eyes heart

CITRON (ETROG)

The Image: Shaped like the human heart; its taste and fragrance imply that it is knowledgable and active, making it truly the heart of the matter.

Stay Together: The Etrog ripens on the vine throughout the entire year, absorbing and growing from each of the four seasons. In this way, the etrog unites summer, fall, spring, and winter all in one fruit.

SUKKAH: THE WHOLESOME OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE

The mitzvah of sukkah also emphasizes the theme of unity. You and all your parts, including your hat and cellphone, are enveloped within the sukkah's walls. The sukkah's unifying power brings different people together. Like the Talmud says (Sukkah 27b), "All of Israel are fit to dwell in a single sukkah." However, while the sukkah highlights the collective nature of our people, the mitzvah of Lulav and Etrog spotlights each one of the individuals who comprise this collective unity.

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