Midrash sobre Levítico 23:40

1) (Vayikra 23:40) ("And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a tree that is hadar, branches of date-palms, and a branch of a plaited tree, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the L–rd your G d seven days.") "And you shall take for yourselves": R. Yehudah says: "taking" is written here and elsewhere (Shemoth 12:22 "And take a bunch of hyssop") Just as there, a bunch, here, too, bunched together. And the sages say even without bunching it is kasher.

1)1(Vayikra 23:41) ("And you shall celebrate it at a festival to the L–rd, seven days a year, a statute forever throughout your generations; on the seventh month you shall celebrate it.") "And you shall celebrate it as a festival to the L–rd seven days": Because it is written "And you shall celebrate it as a festival to the L–rd seven days," I might think that one must bring a festive offering (chagigah) all seven days; it is, therefore, written you shall celebrate it" — one day alone.

5. "An angel of the LORD appeared to him." It is written: "I sleep, but my heart is awake" (Song of Songs 5:2). I am sleeping [from performing] the commandments, but my heart is awake to perform them. "My undefiled [tamati]" (ibid.) at Sinai, for they attached themselves [nitmemu] to Me at Sinai and said: ‘"Everything the LORD had spoken we will do and obey’" (Exodus 24:7). R. Yannai said: Just as twins [te'omim] feel one another's s headaches, [so too] God said, as it were [as if He were our twin]: "’I am with him in sorrow" (Psalms 91:15). Another explanation: What is [the meaning of] "I am with him in sorrow"? When they have sorrows they only call out to the Holy One, Blessed be He. In Egypt, [as it is written] "And their cry came up unto God" (Exodus 2:23). By the sea [as it is written] "And the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord" (ibid. 14:10) and there are many other examples like these. And it says: "In all their sorrows He [too] was in sorrow" (Isaiah 63:9). The Holy One, Blessed be He said to Moses, You do not sense that I too dwell in sorrow just as Israel dwells in sorrow. But you should know: from the place I speak to you from within the thorn-bush, [that is a sign] as it were that I too am a partner in their sorrow. "An angel of the LORD appeared." R. Yohanan said: This is Michael. R. Hanina said, it was Gabriel. Whenever they saw R. Yose the tall, they used to say, There is our holy Rabbi! So too wherever Michael appears, he is the Glory of the Shechinah. "To him." What does ’"to him" [imply]‘? To teach that other men were with him, yet only Moses saw [the angel]. So too it is written regarding Daniel: "And only I Daniel saw the vision." (Daniel 10:7). "In a flame of fire..." to embolden him, so that when he would come to Sinai and saw the fires he should not be afraid of them. Another explanation of "In a flame [labat] of fire" - from the upper half of the bush, jut as the heart ([leb] is in the upper half of a man. "From within the bush." A Gentile once asked R. Joshua b. Karhah: Why did the Holy One, Blessed be He, see fit to speak to Moses from within a thorn-bush? [R. Joshua retorted]: If it had been a carob tree or a sycamore tree, would you not have asked the same question. However to send you away you without any answer is not possible, [so] why from within a thorn-bush? To teach you that there is no empty place devoid of the Shechinah, not even a [lowly] thorn-bush. "In a flame of fire." At first only one angel descended and stood in the center of the fire as an intermediary. Only afterwards did the Shechinah descend and spoke with him from within the thorn-bush. Rabbi Eliezer said: Just as the thorn-bush is the lowliest of all trees in the world, so too Israel were lowly and downtrodden in Egypt. Therefore the Holy One, Blessed be He revealed Himself to them and redeemed them, as it says (Exodus 3:8) "And I will go down and save them from the Egypt." Rabbi Yossi said: Just as the thorn-bush is the hardest of all the trees, and any bird that enters into it does not come out unharmed, so too the servitude in Egypt was harsher to God more than any other servitude in the world, as it says (Ibid. 7) "And the LORD said seen I have seen the poverty of My people." Why does the verse say "see I have seen" twice? For after they drowned them in the river they would then bury them in a building. This can be compared to someone who took a staff and hit two people, and the two of them received [a lashing] with a whip and know its suffering. So too the suffering and the servitude of Israel was revealed and known to the One who spoke and thereby was the world, as it says "For I know their pains." Rabbi Yohanan said: Just as this thorn-bush is used as a fence for a garden, so too Israel is a fence for the world. Alternatively, just as the thorn-bush grows near any water, so too Israel only grows in the merit of Torah which is called water, as it says (Isaiah 55:1) "Ho any thirsty one go to water." Alternatively, just as the thorn-bush grows in a garden or in a river, so too Israel are in this world and the next world. Alternatively, just as the thorn-bush produces thorns and roses, so too Israel contains righteous and wicked people. Rabbi Pinhas ha-Kohen the son of Rabbi Hama said: Just as this thorn-bush, if someone puts his hand in he does not feel anything, but when he takes it out it gets scratched; so too when Israel went down to Egypt no one noticed anything, but when they went out "The Lord plagued Pharaoh" (Genesis 12:17). Alternatively, "From with in the thorn-bush." Rabbi Nahman the son of Rabbi Shmuel the son of Nahman said: of all the trees, some produce one leaf, some two or three. A myrtle produces three, as it says (Leviticus 23:40) "A plaited tree". A thorn-bush however has five leafs. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses, Israel will only be redeemed in the merit of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and in your and Aaron's merit. Alternatively, "From with in the thorn-bush." He hinted to him [Moses] that he would live 120 years, the numerical value of the thorn-bush [הסנה - ה=5 ס=60, נ=50, ה=5]. "And he saw and behold the thorn-bush was consumed by fire." From here they said, Heavenly fire raises palm branches and burns but does not consume and is black. Earthly fire does not raise palm branches and is red, consumes and does not burn. And why did the Holy One, Blessed be He reveal Himself to Moses in this way? Because he [Moses] thought in his heart, saying, Maybe the Egyptians will destroy Israel. Therefore the Holy One, Blessed be He revealed Himself in a thorn-bush that was burning but not consumed. He said to him, just as the thorn-bush is burning but is not consumed, so too the Egyptians will not be able to destroy Israel. Alternatively, since the Holy One, Blessed be He was talking with Moses and he did not want stop his task [of minding the sheep], He showed him this thing so he would turn his face and see Him. You find this [intimated] from the beginning [of the verse]: "An angel of the LORD appeared to him" - yet Moses did not go. Once he stopped doing his task and went to see, immediately "God called him" (Exodus 3:4).

2) "And you shall take for yourselves": each one of you. "for yourselves": and not what is borrowed or stolen — whence it was ruled: One does not fulfill his obligation on the first day of the festival with his neighbor's lulav. But if he wishes, he may give it as a gift to his neighbor, and his neighbor to his neighbor, even if there be a hundred. Once, R. Gamliel and the elders were coming in a boat and no one but R. Gamliel had a lulav, whereupon he gave it as a gift to R. Yehoshua, R. Yehoshua to R. Elazar b. Azaryah, and R. Elazar b. Azaryah to R. Akiva, and all of them fulfilled their obligation thereby.

2) If so, why is "seven days" written? Restitution (for omission of the offering) may be made all seven days.

... [What about all] the praise of Joseph, who exceeded in the honor of his father? And yet he did not enter into him all the time, such that were it not that they came to tell him, "Your father is sick," he would not have known! Rather this is to inform you of his righteousness. For he did not want to be alone with his father, lest he say to him, "How did your brothers act with you?" And [then] he would curse them.... Hence he did not go to his father all the time.)

Rabbi Aḥa ben Rabbi Ze’eira said another: Just as this apple tree produces its blossom before its leaves, so too, Israel put performance before hearing, as it is stated: “We will perform and we will heed [nishma]” (Exodus 24:7).³⁵Although translated here as “heed,” the term nishma can be translated “hear.” The point here is that Israel committed to following God’s commands even before hearing what they were.
Rabbi Azarya said two [statements]: Just as the apple tree produces is ripened fruit only in Sivan, so too, Israel emitted a good fragrance only in Sivan.³⁶Sivan is the month in which Israel received the Torah. Rabbi Azarya said another: Just as this apple tree, from the time it produces its blossom until it produces ripened fruit is fifty days, so too, from the time that Israel departed from Egypt until they received the Torah it was fifty days. When did they receive it? It was “in the third month from the departure of the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:1).
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said two [statements]: Just as this apple, you give an isar for it³⁷An isar is a coin of relatively little value. and you can smell its fragrances numerous times, so too, Moses said to Israel: ‘If you wish to be redeemed, you can be redeemed with a simple matter.’ [This is analogous] to one who was injured in his legs and he circulated among all the doctors to be cured, but he was not cured. One came and said to him: ‘If you seek to be cured, you can be cured with a simple matter, attach animal dung to it.’ So too, Moses said to Israel: ‘If you wish to be redeemed, you can be redeemed with a simple matter: “You shall take a bundle of hyssop and dip”’ (Exodus 12:22). They said to him: ‘Moses our master, this bundle of hyssop, how much it its value, four ma’a or five ma’a?’³⁸It is of little monetary value. He said to them: ‘Even if it is one [ma’a], and it will cause you to acquire the plunder of Egypt, the plunder at the sea, the plunder of Siḥon and Og, and the plunder of the thirty-one kings. Regarding a palm branch,³⁹The reference is to the four species taken on Sukkot. on which a person is required to expend much money and it is associated with many mitzvot, all the more so.’ Therefore, Moses cautions Israel: “You shall take for you on the first day” (Leviticus 23:40).

3) "on the first day": and not on the first night. "on the first day": and even on the Sabbath. "on the first day": The Sabbath is overridden only for the first day of the festival alone.

3) And whence is it derived that if one did not offer the festival offering on the first day of the festival, he may do so on all the remaining days and on the last festival days? From "on the seventh month shall you celebrate" (i.e., offer). I might think that if he did not offer it on the festival he could offer it after the festival"; it is, therefore, written "shall you celebrate it" (the festival) — On the festival you celebrate, and you do not celebrate outside of it.

4) "the fruit of a tree": the taste of whose trunk and whose fruit is the same — an ethrog. Ben Azzai says "hadar" — "hadar" ("that lives"), something that lives on its tree (i.e., that is produced) from year to year.

