“On the first day” – during the day but not at night; during the day, and even on Shabbat; “on the first day” – only the first day alone overrides Shabbat. “The fruit of a pleasant [hadar] tree” – Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: A tree that the taste of its trunk and its fruit are equal; this is the citron. “Hadar” – ben Azai said: It dwells [hadar] on its tree from year to year. Aquila the proselyte translated hadar: that it dwells [dar] on the water.
“Branches of [kapot] date palms” – Rabbi Tarfon says: Bound [kafut]; if it was separated, one should bind it.22If the leaves of the branch are separating, one should bind them to the spine. “A bough of a leafy tree” – whose leaves cover its branch; one must say this is a myrtle. “Willows of the brook” – I have derived only of the brook; of the valley and of the mountains, from where is it derived?
The verse states: “Willows of the brook.”23The plural term willows implies that different types of willows may be used, including those that do not grow on a brook. Abba Shaul says: “Willows of the brook” – two; a willow branch for the palm branch and a willow branch for the Temple.24The plural term willows alludes to two mitzvot involving the willow branch: to take a willow branch as one of the four species, and to take a willow branch in the Temple, apart from the four species (see Mishna Sukka 4:5).
Rabbi Shimon says: “The fruit of a pleasant tree” – one; “branches [kapot] of date palms” – one;25Even though kapot is plural, it is written without a vav, so it is expounded as though it is singular. Thus, one must take only one citron [etrog] and one palm branch [lulav]. “a bough of a leafy tree” – three;26The word tree is unnecessary in this verse. It is therefore understood that it is added because the number of words in this phrase is significant.
Since the phrase “a bough of a leafy tree [anaf etz avot]” includes three Hebrew words, it is understood that one must take three branches of a myrtle. “willows of the brook” – two boughs. And [of the three myrtle branches, there must be] one that is not severed. Rabbi Tarfon says: Even if the three of them are severed [they remain valid].