God's Four Species

Sukkot

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Leviticus 23:40: "On the first day, you must take for yourself a fruit of the citron tree, an unopened palm frond, myrtle branches, and willows [that grow near] the brook. You shall rejoice before God for seven days."

This translation is taken from Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's Living Torah, where he has the following footnotes sourcing the definitions of the branches and fruit in question.

"citron tree - (Targum; Saadia). Hadar in Hebrew, usually referred to as Ethrog."unopened palm frond - (Sukkah 32a; Rashi)."myrtle branches – (cf. Sukkah 32b; Rashi). The practice is to place three such branches in the bunch."willows... - (cf. Sukkah 34a). Two are placed in the bunch, together with the palm frond and myrtle."

The curiosity that pervades these days – the kind that overrides the "Bible states, therefore it is" explanation – may cause people to wonder "Why these specific items? What, if anything, is 'special' about them?"

The Sefer HaManhig explains that the Etrog (citron) resembles a heart (in shape), and comes to bring atonement for the (sinful) thoughts of the heart. The Hadas (myrtle) resembles eyes (in shape) to atone for (sins) of probing eyes. These two follow the verse, "You will then not stray after your heart and eyes…" (Bamidbar 15:39). The Aravah (willow) resembles the lips, to atone for sins that come from utterances of the lips. And why the Lulav (palm frond)? Just as the Lulav (לולב) has only one heart (this is a play on the word Lulav – which can be read in Hebrew as "Lo Lev" (לו לב) – it has a heart of palm!), so too Israel has only one heart, which is directed towards its Father in heaven.

It would seem that the four species are heavily symbolic in that they help us achieve atonement that may have escaped our Yom Kippur efforts. This revelation would indicate that those who poke others with their Lulav, or who shake the Lulav set in a manner similar to a Jedi light-sabre, are missing the point of the mitzvah.

Even for those who don't care so much for the "shape of item resembles a body-part" approach, there are textual suggestions that make these items even more compelling.

In Vayikra Rabba 30:9, in a statement sometimes accredited to Rabbi Akiva, the Midrash demonstrates how each of the Four Species is a reference to the Almighty. The Pri Etz Hadar (Etrog) refers to God, as it says, "You (God) are clothed in majesty and splendor (Hadar)." (Tehillim 104:1)

The Kapot T'marim (Lulav) refers to God, as it says, "The righteous flourish like a date palm (Tamar)." (Tehillim 92:13) The Anaf Etz Avot (Hadasim) refer to God, as it says, "And He was standing among the myrtles (Hadasim)." (Zechariah 1:8) [This reference is to the vision of an angel.] And Arvei Nachal (Aravot) refer to God, as it says, "With His name [as identified in the verse], acclaim the One who rides the Aravot [the highest firmament of the heavens]."

By all rights, argues the Chid"a, we should not be allowed to use these items. These are God's belongings – the Lulav is comparable to God's scepter! Even were the king to allow his subjects to minimize his honor, the Talmud states in numerous places that he is ignored. His honor is not his own to discard.

However, explains the Chid"a, since the Children of Israel are described in the Torah as God's children (Devarim 14:1), the contrasted ruling to that of the king is that if a father forgives his honor, he is granted that allowance, and his children can make use of his property.

Some of the senior members of our People recall a time when very few individuals, or perhaps only the rabbi had a set of the Four Species. We are to be grateful that we live in a time when not only are the Four Species available all around the world, but most Jews can afford their own set.

As the holiday of Sukkot comes upon us, and we undertake the mitzvah of the Four Species, let us express our gratitude for the fortuitous circumstance that allows for the widespread observance of this mitzvah. Let us also appreciate the hidden depth in the mitzvah, as we are given the chance to get closer to God through holding and waving the items that are Biblically connected directly to Him.

A Big Og? UGH!