5) "and branches (kapoth) of date-palms": R. Tarfon says "kafuth" ("pressed together"). If they are separated they are to be pressed together.

6) "and a branch of a plaited tree": (the connotation is) one whose leaves cover its wood — a hadas. "and willows of the brook": This tells me only of (willows) of the brook. Whence do I derive (for inclusion) those of the mountains and of naturally watered fields? From "and willows of the brook." Abba Shaul says: "willows of the brook" — two, one for the lulav (to be tied together with it) and one for the Temple (with which to circle the altar).

“In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Aḥashverosh, he had cast a pur, that is, the lot, before Haman for each day and for each month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar” (Esther 3:7).
“In the first month, that is, the month Nisan” – it is taught: When the wicked Haman sought to eliminate Israel, he said: ‘How can I gain control over them? I will cast lots.’ The Holy Spirit cried out: “Over My people they cast lots” (Joel 4:3). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wicked one son of wicked one, your lot is drawn to be hanged.’ “He cast a pur, that is [hu],¹¹The midrash is claiming that pronoun hu refers to Haman: He cast a pur; upon him was the lot. the lot” – upon him the lot fell. Why? “Indeed, the rod of wickedness will not rest upon the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous extend their hands for wrongdoing” (Psalms 125:3).
First, he cast a lot for the days, as it is stated: “for each day.” He cast the lot on Sunday. Its [Sunday’s] angel stood before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe: The heavens and the earth were created on me [my day], and You said: “truly My covenant is day and night, have I not set the statutes of heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 33:25). There is a covenant in their flesh, as it is written: “You shall observe My covenant [you and your descendants that are after you for their generations…circumcise for yourselves every male]” (Genesis 17:9–10), and it is written: “My covenant shall be in your flesh” (Genesis 17:13). And there is a covenant in their mouths, that is the Torah, as it is written: “The book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth” (Joshua 1:8). And You said: “If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below probed…”( Jeremiah 31:37) and it is written: “[when these laws should ever be annulled before Me, says the Lord,] so too will the descendants of Israel cease from being a nation before Me all the days” (Jeremiah 31:35), and this wicked one seeks to eliminate them? Uproot the heavens and the earth first, and then annihilate them.’
He cast the lot on Monday. Its angel stood before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe: On the second day you separated the upper waters from the lower waters, and likewise, Israel is separated from the nations. That is what is written: “I have distinguished you from the peoples to be Mine” (Leviticus 20:26), and this wicked one wants to eliminate them? Overturn the upper and the lower worlds and then annihilate them.’
He cast the lot and it fell on Tuesday. Its angel stood before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe: The third day – on it, seeds were created, from which Israel separates teruma and tithes, and on it trees were created, with which Israel lauds you. That is what is written: “You shall take for you on the first day: The fruit of a pleasant tree…”¹²The verse refers to the four species; a palm branch, an etrog, myrtle branches and willow branches, that are taken on Sukkot. (Leviticus 23:40). On it the waters were gathered into the sea [during Creation], and the sea split into twelve segments for Israel’s sake. Now, if Israel is eradicated, how do we exist?’
He cast the lot on Wednesday. Its angel stood before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe: The fourth day – on it the lights were created to provide light for Israel’s use; that is what is written: “Nations will walk by your light and kings by the aura of your shining” (Isaiah 60:3), and on it the stars were created, and your children were likened to stars; if You eliminate them, how do we exist?’
He cast the lot on Thursday. Its angel stood before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe: The fifth day – on it were created birds [and animals], from which you commanded to present offerings, and with which You grant atonement to and are reconciled with people; if they are eradicated, who will present an offering?’
He cast the lot on Friday. Its angel stood before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe: The sixth day – on it Adam the first man was created, and you called Your children by his name; that is what is written: “You, My flock, flock of My pasture, you are men [Adam]” (Ezekiel 34:31). If you seek to uproot them, uproot all men and then let him [Haman] gain control over them.’
He cast the lot on Shabbat. Its angel stood before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe: The Shabbat day – on it all your creations were completed and perfected; that is what is written: “God completed on the seventh day” (Genesis 2:2), and it is written: “It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever” (Exodus 31:17). If you seek to uproot them, uproot the Shabbat and cancel it; then eliminate them.’
Once that wicked one saw that the lot would not fall on the days, he moved to months.
He began with the month of Nisan, and the merit of Passover arose.
Iyyar had the merit of Pesaḥ sheni,¹³This refers to the fourteenth of Iyyar, when those who had been impure or were too distant from the Temple on the fourteenth of Nisan, could present the Passover offering. and the merit of the manna that was provided to Israel on the fifteenth of the month.
Sivan had the merit of the Torah.
Tammuz had the merit of the land.¹⁴The allusion is obscure. It perhaps refers to the fact that Ezra came to the Land of Israel on the first of that month (Ezra 7:8-9). Alternatively, there are midrashic traditions that Joshua stopped the sun in his war with the five Emorite kings during that month (Seder Olam Rabba:11).
Furthermore, why didn’t the lot fall on Tammuz and Av? Because they said to the Holy One blessed be He: Master of the universe, the calamities that befell your children in us, five in Tammuz and five in Av, are enough.
The possibility of Elul arose – [but it had] the merit of the completion of the wall of Jerusalem that was completed during it. That is what is written: “The wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul” (Nehemiah 6:15). There was also the merit of the animal tithe, as it is taught there: On the first of Elul is the New Year for the animal tithe (Mishna Rosh HaShana 1:1).
The possibility of Tishrei arose – [but it had] the merit of the shofar, Yom Kippur, and the festivals.
The possibility of Marḥeshvan arose – [but it had] the merit of Sarah our matriarch, who died during it.
Kislev – [but it had] the merit of Hanukkah.
The possibility of Tevet arose – [but it had] the merit of Ezra. That is what is written: “The exiles did so. Ezra the priest…sequestered themselves; [they convened on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter]...they finished with all the men who had settled with foreign women” (Ezra 10:16–17).
The possibility of Shevat arose – [but it had] the merit of the members of the Great Assembly. On the twenty-third of it [the month of Shevat] all Israel gathered over the concubine in Giva (Judges 19–21) and the idol of Mikha (Judges 17–18).
The possibility of the first of Adar arose, and no merit was found for it. The wicked one began rejoicing.
He then checked the signs of the Zodiac. Lamb [Aries] had the merit of the paschal lamb; that is what is written: “Each man, a lamb for each extended family, a lamb for each household” (Exodus 12:3).
Bull [Taurus] – the merit of Joseph, who was called a bull, was found. That is what is written: “A firstborn bull is his majesty” (Deuteronomy 33:17). And the merit of an offering, as it is stated: “A bull, or a sheep, or a goat, when it is born…” (Leviticus 22:27).
Twins [Gemini] – the merit of Peretz and Zeraḥ [the sons of Judah], who were called twins, was found in it; that is what is written: “And behold there were twins in her womb” (Genesis 38:27).
Lion [Leo] – the merit of Daniel, who was from the tribe of Judah, who was called a lion, [was found in it], as it is stated: “A lion cub is Judah” (Genesis 49:9).
Virgin [Virgo] – the merit of Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya, who were comparable to a virgin with whom no man was familiar other than her husband, [was found in it]; thus they did not change their God and their laws, and clung to their Judaism.
Scales [Libra] – that is Job, as it is stated: “If only my anger were weighed” (Job 6:2).
Scorpion [Scorpio] – that is Ezekiel, as it is stated: “And you sit among the scorpions” (Ezekiel 2:6).
Bow [Sagittarius] – that is Joseph, as it is stated about him: “His bow remained taut” (Genesis 49:24).
Kid [Capricorn] – that is Jacob, as it is stated: “And the hides of the kids of the goats” (Genesis 27:16).
Bucket [d’li] [Aquarius ] – that is Moses, as it is stated: “And he drew water [dalo dala] for us” (Exodus 2:19).
He arrived at the sign of Fish [Pisces], that serves during the month of Adar, and no merit was found for it. He immediately rejoiced and said: ‘Adar has no merit and its Zodiac sign has no merit. Not only that, but Moses their teacher died in Adar.’ And he did not know that Moses died on the seventh of Adar and Moses was born on the seventh of Adar. He said: ‘Just as fish swallow, so, I will swallow them.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wicked one, fish sometimes swallow and sometimes are swallowed. Now, this man will be swallowed by the swallowers.’ Rabbi Ḥanan said: That is what is written: “It was reversed, so that it was the Jews who ruled over their enemies” (Esther 9:1). Rabbi Tanḥuma said: “But the Lord had not determined to expunge [the name of Israel]” (II Kings 14:27); rather, so He spoke: “For I will expunge the memory of Amalek” (Exodus 17:14).

7) R. Yishmael says: "the fruit of a tree that is hadar" — one; branches of date-palms" — one; "a branch of a plaited tree" — three; "willows of the brook" — two; and even two (lopped off) hadas branches with one that is not lopped off. R. Tarfon says: even three lopped off ones. R. Akiva says: "the fruit of a tree that is hadar — one; "branches of date-palms" — one; "a branch of a plaited tree" — one; "willows of the brook" — one. Just as the lulav is one and the ethrog one, so is the hadas one and the willow (aravah) one. I might think that the ethrog is with them in the bunch, but is it written "the frit of a tree that is hadar and branches, etc."? How is that to be understood then? The ethrog by itself; the others in a bunch by themselves.

8) And whence is it derived that they are mutually indispensable? From "And you shall take ("ulekachtem") for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a tree that is hadar, branches of date-palms, and a branch of a plaited tree, and willows of the brook. ("ulekachtem") equals "lekichah tamah," whereby we are taught that they (all of them) are mutually indispensable.

