter than the Northern, so South represents heat and North represents cold.

We start by waving the Four Species South, then North, showing that Torah study helps us master both fiery desires and icy indifference.

Next, we wave it East, where the sun rises, signifying the light that Torah brings into the world. Waving the Four Species upward means reaching higher knowledge through Torah, while waving it downward shows our influence on even the lowest aspects of life.

Finally, we wave the Four Species West, symbolizing G‑d's presence and our partnership with Him in creation, influencing His actions and even nullifying His decrees, when we deserve it.

So, the next time you grab the lulav and etrog , remember you’re not just waving fancy greenery. You’re shaking your soul awake and plugging into some serious spiritual energy! Each shake is like hitting the refresh button on your inner kindness, discipline, harmony, perseverance, humility, and connection. And every time you bring those species back to your heart, you’re giving a nod to communication and unity.

For more captivating (and just plain useful!) Four Species content, check out “What You Need to Know About the Lulav and Etrog” and “Lulav & Etrog Like a Pro: The Beginner’s Guide to Buying the Four Species.”