Take the four species we use on Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles: the etrog (citron), the lulav (palm branch), the hadass (myrtle), and the aravah (willow). We wave them, we rejoice with them… but what are we really doing?
According to Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, these aren’t just random plants we picked. In fact, Rabbi Mani kicks things off by connecting them directly to our very being! He says that the verse from Psalms, "All my bones will say: Lord, who is comparable to You," (Psalms 35:10) is specifically about the lulav and its companion species. Why? Because, according to this midrash, each one symbolizes a vital part of us: the spine (lulav), the eye (hadass), the mouth (aravah), and the heart (etrog).
Wow.
David, in this interpretation, recognized that these seemingly small things are actually immense, representing the most crucial parts of the human body. They're not just parts; they're equal in significance to the entire body. It’s as if our entire being is wrapped up in this ritual.
But it goes deeper. Vayikra Rabbah then delves into a fascinating interpretation of Proverbs, linking even the great King Solomon to the mystery of the four species. Imagine Solomon, renowned for his wisdom, sitting and pondering these very plants! We read, "Wisdom and knowledge is granted to you" (I Chronicles 2:12), and "Solomon’s wisdom exceeded [the wisdom of all the people]…. He became the wisest of all people" (I Kings 5:10–11). Yet, he was stumped!
The text references Proverbs 30:18, "There are three things that are beyond me, and four I do not know." Here, the "three things" are interpreted as the core elements of the Passover sacrifice: the Paschal offering, unleavened bread (matzah), and bitter herbs (maror). But the "four I do not know"? According to this midrash, those are the very four species of the lulav!
Solomon, the wisest of men, struggled to grasp the essence of these plants. He questioned: how do we know that the "fruit of a pleasant tree" is specifically an etrog? After all, aren't all fruits pleasant? And while the Torah mentions "branches of date palms", why do we only take one lulav? Similarly, with the myrtle: Nehemiah 8:15 mentions bringing "olive branches, [pine branches, myrtle branches, date palm branches, and branches of a leafy tree, to make sukkot]" – so how do we know that "a bough of a leafy tree" is specifically myrtle? And the willows – "all trees grow with water," so what makes these special?
So, if Solomon couldn't figure it out, who did?
The answer, according to Vayikra Rabbah, is the Sages! Remember Proverbs 30:24, “[They are four that are small upon the earth], but they are exceedingly wise”? The Sages, through their deep understanding and interpretation of the Torah, clarified for Israel that these four species are indeed the etrog, lulav, hadass, and aravah. They may appear insignificant, but to the Holy One, blessed be He, they are profoundly meaningful.
It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? We hold these four species in our hands, year after year. We might even rush through the ritual. But maybe, just maybe, there's a universe of hidden wisdom waiting to be unlocked, connecting us to our bodies, our history, and the divine. Perhaps the next time we wave the lulav, we can remember Solomon's struggle and the Sages' wisdom, and appreciate the profound depth within something that seems, on the surface, so simple.