“The king said to her: What troubles you, Queen Esther, and what is your request… Esther said: If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet… The king said: Hasten Haman…The king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared…Haman emerged on that day joyful and glad of heart, but upon Haman’s seeing Mordekhai at the king’s gate, and he did not stand, and he did not move on his account, Haman became filled with fury…Haman restrained himself…and brought his supporters and Zeresh his wife, etc.” (Esther 5:3–5; 8–10).
Among all of them, there was no one capable of giving counsel like Zeresh his wife. He [Haman] had three hundred and sixty-five advisers, corresponding to the days of the solar year. His wife said to him: The person [Mordekhai] about whom you are asking, “If he is of the progeny of the Jews…you will not prevail against him” (Esther 6:13) – unless you approach him with cleverness, with [a strategy] that has never been attempted against members of his nation. If you drop him into a fiery furnace, Ḥananya and his cohorts have already been rescued [from it]; if [you place him in] the lions’ den, Daniel already emerged from it. If you incarcerate him in prison, Joseph already emerged from it. If you ignite a fire in a vat beneath him, Menashe [king of Judah] already pleaded, and the Holy One blessed be He acceded to his plea and he emerged from it. If you exile him to the wilderness, his ancestors already procreated in the wilderness, and they were confronted with numerous ordeals and passed them all and were rescued. If you blind his eyes, Samson took numerous Philistine lives when he was blind. Rather, hang him on a gibbet, as no member of his people has survived it.
Immediately, “the matter was pleasing to Haman and he prepared the gibbet” (Esther 5:14). From what tree was that gibbet crafted? The Rabbis said: When he came to prepare it, the Holy One blessed be He called to all the trees of Creation: ‘Who will give [of its wood] so this wicked one [Haman] will be hanged on it?’
The fig said: ‘I will give of myself, as Israel brings first fruits from me. Moreover, Israel was likened to the first fruits [of a fig]; that is what is written: “Like a first fruit on a fig tree in its first season”’ (Hosea 9:10).
The grapevine said: ‘I will give of myself, as Israel was analogized to me; that is what is written: “You transported a vine from Egypt”’ (Psalms 80:9).
The pomegranate said: ‘I will give of myself, as Israel was analogized to me; as it is stated: “Your temple is like a pomegranate slice”’ (Song of Songs 4:3).
The nut said: ‘I will give of myself, as Israel was likened to me; that is what is written: “I have descended to the nut garden”’ (Song of Songs 6:11).
The citron said: ‘I will give of myself, as Israel takes from me for a mitzva; that is what is written: “You shall take for you on the first day the fruit of a pleasant tree…”’¹This verse refers to the mitzva to take the four species on Sukkot. Rabbinic tradition identifies the “pleasant tree” as the citron. (Leviticus 23:40).
The myrtle said: ‘I will give of myself, as Israel was analogized to me; as it is stated: “And he was standing among the myrtles”’ (Zechariah 1:8).
The olive said: ‘I will give of myself, as Israel was analogized to me; as it is stated: “The Lord called your name a flourishing olive-tree, fair of fruit and form”’ (Jeremiah 11:16).
The apple said: ‘I will give of myself, as Israel was analogized to me; as it is stated: “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the boys” (Song of Songs 2:3), and as it is written: “And the fragrance of your face like apples”’ (Song of Songs 7:9).
The palm said: ‘I will give of myself, as Israel was analogized to me; that is what is written: “This, your stature, is likened to a palm”’ (Song of Songs 7:8).
Acacia trees and cypress trees said: ‘We will give of ourselves, as the Sanctuary was crafted and the Temple was constructed from us.’
The cedar and the date said: ‘We will give of ourselves, as we are analogized to the righteous, as it is stated: “The righteous man flourishes like a palm tree; like a cedar in Lebanon he grows tall”’ (Psalms 92:13).
The willow says: ‘I will give of myself, as Israel was analogized to me, as it is stated: “Like willows by streams of water” (Isaiah 44:4); and they take from me for the mitzva of the four species in the lulav.’
At that moment, the thorn said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, I, who have nothing to ascribe [litlot] to myself, I will give of myself, and that impure one will be hanged [veyitaleh]. My name is thorn, and he [Haman] is a painful thorn; it is appropriate for a thorn to be hanged on a thorn.’ They found [suitable wood from a thorn] and erected [the gibbet].
When they brought it before Haman, he prepared it at the entrance to his house and measured himself on it to show his servants how Mordekhai should be hanged on it. A divine voice replied to him: ‘The tree is suitable for you; this tree has been prepared for you since the six days of Creation.’ The Rabbis there [i.e. Babylonia] say: Where in the Torah is there [an allusion] to Haman? It is, as it is stated: “Was it from the tree [hamin haetz]” (Genesis 3:11), which is expounded to read: Haman haetz.
Another matter: “it was on the third day” (Esther 5:1). Israel is never subject to trouble for more than three days, as in Abraham’s regard it is written: “On the third day, Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place from a distance” (Genesis 22:4). The tribes, “he gathered them into custody for three days” (Genesis 42:17). Jonah, as it is stated: “Jonah was in the innards of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 2:1). And the dead will live only after three days, as it is stated: “On the third day He will raise us” (Hosea 6:2).²At the resurrection of the dead, all will be revived for the day of judgement, when some will be granted “eternal life,” and others will receive “reproaches and everlasting abhorrence” (Daniel 12:2). The midrash here is stating that the righteous will experience the anxiety of the impending judgement for three days before they are granted eternal life. This miracle, too, transpired after three days of their fasting; that is what is written: “It was on the third day, that Esther donned royalty” (Esther 5:1). She sent and invited Haman to a banquet with the king on the fifteenth of Nisan. Once they ate and drank, Haman said: ‘The king promotes me, his wife honors me, and there is no one in the kingdom greater than I am,’ and his heart was overjoyed; that is what is written: “Haman emerged on that day joyful and glad of heart” (Esther 5:9).

9) "and you shall rejoice before the L–rd your G d seven days": and not in the borders (i.e., outside of Jerusalem) all seven days (but only on the first). And after the destruction of the Temple, R. Yochanan b. Zakkai instituted that the lulav be taken in the country (i.e., outside of Jerusalem seven days, in commemoration of the Temple, and that the entire day of lifting (the omer) be forbidden (See Section 10:11-12).

"Command the Children of Israel" (Numbers 28:2). This is [the meaning of] that which was stated by the verse (Job 27:23), "The Omnipresent we have not found to be of great power"; and [yet] it is written (in Job 36:22), "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." How are these two verses [resolved]? Rather [it is that] when He gives to Israel, He gives to them according to His power. But when He requests something from them, He only requests according to their power. See what is written, "As for the Tabernacle, make it of ten curtains." Hence it is written, "The Omnipresent we have not found to be of great power." But when He gives to them, He gives according to His power: In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a canopy from clouds of glory for each and every righteous person, as it is stated (in Is. 4:5), "The Lord will create over the whole shrine and meeting place of Mount Zion [cloud by day and smoke with a glow of flaming fire by night; indeed] over all the glory shall hang a canopy." And why is smoke in the canopy? Since anyone whose eyes were smoky and stingy with his students in this world will have his canopy filled with smoke in the world to come. Why is there fire in the canopy? [It is coming to] teach that each and every righteous person is lit up from the canopy of his fellow, that is more elevated than he, with light the radiance of which shines from [one] end of the world to the [other] end. Hence it is written, "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Exodus 27:20), "And you shall command...." But when He lit up for them, it was according to His power, as it is stated (Exodus 13:21), "And the Lord went in front of them by day." [Moreover, about] the future to come, it is stated (Isaiah 60:1), "Arise, My light...." And it is [also] written (Isaiah 30:26), "And the light of the moon shall become like the light of the sun." Hence, "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Exodus 23:19), "The choice first fruits of your land." But when He gives to them, it is according to His power, as it is stated (Ezekiel 47:12), "All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream; their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail; they will yield new fruit every month...." What is [the meaning of] "they will yield new fruit every month?" That each and every tree yields new fruit each and every month, [such that] the new fruit of this month is not like the new fruit of another month. When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:40), "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a beautiful true." But when He gives, it according to His power, as it is stated (Isaiah 41:19), "I will give in the wilderness cedar, acacia." And it is [also] written (Isaiah 55:13), "Instead of the brier, a cypress shall rise."

(Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day [beautiful tree fruit, branches of palm trees, boughs of dense trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days].” This text is related (to Prov. 4:10), “Heed, my child, and take in (rt.: lqh) my words,” and (in Prov. 2:1), “treasure my commandments.” I have charged you with many takings (rt.: lqh) in order to benefit you.⁸¹Lev. R. 30:13. I told you (in Numb. 19:2), “’And let them bring (rt.: lqh) you a red cow.’ Was it possibly for My sake? No. I only did it in order to cleanse you. Is it not so written (in vs. 19), ‘And the clean person shall sprinkle it [upon the unclean person]?’ I told you (in Exod. 25:2), ‘And let them take (rt.: lqh) for Me a priestly share,’ so that I might dwell among you.” It is so stated (in vs. 8), “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.’” He, as it were, spoke a difficult thing to them, “Take Me that I may dwell among you.” “And take a priestly share” is not written here, but “And let them take (for)⁸²Since “for Me” can sometimes be understood as a direct object, the midrash is understanding the verse to mean: LET THEM TAKE ME AS A PRIESTLY SHARE. Me a priestly share.” [It is] I, [whom] you are taking.” “I said to you (in Exod. 27:20), ‘And let them bring unto you pure olive oil.’ Do I need your light? It is simply to preserve your souls, since the soul is likened to a lamp, where it is stated (in Prov. 20:27), ‘A person's soul is a lamp of the Lord.’ And now when it says (in Lev. 23:40), ‘And you shall take for yourselves on the first day,’ it is not because it is necessary for Me, but in order to benefit you.” (Lev. 23:40:) “A beautiful tree fruit, branches of palm trees, boughs of dense trees and willows of the brook.” What is the nature of these four species?⁸³Lev. R. 30:12. Some of them produce fruit and some of them do not produce fruit. “A beautiful tree fruit, the branches of the palm trees.” These are the righteous, [because they have good works, which are like these plants that have fruit]. “Boughs of dense trees and willows of the brook.” These are the average Israelites. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “All of you join together to become a single group, so that there not be leftovers among my children. If you have done so, I will be exalted upon you.” And so the prophet says (in Amos 9:6), “Who builds His upper chambers in the heavens and founds His celestial vault upon earth.” Now when is He exalted? When they become a single group (agudah), as stated (ibid., cont.), “and founds His celestial vault (agudah) upon earth.”

(Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves.” [Take (rt.: lqh) implies] by a full purchase (rt.: lqh), for you are not to persist in stealing it.⁸⁴ySuk. 3:1 (53c); Suk. 43a; Lev. R. 30:6; PRK 27:6; cf. Lev. R. 30:5. Then it would turn out that his advocate⁸⁵Gk.: synegoros. has become his accuser.⁸⁶Gk.: kategor. (Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take (rt.: lqh) [ for yourselves ].” R. Hiyya taught in a baraita, “Through buying (mqh) and not through stealing, through buying (mqh) and not gratIs. [Such prohibitions serve] to exclude what is borrowed and to exclude what is stolen. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a royal agent who went to collect [taxes] in the city. After he had collected them, a certain townsperson found him on the road [and] he was a bandit.⁸⁷Gk.: lestes. He beat him and took everything belonging to him plus the collected tax money which was in his possession. After some time that townsperson came to be on trial before the governor. He went to hire himself someone who would plead his case. The [tax] collector said to him, ‘What are you doing here?’ He said to him, ‘There is a lawsuit, and I wish to hire myself someone who will plead my case.’ He said to him, ‘Give me that gold and those articles and that baggage⁸⁸Lat.: tapeta and Gk.: tapetes (“carpets”), from which comes the English, “tapestries.” which you took from me. Then I will plead your case. And tomorrow when you stand for trial in front of the governor and he will say to you, “Do you have someone to plead your case,” say, “Such and such a person,” and I will go and plead your case.’ [So] he took that gold and that baggage from him, [but only] a part [of it,] and he went away.⁸⁹Cf. the reading in Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34: He said to him, “What will you give me, if I plead your case?” He said to him, “You then give me the baggage.” So he gave him a rug and other garments which he had taken from him. The next day, when he stood before the governor, he said, ‘Do you have someone who is pleading (melamed) your case.’ He answered and said, ‘Such and such a person.’ The governor said to him, ‘What case are you making (melamed) for this person?’ He said to him, ‘My Lord, I am telling the things that this companion of mine did to me. When I went to collect taxes in such and such a city, he rose up against me, robbed me, and took everything that I had. And the things which you see in my hands are some of the things which he returned to me so that I would plead his case.’ Then they all began to say, ‘Woe to that one, for his advocate has become his accuser.’ Thus, no one from Israel should give praise with a stolen lulav. [He should not use one] unless he buys (rt.: lqh) it for himself with money, as stated (in Lev. 23:40), ‘And you shall take (rt.: lqh) for yourselves.’” (Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day.” This text is related (to Ps. 96:12 // I Chron. 16:33), “Then shall all forest trees shout for joy.” About whom does Scripture speak? About Israel and about the peoples of the world, when the Holy One, blessed be He, judges them on the Day of Atonement. The former and the latter come [for a verdict], but we do not know who has prevailed. To what is the matter comparable?⁹⁰Lev. R. 30:2; PRK 27:2. To two humans who came before the king for a verdict. Now no one except the king himself knew what [the issue] was between them. The king judged them, but the people did not know who had prevailed against his companion. [However], the king said, “You should know that whoever leaves with a lance⁹¹Agon. Buber, p. 99, n. 190, points out the variant readings for this word in various mss. and parallel texts. He suggests that the reading may be, bayyon, which comes from the Greek baion, and means “palm branch.” Certainly this reading makes more sense in the context here. in his hand has prevailed.” So Israel and the peoples of the world come for a verdict on the Day of Atonement, and the people do not know who is victorious. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Take your lulavim in your hand, so that everyone may know that you have won in the judgment.” Therefore David said (in Ps. 96:12–13; // I Chron. 16:33), “Then shall all forest trees shout for joy [before the Lord ]” When? (Ibid., cont.:) “When He comes, when He comes to judge the earth,” on the Day of Atonement. What does Israel do? They wait for him five more days in order that everyone may hear that Israel won. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day [beautiful tree fruit, branches of palm trees].”

(Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves.” This text is related (to Ps. 35:10), “All my bones shall say, ‘Lord, who is like you?’” David has stated this verse beautifully.⁹²Lev. R. 30:14. You yourself know that the lulav is like a human spine, the myrtle is like the eyes, the willow is like the lips, and the ethrog is like the heart. David said, “I have no greater organs than these, [since] they correspond to the [whole body (in importance)].” Ergo (in Ps. 35:10), “All my bones [shall say, ‘Lord, who is like you?’]”

(Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day.” After all the wisdom which is ascribed to Solomon (since according to I Kings 5:11), “He was the wisest of all people,”⁹³See PRK 4:3; PR 14:9. he left everything and sat wondering about these four species.⁹⁴Lev. R. 30:15. This is related (to Prov. 30:18), “Three things are too difficult for me; and four I do not understand.” These are the four species which are in the lulav, which he sought to understand. Now if you say that (in Lev. 23:40) the “beautiful tree fruit” is an ethrog, all trees bear fruit. (Ibid., cont.:) “Branches of palm trees.” One needs to take two branches and their hearts, but one only takes the heart of the palm, i.e., the lulav. (Ibid., cont.:) “Boughs of dense trees.” Who says to you that it is the myrtle, since it is written in another place (i.e., in Neh. 8:15), “Go out to the mountain and bring leafy branches of olive trees, leafy branches of oil-giving trees, leafy branches of myrtle, leafy branches of palms, and leafy branches of dense trees to make the sukkot (huts), as is written.” (Lev. 23:40, cont.:) “And willows of the brook”; [yet] all the trees grow in the water. (Prov. 30:18:) “And four I do not understand.” But in another place it says (i.e., in Prov. 30:29), “Three things have a stately stride, and four have a stately walk.” These are the four species which are in the lulav, for each and every person from Israel goes running to buy one of them for himself in order to give praise to the Lord, so that he be acceptable to Him and make atonement for all his sins. “A stately walk.” The one who sees these same four species, disparages them, and [yet] they loom large before the Holy One, blessed be He. (Prov. 30:24:) “Four things are tiny on earth.” They are these four species. (Ibid., cont.:) “But they are the wisest of the wise,” because they deal wisely, when they plead merit and wisdom before the One who spoke and the world came into being. Another interpretation (of Prov. 30:24), “But they are the wisest of the wise”: And who gave us the interpretation that these four species are ethrog, lulav, myrtle, and willow? The rabbinic sages (hakhamim), “but they are the wisest (hakhamim) of the wise.”

(Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day,” and even on the Sabbath.⁹⁵See Lev. 30:8; PRK 27:8. [Indeed] during the time that the Temple was standing, [the people] took up [their lulavim on the Sabbath], but now the later sages have decreed for them not to take up [lulavim] on the Sabbath, lest one goes to the legal expert to learn [about the matter], and [it cause] him to carry it four cubits in the public domain.⁹⁶For other reasoning behind the ruling, cf. Suk. 43a. The same also [holds true] in regard to a shofar and a scroll [of Esther].

23 ---

23 "Command the Children of Israel" (Numbers 28:2). This is [the meaning of] that which was stated by the verse (Job 27:23), "The Omnipresent we have not found to be of great power"; and [yet] it is written (in Job 36:22), "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." How are these two verses [resolved]? Rather [it is that] when He gives to [Israel], He gives to them according to His power. But when He requests something from them, He only requests according to their power. See what is written (Exodus 26:1), "As for the Tabernacle, make it of ten curtains." But in the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a canopy from clouds of glory for each and every righteous person, as it is stated (in Is. 4:5), "The Lord will create over the whole shrine and meeting place of Mount Zion cloud by day and smoke with a glow of flaming fire by night; indeed over all the glory shall hang a canopy." And why is smoke in the canopy? Since anyone whose eyes were smoky and stingy with his students in this world will have his canopy filled with smoke in the world to come. Why is there fire in the canopy? [It is coming to] teach that each and every righteous person is lit up from the canopy of his fellow, that is more elevated than he; with light the radiance of which shines from [one] end of the world to the [other] end. Hence it is written, "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Exodus 27:20), "And you shall command [...]." But when He lit up for them, it was according to His power, as it is stated (Exodus 13:21), "And the Lord went in front of them by day." [Moreover, about] the future to come, it is stated (Isaiah 60:1-3), "Arise, My light [...]. But upon you the Lord will shine, and His Presence be seen over you. And nations shall walk by your light; kings, by your shining radiance. And it is written, (Isaiah 30:26), "And the light of the moon shall become like the light of the sun […]." Hence, "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Exodus 23:19), "The choice first fruits of your land." But when He gives to them, it is according to His power, as it is stated (Ezekiel 47:12), "All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream; their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail; they will yield new fruit every month." What is [the meaning of] "they will yield new fruit every month?" That each and every tree yields new fruit each and every month, [such that] the new fruit of this month is not like the new fruit of another month. When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:40), "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a beautiful true." But when He gives, it is according to His power, as it is stated (Isaiah 41:19), "I will give in the wilderness cedar, acacia […]." [And it is also written] (Isaiah 55:13), "Instead of the brier, a cypress shall rise."

(Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day.” Is it the first [day]?⁹⁷Lev. R. 30:7; PRK 27:7. Is it not the fifteenth day? So how is it the first? It is simply the first for the reckoning (heshbon) of sins. R. Mani and R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi said a parable, “To what is the matter comparable?⁹⁸Eccl. R. 9:7:1. To a province which owed back taxes⁹⁹Gk.: loipas. to the king. [When] the king sent to collect [the sum], they did not hand it over, because the bill was large. So it happened the first time, and a second time; when he sent [for it], they did not hand it over. What did the king do? He said to his courtiers,¹⁰⁰Literally, “children of the palace (palation).” Cf. Lat.: palatium; Gk: palation. ‘Arise and let us move against them.’ While they were traveling about ten mil¹⁰¹Milin; cf. Lat.: mille passus. [away], the people of the province heard [what was happening]. What did they do? The nobles of the province began to go to a meeting¹⁰²Gk.: apante. with the king. He said to them, ‘Who are you?’ They said to him, ‘We are people of such and such a province where you sent to collect our taxes.’ He said to them, ‘So what do you want?’ They said to him, ‘If you please, show us kindness, because we have nothing to hand over.’ He said to them, ‘I will remit half for you.’ While he was [still] coming, the ruffians of the province went out and greeted him about five mil [away]. He said to them, ‘Who are you?’ They said to him, ‘We are people of such and such a province where you sent to collect our taxes, but we don’t have the ability to stand [up to the demand]; if you please, have mercy upon us.’ He said to them, ‘I have already remitted half [your debt], but for your sake I am remitting half of [the remaining] half. While he was [still] coming, all the people of the province came out to him, [both] large and small. He said to them, ‘What do you want?’ They said to him, ‘Our Lord king, we don’t have the ability to remit what we owe you.’ He said to them, ‘I have already remitted half plus half of [the remaining] half, but for your sake I am remitting everything. However, from now on there [begins] a new account (heshbon).’ This king is [the supreme King of kings], the Holy One, blessed be He. The people of his province? These are Israel, who acquire sins during all of the whole year. What does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He says, ‘Do penance at the beginning of the year.’ So they come in submission on the Day of Atonement, when they humble themselves and do penance. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, forgives them. And what do they do? The eve of Rosh Hashanah, the great ones of the generation fast, and the Holy One, blessed be He, relinquishes [Israel] a third of its sins. And from Rosh Hashanah to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), individuals fast, and the Holy One, blessed be He, relinquishes [another] third of their sins. And on the Day of Atonement, all of Israel fasts and requests mercy, men, women and infants. And [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, relinquishes everything; as it is written (in Leviticus 16:30), ‘As upon this day, there will be atonement for you….’ What does Israel do [then]? They all take their lulavim on the first day of the festival and render praise to the Holy One, blessed be He. Thus He is reconciled to them and forgives them. He says to them, ‘See, I have relinquished all your former sins for you. However, from now on there is a new account (heshbon).’ Thus it is stated (in Lev. 23:40), ‘And you shall take for yourselves on the first day.’ [It is] first for the reckoning (heshbon) of sins.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “In this world I have told you to make a sukkah in order to pay me my remuneration for what I have done for you. It is so stated (in Lev. 23:42-43), ‘You shall dwell in sukkot for seven days […]. In order that your generations may know that I had [the Children of Israel] dwell in sukkot.’ So I reckon it to your credit, as if you are rendering payment to Me. But in the world to come I will appear over you like a sukkah, as stated (in Is. 4:6), ‘There shall be a sukkah as a shade from the heat by day.’”

(Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES ON THE FIRST DAY < BEAUTIFUL TREE FRUIT, BRANCHES OF PALM TREES, BOUGHS OF DENSE TREES, AND WILLOWS OF THE BROOK; AND YOU SHALL REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD FOR SEVEN DAYS. > This text is related (to Prov. 4:10): HEED, MY CHILD, AND TAKE IN (rt.: LQH) MY WORDS. The Holy One said: I have charged you with a lot concerning acquisitions (rt.: LQH) in order to benefit you.⁹²Tanh., Lev. 8:17; Lev. R. 30:13. I told you (in Numb. 19:2): < SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, > AND LET THEM BRING (rt.: LQH) YOU A RED COW. Was it possibly for my sake? No. < It was > only in order to cleanse you. Is it not so written (in vs. 19): AND THE CLEAN PERSON SHALL SPRINKLE IT [UPON THE UNCLEAN PERSON]? I told you (in Exod. 25:2): < SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,] AND LET THEM TAKE (rt.: LQH) FOR ME A PRIESTLY SHARE, so that I might dwell among you. It is so stated (in vs. 8): AND LET THEM MAKE ME A SANCTUARY THAT I MAY DWELL AMONG THEM. He, as it were, spoke a difficult thing to them: Take me that I may dwell among you. "And take a priestly share" is not written here, but AND LET THEM TAKE (FOR)⁹³Since “for me” can sometimes be understood as a direct object, the midrash is understanding the verse to mean: LET THEM TAKE ME AS A PRIESTLY SHARE. ME A PRIESTLY SHARE. < It is > I, < whom > you are taking. I said to you (in Exod. 27:20): AND LET THEM BRING UNTO YOU < PURE > OIL OF < BEATEN > OLIVES. Do I need your light? It is simply to preserve your souls, since the soul is likened to a lamp, where it is stated (in Prov. 20:27): A PERSON'S BREATH IS A LAMP OF GOD.⁹⁴The Masoretic Text uses the divine name here. And now when it says (in Lev. 23:40): AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES ON THE FIRST DAY, it is not because it is necessary for me, but in order to benefit you.

(Lev. 23:40:) BEAUTIFUL TREE FRUIT, BRANCHES OF PALM TREES, BOUGHS OF DENSE TREES, [AND WILLOWS OF THE BROOK]. What is the nature of these four species?⁹⁵Tanh., Lev. 8:17; Lev. R. 30:12. Some of them produce fruit and some of them do not produce fruit. BEAUTIFUL TREE FRUIT, THE BRANCHES OF THE PALM TREES. These are the righteous, [because they have good works]. BOUGHS OF DENSE TREES AND WILLOWS OF THE BROOK. These are the average Israelites. The Holy One said: [Let them bind them together,] so that all of them become a single group, lest there be a defect among my children. If you have done so, {I will credit them with a reward.} [at that time I will be exalted. And so the prophet says (in Amos 9:6): WHO BUILDS HIS UPPER CHAMBERS IN THE HEAVENS. Now when is he exalted? When they become a single group (agudah), as stated (ibid., cont.): AND FOUNDS HIS CELESTIAL VAULT (agudah) UPON EARTH.]

(Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES. < TAKE (rt.: LQH) implies > by purchase (rt.: LQH), for you are not to persist in stealing it.⁹⁶Tanh., Lev. 8:18; ySuk. 3:1 (53c); Suk. 43a; Lev. R. 30:6; PRK 27:6; cf. Lev. R. 30:5. Then it would turn out that his advocate⁹⁷Gk.: synegoros. has become his accuser.⁹⁸Gk.: kategor.

(Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE (rt.: LQH) < FOR YOURSELVES >. {In the name of R. Hiyya he} [R. Hiyya] taught in a baraita: Through buying (MQH) and not through stealing, through buying (MQH) and not gratis. < Such prohibitions serve > to exclude what is borrowed and to exclude what is plundered. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a royal agent who went to collect < taxes > in the city. After he had collected them, a certain townsperson found him on the road. {< He was > a bandit.}⁹⁹Gk.: lestes. He beat him and took everything belonging to him plus the collected < tax money > which was in his possession. After some time that townsperson came to be on trial before the governor. He went to hire himself someone who would plead his case. The < tax > collector said to him: What are you doing here? He said to him: There is a lawsuit, and I wish to hire myself someone who will plead my case. He said to him: Give me [that gold and those articles], that baggage¹⁰⁰Lat.: tapeta and Gk.: tapetes (“carpets”), from which comes the English, “tapestries.” which you took from me. Then I will plead your case. < The bandit > said to him: I will do so. He went and gave him that gold and that baggage, < but only > a little < of it >. So he went to him.¹⁰¹Cf. the reading in Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34: He said to him: What will you give me, if I plead your case? He said to him: You know that I have no gold. He said to him: Then give me the baggage. So he gave him a rug and other garments which he had taken from him. The next day, when he stood before the governor, he said: Do you have someone who is pleading (melamed) your case. He answered and said: Such and such a person. The governor said to him: What case are you making (melamed) for this person? He said to him: My Lord, I am telling the things that this companion of mine did to me. When I went to collect taxes in such and such a city, he rose up against me, robbed me, and took everything that I had. And the things which you see in my hands are some of the things which he returned to me so that I would plead his case. Then they all began to say: Woe to that one, for his advocate has become his accuser. Thus, no one from Israel should give praise with a stolen lulav. {If he does not have one,} [< He does not use one > unless] he buys (rt.: LQH) it for himself with money, as stated (in Lev. 23:40): AND YOU SHALL TAKE (rt.: LQH) FOR YOURSELVES.

[Another interpretation (of Lev. 23:40): AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES ON THE FIRST DAY….] This text is related (to Ps. 96:12–13 // I Chron. 16:33): THEN SHALL {THE TREES OF THE FOREST} [ALL FOREST TREES] SHOUT FOR JOY < BEFORE THE LORD, WHEN HE COMES, WHEN HE COMES TO JUDGE THE EARTH. > About whom does the scripture speak? About Israel and about the peoples of the world, when the Holy One judges them on the Day of Atonement. The former and the latter come [for a verdict], but we do not know who will prevail. To what is the matter [comparable]?¹⁰²Tanh., Lev. 18; Lev. R. 30:2; PRK 27:2. To two humans who came before the King for a verdict. Now no one except the king himself knew what the issue was between them. [The king] judged them, but the people did not know who had prevailed against his companion. However, they all know that the one who prevails is the one who leaves with a nut¹⁰³Agoz. Buber, p. 99, n. 190, points out the variant readings for this word in various mss. and parallel texts. He suggests that the reading may be, bayyon, which comes from the Greek baion, and means “palm branch.” Certainly this reading makes more sense in the context here. in his hand. So Israel and the peoples of the world come for a verdict on the Day of Atonement, and the people do not know who is victorious. The Holy One said: Take your lulavim in your hand, so that everyone may know that you have been acquitted in the judgment. Therefore David said (in Ps. 96:12–13; // I Chron. 16:33): THEN SHALL < ALL FOREST TREES > SHOUT FOR JOY < BEFORE THE LORD >…. {When?} (Ibid., cont.:) WHEN HE COMES TO JUDGE THE EARTH. > [When?] On the day of Atonement. What does Israel do? They wait for him four days more in order that everyone may hear that Israel has been acquitted. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES ON THE FIRST DAY < BEAUTIFUL TREE FRUIT, BRANCHES OF PALM TREES, BOUGHS OF DENSE TREES, AND WILLOWS OF THE BROOK; AND YOU SHALL REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD FOR SEVEN DAYS. >

[(Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES. This text is related (to Ps. 35:10): ALL MY BONES SHALL SAY: LORD, WHO IS LIKE YOU? David has stated this verse beautifully.¹⁰⁴Tanh., Lev. 8:19; Lev. R. 30:14. You yourself know that the lulav is like a human spine, the myrtle is like the eyes, the willow is like the lips, and the ethrog is like the heart. David said: I have no greater members than these, since they outweigh the whole body (in importance). Ergo (in Ps. 35:10): ALL MY BONES SHALL SAY: LORD, WHO IS LIKE YOU?]

(Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES. After all the wisdom which is ascribed to Solomon (in I Kings 5:10–11 [4:31–32]): [AND SOLOMON'S WISDOM WAS GREATER < THAN THE WISDOM OF ALL THE CHILDREN OF THE EAST >…. ] FOR HE WAS THE WISEST OF ALL PEOPLE; he forsook all these things (i.e., astrology, ornithomancy, and the other elements of eastern wisdom)¹⁰⁵See PRK 4:3; PR 14:9. and sat wondering about these four species.¹⁰⁶Tanh., Lev. 8:20; Lev. R. 30:15. This text is related (to Prov. 30:18): THREE THINGS ARE TOO DIFFICULT FOR ME, [< i.e., > Paschal lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs; AND FOUR I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.] These are the four species which are in the lulav, which {he was unable} [he sought] to understand. Now (in Lev. 23:40) if you say that the BEAUTIFUL TREE FRUIT is an ethrog, all trees bear fruit. (Ibid., cont.:) BRANCHES OF PALM TREES. One needs to take two branches [and offer praise with them], but one only takes the heart of the palm, i.e., the lulav. (Ibid., cont.:) BOUGHS OF DENSE TREES. Who says to you that it is the myrtle, since it is written in another place (i.e., in Neh. 8:15): GO OUT TO THE MOUNTAIN AND BRING LEAFY BRANCHES OF OLIVE TREES, [LEAFY BRANCHES OF OIL-GIVING TREES, LEAFY BRANCHES OF MYRTLE, LEAFY BRANCHES OF PALMS, AND LEAFY BRANCHES OF DENSE TREES]? (Lev. 23:40, cont.:) AND WILLOWS OF THE BROOK; < yet > all the trees grow in the water. (Prov. 30:18:) AND FOUR I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. It also says in another place (i.e., in Prov. 30:29): THREE THINGS HAVE A STATELY STRIDE, AND FOUR HAVE A STATELY WALK. These are the four species which are in the lulav, for each and every person from Israel goes running to buy one of them for himself in order to give praise to the Lord. < Doing so > is acceptable to him and makes atonement to him for all one's sins. A STATELY WALK: The one who sees these same four species, rejoices over them, and they loom large before the Holy One.¹⁰⁷Cf. the parallel in Lev. R. 30:15, which expands the final clause with the following: “And although they seem small in human eyes, they loom large before the Holy One.” (Prov. 30:24:) FOUR THINGS ARE TINY ON EARTH. They are these four species. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT THEY ARE THE WISEST OF THE WISE, [because¹⁰⁸The section marked by Buber’s outer brackets extends to the end of the next paragraph. they deal wisely, when they plead merit {and wisdom} [and love] before the one who spoke, and the world came into being.

"And you shall take (acquire) for yourselves on the first day" (Leviticus 23:40). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana opened [his discourse]: "'Accept my discipline rather than silver' - accept the discipline of Torah rather than silver. 'Why do you weigh money for what is not bread' (Isaiah 55:2) - why are you weighing money for the Children of Esav for what is not bread? Since you did not sate yourselves with the bread of Torah. 'Your toil is for what does not satisfy' (Isaiah 55:2) - why are you toiling, and the nations of the world satiated without satiation? Since you did not satiate yourselves from the wine of Torah, as it is written (Proverbs 9:5), 'and drink the wine that I have mixed.'" Rabbi Berakhiah and Rabbi Chiya his father said in the name of Rabbi Yose ben Nehoria, "It is written (Jeremiah 30:20), 'And I will remember all who press him' - even charity collectors - except for the wage of scribes and teachers of Mishnah who only take the wage of their idleness alone. But there is no creature that can give the wage of one thing of the Torah [commensurate to] its reward." It was taught, "The sustenance of a man is fixed from Rosh Hashanah, except for what he expends [for] Shabbat, holidays, Rosh Chodesh and what the infants take to the house of their teacher - if he adds [to this], it is added to him; if he lessens, it is lessened from him." Rabbi Yochanan was travelling, he left from Tiveria [to go] to Tsipporin, and Rabbi Chiya bar Abba was helping him. They reached a plot of farmland. [Rabbi Yochanan] said, "This farmland was mine, but I sold it in order to acquire Torah." They reached one that was a vineyard. He said, "This vineyard was mine, but I sold it in order to acquire Torah." They reached one that was an olive grove. He said, "This olive grove was mine, but I sold it in order to acquire Torah." Rabbi Chiya started to cry. Rabbi Yochanan said, "Why are you crying?" He said to him, "Since you did not leave anything for your old age." He said to him, "Is what I did light in your eyes, that I sold something created in six days and purchased something that was given over forty days, as it is stated (Exodus 34:28), 'And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights'; and it is written (Deuteronomy 9:9), 'and I dwelt on the mountain forty days and forty nights.'" When Rabbi Yochanan [died], his generation read about him (Song of Songs 8:7), "if a man offered all the wealth of his home for love" - as Rabbi Yochanan loved the Torah - "he would surely be scorned." When Rabbi Hoshaya, the man of Tirya [died], they saw his bier flying in the air; and his generation read about him (Song of Songs 8:7), "if a man offered all the wealth of his home for love" - as the Holy One, blessed be He, loved Abba Hoshaya, the man of Tirya - "he would surely be scorned." When Rabbi Elazar beRabbi Shimon [died], his generation read about him (Song of Songs 3:6), "Who is she that comes up from the desert like columns of smoke, in clouds of myrrh and frankincense, from all the powders of the merchant?" What is [the understanding of] "from all the powders of the merchant?" Rather [it is] since he read and studied, was a lyricist and an orator. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said "You learn the reward of purchasing from the reward of purchasing: About Egypt, it is written (Exodus 12:22), 'And acquire a bunch of hyssop.' What is its price? Four small coins. But it caused Israel to possess the spoils of the [Reed Sea], the spoils of Sichon and Og and the spoils of [the] thirty-one kings [of Canaan]. All the more so [is this true] of a lulav, which can become a man's for a little money and has several commandments with it. Hence Moshe warns Israel and says to them (Leviticus 23:40), 'And you shall take (acquire) for yourselves on the first day.'"

(Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES ON THE FIRST DAY. And even on the Sabbath?¹⁰⁹Tanh., Lev. R. 8:21; see Lev. 30:8; PRK 27:8. {During¹¹⁰The section within the outer braces includes the rest of the paragraph. the time that the Temple was standing, < the people > took up < their lulavim on the Sabbath >, but now the {earlier} [later] sages have decreed for them not to take up < lulavim > on the Sabbath, lest one goes to the legal expert to learn < about the matter >, and he causes him to transgress the four cubits < authorized > by permission of the Rabbis.¹¹¹For other reasoning behind the ruling, cf. Suk. 43a. The same also < holds true > in regard to a shophar and a scroll.}

Another interpretation of, "And you shall take for yourselves" (Leviticus 23:40): This is [the understanding of] that which is written (Psalms 16:11), "You will inform me the path of life, complete joy." David said in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, "Teach me through which gate it is straight to life in the world to come." Rabbi Yudan said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, said to David, 'If you need life, you need afflictions, as it is written, "And the path of life is the rebuke that disciplines."'" "Complete joy (literally, satiation of joys)" - He has satiated us with five joys: Scripture, Mishna, Mishnah, Talmud, Tosefta, and aggadot. Another interpretation of "complete (sova) joy" (Psalms 16:11) - these are the seven (sheva) groups of the righteous that will greet the face of the Divine Presence in the future. And their faces are similar to the sun, the moon, the firmament, the stars, lightning, lilies and the pure menorah that was in the Temple. From where [do we know] the sun? Since it is stated (Song of Songs 6:10), "radiant as the sun." From where [do we know] the moon? Since it is stated (Song of Songs 6:10), "beautiful as the moon." From where [do we know] the firmament? Since it is stated (Daniel 12:3), "And the knowledgeable will be radiant like the bright firmament." From where [do we know] the stars? Since it is stated (Daniel 12:3), "and those who lead the many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever." From where [do we know] lightning? Since it is stated (Nahum 2:5), "they appear like torches, they race like lightning." From where [do we know] lilies? Since it is stated (Psalms 45:11), "For the choirmaster; upon lilies." From where [do we know] the pure menorah? Since it is stated (Zechariah 4:2), "He said to me, 'What do you see?' And I said, 'I see a menorah all of gold.'" "Pleasant things are ever in Your right hand" (Psalms 16:11). And who will inform us which group are the most beloved and pleasant among them? Two Amoraiam (scholars of the Talmudic period) [differed about this]. One said, "That is [the one] that comes with the power of Torah and the power of [the] commandments." And the other said, "Those are the scribes and the teachers of Mishnah who teach infants truthfully and will stand in the future in the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He." This is [the understanding of] that which is written, 'Pleasant things are ever in Your right hand.'" Another interpretation of "Complete (sova) joy" (Psalms 16:11) - these are the seven (sheva) commandments of the festival, and these are them: The four species that are in the lulav, the sukkah (hut), the festival offering and the offering of joy. If there is an offering of joy, why is there a festival offering; and if there is a festival offering, why is there an offering of joy? Rabbi Avin said, "[There is a relevant] parable about two that went into a judge and we do not know who was victorious. Rather we know that the one that [comes out] carrying a palm branch is the winner. So [too] Israel and the nations of the world come and prosecute [each other] before the Holy One, blessed be He, on Rosh Hashanah and we do not know who won. Rather when we see that Israel is coming out from in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, with their lulavs and citrons in their hands, we know that Israel are the winners (and that creates a need to offer an offering of joy, as well as the holiday offering). Hence, Moshe warns Israel and says to them (Leviticus 23:40), 'And you shall take for yourselves.'"

(Lev. 23:40:) ON THE FIRST DAY. Is it the first < day >?¹¹²Tanh., Lev. 8:22; Lev. R. 30:7; PRK 27:7. Is it not the fifteenth day? So how is it the first? < It is > first for the reckoning (heshbon) of sins. R. Mani and R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: A parable: To what is the matter comparable?¹¹³Eccl. R. 9:7:1. Cf. Mark 12:1–9//Matthew 21:33–41 // Luke 20:9–16; also Luke 14:31–32. To a province which owed back taxes¹¹⁴Gk.: loipas. to the king. When the king sent to collect < the sum >, they did not hand it over, because the bill was large. So it happened the first time, and a second time; for when he sent < for it >, they did not hand it over. What did the king do? He said to his courtiers:¹¹⁵Literally, “children of the palace (palation).” Cf. Lat.: palatium; Gk: palation. [Arise and let us go to them.] While they were traveling about ten miles¹¹⁶Milin; cf. Lat.: mille passus. < away >, the people of the province heard < what was happening >. What did they do? The nobles of the province began to go to a meeting¹¹⁷Gk.: apante. with the king. He said to them: Who are you? They said to him: We are people of such and such a province where you sent to collect our taxes. He said to them: So what do you want? They said to him: If you please, show us mercy, because we have nothing to hand over. He said to them: I will remit half for you. While he was < still > coming, the {hoodlums} [middle class] of the province went out and greeted him about {ten} [five] miles < away >. He said to them: Who are you? They said to him: We are people of such and such a province. He said to them: What would you want? They said to him: If you please, Have mercy upon us. He said to them: I have already remitted half < your debt >, but for your sake I am remitting half of < the remaining > half. While he [was < still > on the road], all the people of the province came out. He said to them: Now what do you want? They said to him: O our Lord King, we have nothing to remit. Have mercy on us. He said to them: I have already remitted half plus half of < the remaining > half, but for your sake I am remitting everything. However, from now on there is a new account (heshbon). This king is [the Supreme King of Kings], the Holy One. The people of his province? These are Israel, who acquire sins during all of the whole year. What does the Holy One do? He says: Do penance at the beginning of the year. So they come in submission on the Day of Atonement, when they humble themselves and do penance. Then the Holy One forgives them everything. So during Tabernacles they all take their lulavim on the first day of the festival and render praise to the Holy One. Thus he is reconciled to them and forgives them. He says to them: See, I have waived all your former sins for you. [However, from now on there is a new account (heshbon). Thus it is stated (in Lev. 23:40): AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES ON THE FIRST DAY. < It is > first for the reckoning (heshbon) of sins.] The Holy One said to them: In this world I have told you to make a sukkah in order to pay me my remuneration for what I have done for you. It is so stated (in Lev. 23:42–43): [YOU SHALL DWELL IN SUKKOT FOR SEVEN DAYS…,] < IN ORDER THAT YOUR GENERATIONS MAY KNOW > THAT I HAD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DWELL IN SUKKOT. So I reckon it to your credit, as if you are rendering payment to me. But in the world to come I will appear over you like a sukkah, as stated (in Is. 4:6): THERE SHALL BE A SUKKAH AS A SHADE FROM THE HEAT BY DAY….

Another interpretation of, "And you shall take for yourselves" (Leviticus 23:40): This is [the understanding of] that which is written (Psalms 102:18), "He has turned to the prayer of the destitute and has not spurned their prayer" - for Israel was victorious in the trial and their iniquities were forgiven. And [the angels] say, "Israel has been victorious," as it is stated (I Samuel 15:29), "Moreover, the Victory of Israel does not deceive or change His mind." And this is that which David says to Israel, "If you kept the commandment of lulav - which is called pleasant, as it is stated (Psalms 16:11), 'pleasant things are ever in Your right hand' - it will certainly be announced to you that you have been victorious over the nations of the world, as it is stated, 'Moreover, the Victory of Israel.'" Hence, Moshe warns and says to Israel (Leviticus 23:40), 'And you shall take for yourselves.'" Rabbi Avin said, "He has turned to the prayer of the destitute" (Psalms 102:18). And Rabbi Avin said, "We are not able to determine David's disposition: Sometimes he calls himself a poor person; sometimes he calls himself a king. How is this? At the time that he would foresee and observe that righteous ones were to rise from him in the future - such as Asa, Yehoshafat, Hizkiyah and Yoshiyah - he would call himself a king, as it is stated (Psalms 72:1), 'God, give your judgments to the king.' But at the time that he would foresee and observe that evil ones were to rise from him in the future - such as Achaz, Menashe and Amon - he would call himself a poor person, as it is stated (Psalms 102:10), 'A prayer for the poor person when he is faint (yaatof).'" Rabbi Alexandri explained the reading with this worker: Just like this worker sits and waits for his work to end a little and he will leave [his prayer] until the end. It is like you say (Genesis 30:42), "and the atufim were for Lavan." What is [the understanding of ]atufim? Rabbi Yitschak beRabbi Chilkiyah said, "late ones." Another interpretation of (Psalms 102:18), "He has turned to the prayer of the destitute": It should have said, "he has not spurned his prayer. And if [it wanted to write] "not spurned their prayer," it should have said, "He has turned to the prayer of the destitute ones." Rather, "He has turned to the prayer of the destitute" - that is the prayer of Menashe, king of Yehudah, who was destitute of good deeds; "and has not spurned their prayer" - that is his prayer and the prayer of his ancestors. For it is written (II Chronicles 33:13), "He prayed to Him, and He was reconciled to him." What is [the understanding of], "He was reconciled (vayeater) to him?" Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon said, "In Arabia, they enunciate, chatiratah (drilling), atirata. "And returned him to Jerusalem to his kingdom." With what did He return him? Rabbi Shmuel bar Yonah said in the name of Rabbi Acha, "He returned (vayeshivehu) him with a wind" - as you say (in the daily prayers), 'make blow (mashiv) the wind.'" At that time, "and Menashe knew that the Lord was God." At that time Menashe said, "There is a law and there is a Judge." Rabbi Yitschak explained the reading to be about those generations that have no king, no prophet, no priest and no urim and tumim. And all they have is prayer alone. David said in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the world, do not spurn their prayers." "May this be written for the last generation" (Psalms 102:19) - from here, [we know] that the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts penitents; "and a people to be created will praise the Lord" - that the Holy One, blessed be He, will create them as a new creature. Another interpretation of "May this be written for the last generation" - this is the generation of Hizkiyah, as he was leaning towards death; "and a people to be created will praise the Lord" - that the Holy One, blessed be He, created them as a new creature. Another interpretation of "May this be written for the last generation" - this is the generation of Mordechai, as they were leaning towards death; "and a people to be created will praise the Lord" - that He created them as a new creature. Another interpretation of "May this be written for the last generation" - these are these generations, as they are leaning towards death; "and a people to be created will praise the Lord" - that the Holy One, blessed be He, will create them in the future as a new creature. And what is there for us to do? To take the lulav and the citron and laud the Holy One, blessed be He. Hence, Moshe warns Israel and says to them (Leviticus 23:40), "And you shall take for yourselves."

Another interpretation of, "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day" (Leviticus 23:40). This is [the understanding of] that which is written (Psalms 96:12), "The fields exult and everything in them": "The fields exult" - that is this world, as it is stated (Genesis 4:8), "and it was when they were in the field." "And everything in them" - these are the creatures, like you say (Psalms 24:1), "The earth is the Lord’s and all that it holds, [the world and its inhabitants]." "Then shall the trees of the forest shout for joy" (I Chronicles 16:33). Rabbi Acha said, "[Here it states,] 'the forest,' [but in Psalms 96:12 above, it states,] 'and all the trees of the forest.' 'The forest' - those are the trees that produce fruit; 'all the trees of the forest' - those are the trees that do not produce fruit." In front of whom? "In front of the Lord" (Psalms 98:9). Why? "For He is coming," on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. To do what? "He will judge the world with righteousness, and its peoples with equity."

Another interpretation of, "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day" (Leviticus 23:40). This is [the understanding of] that which is written (Psalms 26:6), "I wash my hands in innocence" - with a purchase and not with theft, as we have learned there (Sukkah 29b): A stolen or dry lulav is disqualified, of a tree-god or a condemned city is disqualified. "And walk around Your altar, O Lord" - like that which we learned there (Sukkah 45a): Each day they would circle the altar one time and say, "O Lord, please save us; O Lord, please save us" (Psalms 118:25). Rabbi Yehudah says, "Ani vaho, please save us." And on [the seventh] day, they would circle the altar seven times. "Raising my voice in thanksgiving" - these are the sacrifices. "And telling all Your wonders" - Rabbi Avin said, That is Hallel, as it has of the past within it, and it has of the future within it, and it has these generations within it and it has the days of the Messiah within it, and it has the days of Gog and Magog within it: "In the coming out of Israel from Egypt" (Psalms 114:1) is of the past; "Not to us, O Lord" (Psalms 115:1) is of these generations; "I have loved that You heard, O Lord" (Psalms 116:1) is for the days of the Messiah; "All the nations surrounded me" (Psalms 118:10) is for the days of Gog and Magog; "You are my God and I will praise You, my God and I will exalt You" (Psalms 118:28) is for the future to come.

To what is one who takes a stolen lulav compared to? To a thief [... who] one time stole everything a tax collector had on him. Eventually he was caught [...] the tax collector came to him said to him and said, "Return the money to me, and I will defend you before the king. The thief said, "I have nothing left from what I took except for a saddle." [...] The next day, the thief was brought before the king, and the king asked him if he had anyone to defend him. The thief says that the tax collector would. The tax collector said, “I was out collecting, and this thief took all of my money. The saddle still in his possession is proof that he stole it all.” All those present cried, “Woe to the one whose defense attorney becomes his prosecutor!” So too someone who takes a lulav to gain merit – if the lulav was stolen, it cries out to Hashem saying “I’m stolen property!” and the angels say, “Woe to the one whose defense attorney becomes his prosecutor!”

"On the first day" (Leviticus 23:40). That is the fifteenth, and you say, "On the first?" Rabbi Mana of Shav and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sakhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi, "[There is a relevant] parable about a province that owed a [certain tax] to the king and the king went to collect it. [When he was] within ten mil, the leaders of the province went out to laud him, [so] he cancelled a third of [that tax]; within five mil, the middling people of the province went out to laud him, [so] he cancelled another third; when he entered the province, all of the residents of the province - men, women and children - came out and lauded him, and he cancelled it all. He said, 'What is past is past. From now, let us start a [new] reckoning.' So [too] on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the greats of the generations fast, and the Holy One, blessed be He, cancels a third of their iniquities; and from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, the [select] individuals fast, and the Holy One, blessed be He, cancels [another] third of their iniquities; and on Yom Kippur, everyone fasts - men, women and children. So the Holy One, blessed be He, says to Israel, 'What is past is past. From now, let us start a [new] reckoning.'" And from Yom Kippur to Sukkot, all of Israel is involved in commandments. This one is involved with his sukkah, that one is involved with his lulav. And on the first day of the festival, all of Israel stand in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, [with] their lulavs and citrons for the sake of the Holy One, blessed be He. And He say to them, "What is past is past. From now, let us start a [new] reckoning." Hence, Moshe warns Israel (Leviticus 23:40), "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day." Rabbi Acha says, "'For forgiveness is with You' (Psalms 130:4) - from Rosh Hashanah, forgiveness is waiting with You. Why so much? 'In order that You will be feared' - so as to instill fear of You upon Your creatures."

