Making Lulav Rings, Assembling your Lulav and Shaking it!

Still wondering how to assemble your Lulav, make the rings and how to shake it all up? To make it easy for you, I have posted three videos below teaching just how easy it is to make the Lulav rings. You can choose either way - whatever is easier! Thereafter, simple instructions are given to assemble your entire Lulav bundle. Please note, the instructions below will be for Chabad custom. Enjoy!

CHABAD CUSTOM TO ASSEMBLING THE LULAV:

• Two rings are placed on the Lulav (palm branch) proper, and these should be covered by the Hadassim (myrtle branches) and Aravot (willows), even the top ring, at least somewhat.
• Three rings are used to bind the Hadassim and Aravot to the Lulav.
• These three rings are to be all within one handbreath

Chabad custom is to increase in the 3 necessary Hadassim in various amounts, though as in all customs, only 2 Aravot are used.

CHABAD CUSTOM FOR SHAKING THE LULAV

Wave the Lulav three times to and fro in each direction. Each time the four species are brought back, their lower tips should touch the chest (over the heart.) One faces east when shaking.

The first shake is to the south
The second shake is to the north
The third is east (straight ahead)
The fourth is upward
The fifth is downward
The sixth is to the west - twice southwest and once due west

NOTES FOR CHABAD CUSTOM:

• The top of the Esrog should be held next to the bottom of the Lulav.
• When holding the Esrog while making the movements and during the Hoshanot, the top of the Esrog should be covered with the fingers.
• When moving the Lulav and Esrog due west, the Esrog should be uncovered.

One should make the blessing "Al netilat lulav" and "Shehecheyanu" early on the first available day to fulfill the Mitzvah. If the first day of Sukkot falls out on Shabbat, it is forbidden to shake the Lulav. In such a case, the first opportunity to bentch Lulav will be on Sunday morning. Those eager to fulfill the Mitzvah should bentch as soon as possible from daylight.

When making the blessing, hold only the Lulav, then pick up the Esrog (the correct way up i.e. the way the Etrog grows - Pitam on the top and the part that was attached to the tree pointing downwards) and slowly bring it together to the Lulav while making the Shehecheyanu blessing, touching the two together (bringing all four species together) at the conclusion of the blessing.

Wave the Lulav/Esrog in the directions indicated above.

HALLEL

During Hallel, only the Lulav is held until those periods of time when the shaking takes place. At that point, the Esrog is held together with the Lulav, shaked, and then the Esrog is placed down again while the Lulav remains in the right hand (for right handed people.)

During Hallel when saying "Hodu Lashem..." face east and wave the Lulav and Esrog three times in each direction, while saying the words:

"Hodu" - southeast
"Ki" - northeast
"Tov" - east
"Ki" - upward
"Leolam" - downward
"Chasdo" - twice southwest and once due west

The Lulav is not shaken at the time of saying G-d's name.


When reciting the "Ana Hashem Hoshiya Na" in Hallel:

Face east as above. When reciting the following words, face the following directions:

"Ana" - southeast and northeast
"Hoshiya" - east and upward
"Na" - downward and twice southwest and once due west

When reciting the final Hodu of Hallel follow the directions for Hodu above.

---

For further Torah related questions
or to study any Torah book of your choice
Contact Reb Eliyahu of Chessed Ve'Emet:
www.lovingkindness.co

---

MOST OF ALL - CHAG SOMAYACH!