“Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake Your Lulav” is a popular phrase heard throughout Sukkot. Why are we shaking the Lulav and Etrog in the first place? Unless you have good hand-eye coordination, holding a siddur, an Etrog, and a Lulav is no easy feat! The Midrash in Leviticus Rabbah 30:14 teaches that there is unique symbolism behind each of the ritual items waved on Sukkot.
The Lulav itself represents the human spine, the Hadas (myrtle) represents the eye, the Arava (willow) represents the mouth, and the Etrog represents the heart. By bringing all of the different aspects of the human body together, we symbolically praise God with our fullselves. Let the mitzvah of shaking the Lulav remind us about the possibilities of being physically in-tune and fully engaged with our own prayers and hopes for the year ahead.
Inspired by the latest iPhone, Midrash Manicures presents: iSukkot
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