"On the first day" (Leviticus 23:40) - during the day, and not during the 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 Chiya taught, "A tree in which the taste of its tree and its fruit are the same." Hadar - Ben Azzai said, "One that resides (hadar) in its tree from [one] year to [another]." Achilles the convert translated hadar (from the Greek), that it resides over the water. "Branches (kapot) of date palms" (Leviticus 23:40) - Rabbi Tarfon says, "Bound (kafut), if it is spread out, bind it." "And boughs of a dense-leaved tree" (Leviticus 23:40) - a tree whose leaves obscure its tree. Hence, I would say this is a myrtle. "Willows of the brook" (Leviticus 23:40) - I only [know that] of a brook. From where [do I know] a willow of the valley or of the mountains? We learn to say, "and willows of the brook" (in plural, to teach that different types of willows are allowed). Abba Shaul says, "And willows of the brook" is two - a willow for the lulav and a willow for the Temple." Rabbi Shimon says, "'The fruit of a pleasant tree' is one; 'branches of a date palm' is one; 'boughs of a dense-leaved tree' are three, 'and willows of the brook' are two two branches and one that is not cut off." Rabbi Tarfon says, "Even three that are cut off."

Another explanation: "The fruit of a beautiful tree (ets hadar)" - this is [referring to] the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written about Him (Psalms 104:1), "You were dressed in splendor and beauty (hadar)." "The branches of a date palm" - this is [referring to] the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written about Him (Psalms 92:13), "The righteous One flourishes like a date palm." "And a branch of a braided tree (a myrtle)" - this is [referring to] the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written (Zechariah 1:8), "and He is standing among the myrtles." "And brook willows (arvei nachal)" - this is [referring to] the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written about Him (Psalms 68:5), "praise the One that rides in the skies (aravot), with His name of the Lord."

Another explanation: "The fruit of a beautiful tree (ets hadar)" - this is [referring to] our father, Avraham, who the Holy One, blessed be He, graced (hider) with a good old age, as it is stated (Genesis 24:1), "And Avraham was old, had come along in days;" and it is written (Leviticus 19:32), "and you shall grace (hadarta) the old." "The branches (kappot) of a date palm" - this is [referring to] Yitschak, who was bound (kafut which is spelled with the same letters as kappot) and tied up on top of the altar. "And a branch of a braided tree (a myrtle)" - this is [referring to] Yakov. Just like this myrtle bustles with leaves, so too was Yakov bustling with children. "And brook willows" - this is [referring to] Yosef. Just like this willow gets withered before these three [other] species, so too did Yosef die before his brothers. Another explanation: "The fruit of a beautiful tree (ets hadar)" - this is [referring to] Sarah, who the Holy One, blessed be He, graced (hider) with a good old age, as it is stated (Genesis 18:11), "And Avraham and Sarah were old." "The branches of a date palm" - this is [referring to] Rivka. Just like this date palm, it has food and it has thorns, so too Rivkah brought up a righteous one and an evildoer. "And a branch of a braided tree (a myrtle)" - this is [referring to] Leah. Just like this myrtle bustles with leaves, so too was Leah bustling with children. "And brook willows" - this is [referring to] Rachel. Just like this willow gets withered before these three [other] species, so too did Rachel die before her sister.

Another explanation: "The fruit of a beautiful tree (ets hadar)" - this is [referring to] the Great Sanhedrins (high courts) of Israel, who the Holy One, blessed be He, graced (hider) with a good old age, as it is stated (Leviticus 19:32), "And you shall get up in front of a venerable one." "The branches (kappot) of a date palm" - this is [referring to] the Torah scholars who force (kofin) themselves to learn one from the other. "And a branch of a braided tree (a myrtle)" - this is [referring to] the three rows of students who would sit in front of them (since three myrtle branches are customarily waved). "And brook willows" - this is [referring to] the two judges' scribes who would stand in front of them and write down the words of those who would render innocent and the words of those who would render guilty (since two willow branches are customarily waved).

Another explanation: "The fruit of a beautiful tree" - these are [referring to] Israel. Just like this citron (etrog), which has taste and has smell, so too Israel has among them people that have Torah and have good deeds. "The branches of a date palm" - these are [referring to] Israel. Just like this date, which has taste and has no smell, so too Israel has among them those that have Torah but do not have good deeds. "And a branch of a braided tree (a myrtle)" - these are [referring to] Israel. Just like this myrtle, which has smell and has no taste, so too Israel has among them those that have good deeds but do not have Torah. "And brook willows" - these are [referring to] Israel. Just like this willow, which has no smell and has no taste, so too Israel has among them people that have no Torah and have no good deeds. And what does the Holy One, blessed be He, do to them? To destroy them is impossible, but rather the Holy One, blessed be He, said "bind them all together [into] one grouping and these will atone for those." And if you will have done that, I will be elevated at that time. This is [the meaning of] what is written (Amos 9:6), "He Who built the upper chambers in the heavens" (indicating his elevation). And when is He elevated? When they make one grouping, as it is stated (Ibid.), "and established His grouping on the earth." Hence Moshe warned Israel, "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day."

Rabbi Yehuda opened in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, "'Listen my son and take my words' (Proverbs 4:10). Many takings have I commanded you in order to give you merit. I said to you (Numbers 19:2), 'and you will take to you a pure red cow.' [Was it] maybe for My sake? But rather it was for your sake, to purify you, as it is written (Numbers 19:19), 'And the pure one will sprinkle on the impure one.' I said to you (Exodus 25:2), 'and they shall take an offering for Me' in order that I will dwell among you: 'And make for Me a sanctuary' (Ibid., verse 8). As if it were possible, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'take Me and I will dwell among you' - it does not say, 'and they shall take an offering,' but rather, 'and they shall take (for) Me:' they are taking Me. I said to you (Leviticus 24:2), 'and they shall take to you pure olive oil.' And do I need your light - behold, it is written (Daniel 2:22), 'and light dwells with Him?' But rather to give you merit and to atone for your souls which is compared to a candle, as it is stated (Proverbs 20:27), 'The candle of God is the soul of a man, it searches all of the chambers of the innards.' And now that I have said to you, 'And you shall take for yourselves on the first day,' it is to give you merit, so that I will bring down the rain for you. Hence Moshe warned Israel, 'And you shall take for yourselves on the first day.'"

Another explanation: "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day" - in spite of all of that wisdom that is written about Shlomo (II Chronicles 2:1), "wisdom and knowledge are granted to you;" (I Kings 5:10-11) "And the wisdom of Shlomo grew... And Shlomo was wiser than all men," these four species were perplexing to him, as it is stated (Proverbs 30:18), "Three are there that are wondrous beyond me" - these three are the Pesach sacrifice, matsa and marror (bitter herbs) - "and four which I did not know" - these four are the four species of the lulav, that he sought to understand: "The fruit of a beautiful tree" - who will tell me that it is a citron (etrog)? All of the trees make beautiful fruit (and are hence called beautiful trees). "The branches of a date palm" - the Torah said, "take two palm branches (as 'branches' is in the plural) to praise with" and he only takes a [singular] lulav, which is the heart of the date palm. "And a branch of a braided tree (a myrtle)" - who will tell me that it is a myrtle? Behold, in another place it says (Nechemiah 8:15), "Go out to the mountain and bring olive branches, etc" (the verse continues to list several species and mentions myrtles alongside branches of a braided tree, seemingly indicating that they are two different species). "And brook willows" - all trees grow in the water! [Hence,] "and four which I did not know." He came back and mentioned them a different time, as it is stated (Proverbs 30:29), "There are three that are good, etc." - these are the four species, that each and every one in Israel goes and runs and takes from them for himself, to praise the Holy One, blessed be He. And [the four species] appear small in the eyes of man but they are great in front of the Holy One, blessed be He. And who explained to Israel that they were these four species, which are the citron, the palm branch, the myrtle, the willow? The Sages; as it is stated (Ibid., verse 24), "they are very wise sages."

... Rabbi Brachya in the name of Rabbi Levi says. in the merit of fulfilling the verse you should take for yourself on the first day.I will reveal myself to you and take revenge for you from the first -the Beit Hamikdash- of which it is written " A glorious throne on high from the first the place of the sanctuary"(Jeremiah 17:12). And bring for you the First-King moshiach- of whom it is written "The first shall say to Tzion(Isaiah 41:17)

“And her days to give birth were completed…” (Genesis 25:24) Below they were lacking, here they were full. Below where the word twins is written full, with the letter aleph, Peretz and Zerach were both righteous. Here it is written without an aleph, Yaakov was righteous and Esau was wicked. “And the first one emerged ruddy…” (Genesis 25:25) R’ Chaggai said in the name of R’ Yitzchak: in the merit of “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day…” (Leviticus 23:40) I will be revealed to you first, as it says “I am first and I am last” (Isaiah 44:6) and I will exact retribution on your behalf from the first who is Esau, as it is written “And the first one emerged” and I will build the first for you, which is the Holy Temple of which it is written “As a Throne of Glory, exalted from the beginning…” (Jeremiah 17:12) and I will bring for you the first who is the King Messiah of whom it is written “The first one to Zion, behold, behold them…” (Isaiah 41:27)

R. Eliezer says: Just as one does not fulfill his obligation on the first day of the festival with his neighbor's lulav, so, he does not fulfill it with his neighbor's succah, it being written "shall you make for yourself." And the sages say: He does not fulfill his obligation with his neighbor's lulav, it being written (Vayikra 23:40) "And you shall take for yourselves the fruit of the hadar tree (the ethrog), branches of date-palms (the lulav), a bough of the tree avoth (hadas), and willows of the brook (aravoth)" — one (set) for each individual; but he does fulfill his obligation with his neighbor's succah, it being written (Ibid. 42) "Every native in Israel shall dwell in Succoth" — all of Israel may dwell in one succah.