So you’ve scored your lulav (palm frond), hadassim (myrtles), and aravot (willow branches ) for Sukkot, but staring at it and the thought of tying them together makes your palms sweat? Fear not, fellow celebrant! Here's what you need to know to tie your trio into the perfect bundle:
Binding Your Lulav Like A Pro
Forget the Frankenstein approach – the lulav, hadassim, and aravot shouldn’t just be bound together with random household items. Though technically one can bind this trio together with any material, traditionally, they’re bound together with... lulav leaves themselves!
Hold My Holder
There's no single universally followed way to bind the lulav – like choosing your Sukkah décor ; different communities have different customs! Many folks use an optional woven lulav holder with handy pockets for the hadassim and aravot. Slide it on, secure it with a lulav leaf strip around the middle, and voilà! You have your bundle.
Just remember: Hadassim must be on the right of your lulav, while the aravot hang out on the left.
The Three Lulav Rings
It is customary to add three lulav leaf rings around the lulav, all within one handbreadth (approx. 3.2 inches) of each other, helping keep it together as you shake it. But these aren't just any rings – they symbolize our three Patriarchs: Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.
Chabad Style: Binding Like a Sukkah Samurai
Team Chabad likes to take an even more hands-on approach. Whilst some choose to bind their lulav bundle well in advance, Chabad binds the lulav right before the holiday, channeling their inner Sukkah samurai and whipping up the whole thing right in the Sukkah itself. And this is how they do it:
One aravah is placed on the right of the lulav (meaning, to the right of the person holding the lulav) and one on the left.
One hadas is placed on the right of the lulav and one on the left (somewhat covering the aravot)
A third hadas is placed in the middle. Once these are all in place, they are bound together with the three lulav strips.
They also ditch the fancy woven holder and tie the hadassim and aravot directly to the lulav with three lulav leaf strips, all within a handbreadth (approx. 3.2 inches) of each other (remember that bit from above?).
Trim Your Lulav, Captain!
The tops of the hadassim and aravot should be at least a handbreadth (approx. 3.2 inches) below the lulav's spine (ie. beneath the point where the lulav leaves stop protruding from its sides). This leaves enough room for some epic shaking action without accidentally whacking your neighbor or, worse yet, the fragile lulav itself. Don't worry, if those leafy companions are a little too tall, a quick trim from the bottom won't hurt (as long as they stay at least three handbreadths long).
Bonus Tip: The Eagle Scout Slipknot
Lulav not pre-bound? No worries! You can bind it on the first day (or second, if the first falls on Shabbat) using slipknots. Regular knots are a no-go on a Shabbat or Yom Tov, so think of it as a festive brain teaser – a way to add a little extra challenge to your Sukkot celebration.
Congratulations! You’re ready to conquer your lulav bundle, and tie it with the confidence of a seasoned Sukkot celebrant.
Chag Sukkot Sameach!
