The Perfect Esrog

The Esrog tree and its fruit have the same taste. This suggests that the means (the tree) should not be different from the end (the fruit). Much of our lives are spent on the means of things. Torah, however, does not separate between the means and the end. The means are also endowed with G-dly purpose. The means must be suffused with the vitality of the end. As we travel on the road towards the final Redemption we must suffuse every moment and every inch of the way with the energy of Redemption, by living our lives now as if we were already at our destination. We attempt to bring the joy and sanctity of life in the Messianic Age to these last moments of exile.

An Intriguing Fruit

The upcoming Holiday of Sukkos features several joyous Mitzvah observances. First and foremost, we dwell in a Sukkah for seven days (in the Diaspora we add on another day of Sukkah dwelling). The second Mitzvah is to take the Four Kinds (Esrog-from the citrus family, Lulav-a palm branch, Hadassim-myrtles and Aravos-willows) and shake them every day (except Shabbos). Third, there is a Mitzvah to rejoice; a command that goes even beyond the requirement of rejoicing during the other Festivals. This Holiday is therefore referred to as Z’man Simchaseinu-the Season of Our Rejoicing.

The Beautiful Fruit

In this message we will focus on the Esrog, which is one of the four components of the Mitzvah of the Four Kinds.

The Esrog is a most intriguing fruit. Some of its many unique features are highlighted by the Torah and Talmud.

First, it is the only fruit that is referred to in the Torah as Hadar-beautiful. There is something about its appearance that elicits a reaction of admiration. The Midrash identifies the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge as an Esrog! It is based partially on Onkelus, the Aramaic translation of the words, “it was desirable…-u’merageg,” which shares the same root as the word Esrog. Indeed, Onkelos translates the entire phrase as “It was desirable to gaze upon.” The Esrog represents the ultimate in beauty.

The Unifying Fruit

Second, the Talmud identifies a unique trait about the Esrog in that it “lives on the tree from year to year,” meaning that it thrives in all seasons. Each of the four seasons contributes to the growth of the Esrog. This trait underscores its unifying element. It expresses unity because it unites all the disparate seasons to serve the common objective of producing an extraordinary fruit. When you look at the Esrog you see the collective influence of four seasons.

In truth, the other three species used for the Mitzvah also express unity: The Lulav’s leaves must be “bound.” However, these leaves can actually be separated and then the unity unravels. The unity of the myrtle derives from the way three leaves grow out of one stem. Here too, there are three distinct leaves. One can rip off a leaf or it can fall off of its own accord. The unity is not absolute. The willows are considered to be unified because they grow in “brotherly” clusters. However, they are still separate leaves living together in harmony.

Only the Esrog’s unity is intrinsic, organic and cannot be unraveled. It is a single fruit and one cannot separate the influence of winter, or any of the other seasons, from the Esrog itself.

Fruit before the Leaves

The Tosphos commentary (composed by the Sages of France in the 12th-14th centuries) uses one of the Esrog’s unique botanical features to explain an enigmatic statement in the Talmud. When the Jewish nation was offered the Torah, the peoples’ response was: “Na’aseh v’nishmah-we will do and we will hear.” The Talmud likens their willingness to accept the Torah before hearing its contents to the apple, which produces its fruit before its leaves.

Tosphos raises the obvious question. Apple trees do, in fact, produce their leaves before their fruit as do all other fruit trees. How then could the Talmud state otherwise?

Tosphos answers that the Hebrew word for apple, which is ta’puach, actually refers to the Esrog in this instance. The Esrog tree indeed produces its fruit before its leaves. The Esrog tree will therefore always have fruit on its branches. The fruit of one season will still be on the tree when the leaves of the next season emerge.

Thus, in addition to the theme of unity, the Esrog also represents the unconditional nature of our acceptance of the Torah, in return for which, as our Sages state, G-d gave each Jew two crowns.

Barking up the Right Tree

Third, the Talmud identifies another unique trait of the Esrog: The bark and the fruit have the same taste. When G-d created vegetation, our Sages state, His original intent was for all trees to share the taste of their fruit. This desire, however, did not happen. How can that be that G- d’s original intention did not materialize?

The answer is that G-d’s original intention was the way He chose to state the ideal and objective of His creation. It is up to us to work towards the realization of G-d’s plan. The purpose of His plan is for human beings to bring ultimate consistency to fruition in this world. We must strive for external as well as inner perfection. It is the mark of consistency and integrity that every part of the person is in total sync with every other part. However, G-d did not intend for this ideal to be manifested immediately. G-d wants a world which we make perfect. However, G-d allowed this physical model of perfection to exist in some areas, such as the Esrog, to remind us of our goal.

