Why is such eminence ascribed to the Lulav? Why is the Lulav so paramount? After all, according to Chazal, the Esrog represents the Tzaddik, the wholly righteous person, who is resplendent in both good deeds and Torah learning. Yet, surprisingly, the Beracha that is recited focuses entirely on the Lulav, (as we say “Al Netilas Lulav.”) Furthermore, it is the Lulav and the accompanying Hadassim and Arava’s that are held in the right hand, which is a symbol of stature and veneration.
The Lulav and Hadassim represent the Jew who is a work in progress. He still has to work on his character traits and interpersonal relations or hasn’t performed the Mitzvos up to par. The Arava’s personifies the Jew who is totally derelict- he hasn’t learned Torah, nor has he been kind to others. Astoundingly, the Esrog, the Tzaddik, is relegated to the left hand! Why is the Esrog so seemingly mistreated?
I would like to share with you an incredible answer that I heard from Rav Yitzchok Fingerer shlita: The Kesav Sofer says that upon taking the Esrog – the beautiful Jew, and unifying it with the Lulav, Hadasim, and Arava’s – the other types of Jews, the other Jews are now ignited and inspired. They want to do Teshuvah. They want to learn! They want to grow! They want to change! The Kesav Sofer explains that the other Jews who are transformed by the Esrog, those who were unaffiliated or needed Chizuk, are considered even holier than the Esrog, the perfect Tzaddik! The power of Teshuvah elevated the other Jews to such great heights. It is for this reason that they are the focus of the Beracha and are held in the right hand. Those who return spiritually are considered even holier than those who impacted them! (Gemara Berachos 34b)
Each mitzvah brought Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim, great excitement. Before Sukkos, his children would bring him several lulavim and esrogim to choose from. One year, Yom Kippur fell on a Thursday and one of Rav Nosson Tzvi’s students had to go away for the Shabbos between Yom Kippur and Succos, leaving behind a lulav that he had purchased near his bed in the Mir dormitory. After Shabbos, the student returned and he found his bedding askew and his lulav smashed – his lulav had become pasul (invalid)!
The student asked his roommate what had happened to his bed, not wanting to confront him about the lulav. The roommate answered, “My friend came for Shabbos, and he needed a place to sleep, I figured that you wouldn’t mind…” The student was very perturbed, and he expressed his frustration to his Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Nosson Tzvi. Rav Nosson Tzvi told his student, “Lots of people bring me lulavim because they want me to use their lulav, please come to my house later and choose a lulav from my collection.” Later that day, the student went to Rav Nosson Tzvi’s home and found several beautiful lulavim on the table. He chose one and then asked Rav Nosson Tzvi how much it cost. Rav Nosson Tzvi said that he would not take the full price, insisting that the student should only pay him the price he had paid for his first lulav – which was less than half the value of this lulav! However, Rav Nosson Tzvi said, “I’m doing this on one condition, you can’t bear a grudge against your roommate.” The student agreed and went back to Yeshiva elated at the thought of using this beautiful lulav on Succos.
Later this student found out that Rav Nosson Tzvi did not have any extra lulavim. He had asked all his family members to put their lulavim on the table, and then made sure that each of his family members had a lulav – besides for him. Rav Nosson Tzvi was punctilious in his mitzvah observance because he loved all mitzvos – and the mitzvah of promoting peace in the yeshivah was as important as the others! (Story related in Rav Nosson Tzvi’s Biography)