Parshat Chukat

by Rabbi Avi Billet

In the battles that round out the end of Parshat Chukat, Moshe and the Israelites defeat Sichon and Og, and their respective nations. Before the battle with Og, Moshe is told by God not to fear for "I have given him into your hands." (21:34)

The Torah describes both kings as "giants," though the nature of their actual size is never discussed in the Torah itself. (The size of Og's bed is mentioned in Devarim 3:11, and while oversized, it by no means indicates he was anywhere near the height of a tall tree.) The Talmud (Niddah 64a) further tells us the two kings were brothers, and the rabbis talked about their individual stories, including discussions about how they each merited to achieve the longevity they enjoyed in their lives.

Some accounts indicate they may have been living since the time of the flood (around 800 years – See Rabbenu Bachaye on Bamidbar 21:34) while others say they were living from the time of Avraham (500 years).

The one with greater merits was Og, who is attributed with being the "palit" or refugee from the Sdom war of Bereishit 14, who came to tell Avraham about his nephew Lot's capture. It was the merit of helping Avraham save Lot that caused Moshe to fear Og's infallibility (Niddah 64a).

Moshe did not fear Sichon, so whatever size "giant" he may have been was clearly not a deterrent to facing him in battle. Og's merits, not his size, was the source of Moshe's concern.

The Talmud (Brachot 54b) describes the battle encounter of Moshe against Og. "Og uprooted a mountain of three parasangs and placed it on his head [to cover the Israelite camp with it.] God set grasshoppers upon it, and they burrowed a hole in the mountain and it fell round his neck. He tried to pull it off his head with his teeth but could not… How tall was Moshe? Ten cubits. He grabbed hold of an axe ten cubits long, leaped ten cubits, struck Og in the ankle and killed him."

On a simple literal level, Moshe was no slouch himself. A height of ten cubits would be somewhere between fifteen and twenty feet tall. While such a height is not something we see as likely, it is almost in the realm of the explainable.

At the same time, if Og's ankle was 30 cubits high, we can only imagine how big he was – a few hundred feet tall! He would make King Kong (25 feet) look smaller than a teddy bear in his eyes.

In an article entitled "The biology of King Kong" (Forbes.com, December 2005) the author quotes John Hutchinson, a researcher of large animals, who estimated Kong would weigh anywhere from 20 to 60 tons. He would not be athletic and would barely be able to move, supporting such weight on two legs.

In his book "Sacred Monsters" Rabbi Natan Slifkin indicates a giant of such magnitude (skyscraper height) would weigh in the millions of pounds.

Given that the indicated height of Og as suggested in the Talmud is likely not meant to be taken literally due to the biological improbability, how then are we to understand the Talmud?

Professor Admiel Kosman of Bar Ilan University wrote an article which appeared in "Professors on the Parashah" (Urim Publications) entitled "Was Og Just a Tall Story?" It can also be found online here.

He quotes the Rashba, who explains each image as a metaphor to merits. "The "mountain" that was Og's weapon alludes to the merits of our patriarchs," in his case Avraham, whom he had helped to save his nephew. "The grasshoppers, an allusion to the prayers of the Israelites, caused the merits of this "mountain" to disintegrate… Moses joined in the fray, countering the merits of Og with three other merits: the merits of the patriarchs (ten cubit leap into the past)…; Moses' own personal merits (ten cubits tall); and the merits of the people of Israel as a whole (ten-cubit ax)…. All these formed the weapon that Moses wielded against the merits of Og, and through them Og was ultimately vanquished."

The Maharsha (Brachot 54b) wonders why Moshe would be concerned that the merit of the forefathers would work more strongly for Og than for Moshe himself. He suggests instead that Og carried with him "Kochot HaTumah" (strength of impurity) that could come head to head with Moshe's spiritual powers.

He suggests that the 10-cubit ax represents the merit of the 2 tablets which contained the 10 Commandments. The 10-cubit jump represents the Mishkan which was 10-cubits tall, and had been erected by Moshe all by himself. [Moshe's height could refer to the merit of the ten plagues he had brought about.]

Not everything we read in the Torah and Midrashim is meant to be taken absolutely literally. While some things can be rationalized and explained as a supernatural creation or act of God, not everything must be explained in such a manner.

We are challenged to find satisfactory explanations for the Aggadic tales which are difficult to explain on a simple level. Only when we have sought the depths of Torah and its lessons to the point we are happy with the explanations can we truly say we have fulfilled our obligation of Torah study.