Taste and Fragrance

Fourth, the Midrash extols the virtue of the Esrog inasmuch as it has both an exquisite taste (in Talmudic times it was a delicacy served at royal tables) and a wonderful fragrance. It is a metaphor for the well- rounded and balanced Jew, who is both learned (taste and reason share the same Hebrew word ta’am) and whose performance of the Mitzvos is admirable (good deeds give a person a good reputation, much like the wafting of a good fragrance).

The Preferred Path

Fifth, The Midrash likens the shape of the Esrog to the shape of the heart. The Esrog signifies the person who has a warm and sincere heart. Ethics of the Fathers cites Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai’s extolling the virtue of his disciple, Rabbi Elazar, who said that the best path for a man to follow is “a good heart” (chapter 2:10-13).

Humility

Sixth, commentators point out that the initials of the words from Psalms “Don’t lead me to the path of arrogance” spells Esrog. The Esrog, with all of its qualities is also the symbol of humility.

Esrog in Code

Seventh, there is one more interesting feature about the very word Esrog. The Talmud discusses various “codes” from which one can discover additional insights in the Biblical text. One such code is called at bash, which simply substitutes the last letter of the alphabet (tav) for the first (aleph), second last letter (shin) for the second letter (beis), and so on.

It is intriguing to see that if we apply this code to the word Esrog, the result remains Esrog, albeit in a rearranged form. אתרג=תאגר.

(Another word where the code yields a similar result is the word tzedakah-charity. When applying the at bash code צדקה becomes הקדצ. In this case the result is actually the word tzedakah in reverse. Perhaps the message is that whenever we give tzedakah we receive whatever we gave in return.)

What is the message with regard to the Esrog?

Perhaps the fact that when we apply the code we get the same letters in return signifies that the secret and the revealed are one and the same. This echoes the message, mentioned above, that the taste of the tree is the same as the taste of the Esrog itself.

Means is the End and the End is in the Means

However, one can detect a nuance of difference in these two lessons.

That the Esrog tree and its fruit are the same could suggest that the means (the tree) is not different from the end (the fruit).

Much of our lives are spent on the means of things. If we had to tally how much of our time, energy and resources are spent on the means, we would quickly discover that it consumes the overwhelming majority of them. We sleep as a means to acquire the energy to function the next day. So too is our eating of food. Sometimes it seems that all of life is one endless cycle. Frequently our employment is unrewarding, but we need the paycheck to buy the things we need to help us through the day, so that we have the strength to go to work the next day… Even people who have clear goals and objectives in life spend most of their time, energy and resources on the road that gets them there.

Torah, however, does not separate between the means and the end. It is impossible to get to the end without the means; therefore, the means are also endowed with G-dly purpose. Moreover, the person must live the means with the same energy level and joy as if it he or she was experiencing the end result. The means must be suffused with the vitality of the end.

There is a special lesson for us here as we travel on the road towards the final Redemption. We suffuse every moment we are in motion and every inch of the way we must travel with the energy of Redemption, by living our lives now as if we were already at our destination. We attempt to bring the joy and sanctity of life in the Messianic Age to these last moments of exile.

We may draw a different lesson from the fact that the coded form of the word Esrog is the same as the revealed form. This additional lesson suggests that an Esrog personality is one whose secret existence is as beautiful and real as his or her outer appearance.

We can see now that the Esrog represents the ideals of : beauty, unity, dedication, perfection, balance, a good heart, humility and integrity.

Esrog: Four Perfections

However if we were to sum up all of these traits, we would realize that their common denominator is a profound expression of wholeness and perfection. This is further exemplified by virtue of the law that an Esrog used in performing the Mitzvah of the Four Kinds must be whole and unblemished. If it is even slightly defective, the Esrog is not kosher for use on Sukkos.

Commentators point out that there are four items about which the term shleimah-perfection is employed in our prayers and in classical Jewish literature: אמונה Emunah- Belief (“I believe with complete faith…”); תשובה Teshuvahrepentance or return (“…help me return with a complete repentance”), רפואה Refuah-healing (“…provide with a cure and complete recovery”) and Geulah-Redemption (“…redeem us with a complete Redemption”). The initials of these four words spells אתרג Esrog.

The Esrog thus epitomizes the ultimate perfection of the Jew and of the entire world, a phenomenon that will be realized imminently with the coming of Moshiach and the ultimate Redemption.

From the book Light from the Future: Sukkos by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.