(Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day [beautiful tree fruit, branches of palm trees, boughs of dense trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days].” This text is related (to Prov. 4:10), “Heed, my child, and take in (rt.: lqh) my words,” and (in Prov. 2:1), “treasure my commandments.” I have charged you with many takings (rt.: lqh) in order to benefit you. I told you (in Numb. 19:2), “’And let them bring (rt.: lqh) you a red cow.’
Was it possibly for My sake? No. I only did it in order to cleanse you. Is it not so written (in vs. 19), ‘And the clean person shall sprinkle it [upon the unclean person]?’ I told you (in Exod. 25:2), ‘And let them take (rt.: lqh) for Me a priestly share,’ so that I might dwell among you.”
It is so stated (in vs. 8), “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.’” He, as it were, spoke a difficult thing to them, “Take Me that I may dwell among you.” “And take a priestly share” is not written here, but “And let them take (for) Me a priestly share.” [It is] I, [whom] you are taking.”
“I said to you (in Exod. 27:20), ‘And let them bring unto you pure olive oil.’ Do I need your light? It is simply to preserve your souls, since the soul is likened to a lamp, where it is stated (in Prov. 20:27), ‘A person's soul is a lamp of the Lord.’ And now when it says (in Lev. 23:40), ‘And you shall take for yourselves on the first day,’ it is not because it is necessary for Me, but in order to benefit you.” (Lev. 23:40:) “A beautiful tree fruit, branches of palm trees, boughs of dense trees and willows of the brook.”
What is the nature of these four species? Some of them produce fruit and some of them do not produce fruit. “A beautiful tree fruit, the branches of the palm trees.” These are the righteous, [because they have good works, which are like these plants that have fruit]. “Boughs of dense trees and willows of the brook.”
These are the average Israelites. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “All of you join together to become a single group, so that there not be leftovers among my children. If you have done so, I will be exalted upon you.” And so the prophet says (in Amos 9:6), “Who builds His upper chambers in the heavens and founds His celestial vault upon earth.”
Now when is He exalted? When they become a single group (agudah), as stated (ibid., cont.), “and founds His celestial vault (agudah) upon earth.”