Following the solemn days of judgment and repentance, the festival of Sukkot introduces a period of profound joy and spiritual triumph. Gathering specific plants and holding them aloft serves as a physical expression of this victory, much like raising a flag after emerging vindicated from a trial [רא״ש, דעת זקנים, כלי יקר]. The primary approach among commentators highlights two central requirements for fulfilling this Commandment. First, the act of taking the plants must be entirely personal, performed by the hands of every individual. Second, the species must be the absolute private property of the person holding them, which strictly disqualifies the use of any borrowed or stolen plants [תורה תמימה, רש ר הירש, רלב״ג].
This ritual takes place on the first day of the festival, specifically during the daylight hours [תורה תמימה, אדרת אליהו]. Beyond the simple calendar date, this timing carries a deeper significance. It marks the first day of a new spiritual ledger. Since all previous sins were forgiven on Yom Kippur, this moment represents the very first day that human actions are tallied anew [רא״ש, חזקוני, כלי יקר].
The instructions detail four distinct plant species, beginning with a beautiful tree fruit, traditionally identified as the citron, or etrog. Commentators offer several complementary insights into its unique beauty. It is a tree whose wood and fruit share the exact same taste. It also dwells continuously on its tree from year to year; its fruits do not simply drop off but remain and grow alongside the new crop. Furthermore, its description is linked to an ancient root denoting desire and beauty, as well as to the Greek word for water, reflecting its need for abundant irrigation and its ability to grow near any water source [רמב״ן, רש״י, תורה תמימה, רש ר הירש].
Next is the palm branch, or lulav. The details of the Commandment dictate that only a single branch is taken. Its leaves must be tightly bound, closed, and attached to one another, rather than spreading out wildly like the branches of other trees [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, רלב״ג, מלבי״ם].
The third species is the myrtle branch, described as a braided canopy. This refers to a specific botanical phenomenon where three leaves emerge from a single point on the stem, completely covering the wood, and three such branches must be taken [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, תורה תמימה]. Finally, the willow branches, known for their red stems and elongated, smooth-edged leaves, complete the set. Although they are named for their natural habitat along riverbanks, they are perfectly valid for the Commandment even if they grow in mountains or dry fields, and two willow branches are required [רלב״ג, תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם].
While the initial instruction focuses on the first day, a subsequent directive calls for rejoicing before God for seven days. The prevailing consensus among commentators resolves this apparent contradiction by explaining that the obligation to take the species everywhere applies only on the first day. However, before God, meaning within the Temple, the Commandment of taking the species and rejoicing continues throughout all seven days of the festival [רלב״ג, רש ר הירש, מלבי״ם, תורה תמימה].
On a conceptual level, binding these four species together represents the ultimate wholeness of both the individual and the nation. A famous Midrash equates the plants to four types of people within the Israelites. The etrog, possessing both taste and fragrance, symbolizes those who have both Torah knowledge and good deeds. The lulav, which has taste but no smell, represents those with Torah knowledge but no deeds. The myrtle, having fragrance but no taste, stands for people of action who lack Torah study. The willow, lacking both, represents those who have neither. Binding them together teaches that God is not fully appeased until the entire nation unites into a single entity, where each group atones for and completes the others [רבנו בחיי, דעת זקנים, רש ר הירש, חומש קה״ת].
Similarly, the species mirror the human anatomy: the etrog resembles the heart, the lulav the spine, the myrtle the eyes, and the willow the lips. Taking them together harnesses all physical forces and organs for the service of the Creator, while also atoning for any sins committed through them [רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה, דעת זקנים]. Finally, these plants serve as a reminder of the nation's founding fathers, whose merit sustains the Israelites. Abraham, who publicized God's presence in the world, is the etrog; Isaac, who was bound on the altar, is the lulav; Jacob, who was surrounded by a multitude of children, is the myrtle; and Joseph, who experienced profound turbulence and changes in his life, is the willow [רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה].