Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The Search for the perfect Lulav and Etrog



B"H

Sometimes it can be a real "pain" being a woman. Not only some chassidic Tishes are inaccessible for females, also many Lulav and Etrog markets are forbidden to them. Just look at Mea Shearim or Bar Ilan Street: Women are simply not wanted due to modesty reasons !
The best example is the huge market at Kikar Zupnik right next to Kikar Shabbat (Mea Shearim / Ge'ulah). Women may watch the scenery from behind the wall around the yard but nothing further.

I heard that the government has allowed importing Lulavim (palm branches) from Gaza because Israelis Lulavim are terribly expensive these days. Let alone the price for a perfect Etrog (citrus).
It goes without saying that someone should fulfill the Mitzvah of shaking the Lulav with great intention and joy but does this always justify the high price for an Etrog ?
Honestly, I don't understand some guys when they go out and buy the best Etrog for several hundred Shekels but their family has hardly any food on the table.

This always reminds me of, I think it was the first Rebbe of Chernobyl, who bought the most expensive and wonderful Etrog and his wife was so upset that she threw the fruit against the wall because the Rebbe had sold the Tefillin he once inherited from the Baal Shem Tov.
This story is being told in different versions and I heard it this way.

Maybe I am like the wife in the story: Extremely practical.
I am sorry but sometimes it looks like that, on those markets, men behave like buying their favourite toy.

Despite only men searching for their perfect Lulav in order to fulfill the Mitzvah beautifully, women are allowed to shake the Lulav as well !
In Jerusalem, Chabad usually has many stands during Sukkot where men and women are able to fulfill the Mitzvah.

Pictures of searching Chassidim:



2 comments:

  1. which chassidishe sforim do they learn in the mesivsa d'rav amrom (the mishkenos haroim yeshivah)?

    ReplyDelete
  2. B"H

    I know there is at least one reader here who can answer this question. If not, I am going to investigate.

    There is a doubt if the Mishkenot HaRoim are a real chassidic group. Maybe but personally, I would rather call them an "organization".
    By the way, anyone interested, on Sukkot, the Mishkenot HaRoim are going to have many events at their Synagogue in Mea Shearim.

    ReplyDelete