We Can Learn a Lot from An Etrog

Everyone has their favorite.

Some people are very particular and open up all the boxes in pursuit of the perfect etrog. They are willing to pay exorbitant prices in their quest for fulfilling the mitzvah the best way they feel they can.

Other people just grab and go.

The word “etrog” never appears in the Torah. In describing the arba minim, the four species, the term “pri eitz hadar” is used. This means a beautiful fruit. The oral tradition teaches that this fruit is the etrog, citron, and not some other citrus like a lemon or orange. The word “hadar” is also connected to the word “hiddur,” which means beautiful. In addition, it has a connection to the Hebrew word for pursue or seek. Choosing an etrog can become a pursuit of perfection.

Pursuing perfection is more than how an etrog looks.

One Erev Sukkot, Reb Aryeh Levin entered Rubenstein’s Judaica store in Jerusalem to purchase an etrog. He picked up the first box he saw, peeked inside, closed it up, paid, and went on his way. A young boy who had watched this ran after the rabbi and caught up with him at the #11 bus stop. He asked why the rabbi hadn’t checked the etrog for a longer time like everyone else does, examining every nook and bump? Reb Aryeh answered:

“There are two mitzvot that require Hiddur. Etrog, which is called “pri eitz hadar,” and showing respect to elders, commanded with the words, “v’hadarta pnei zakein.”  For these two, you must go above and beyond. I am now running to the nursing home to bring dentures for an old man there whose teeth have completely deteriorated. He needs to eat dinner like a normal human being, and if I don’t make it in time he will once again be forced to eat bread dipped in milk. This hiddur mitzvah is even more important than spending time choosing a nice etrog.”

What we look for in an etrog is an important part of the mitzvah. That quest for perfection should motivate us to be and do better in other areas of our religious and personal lives.

Rabbi Shalom Eisen was a renowned expert in examining etrogim. In Meah Shearim, it is quite common for people to select an etrog and then take it to a rabbi to examine and issue an opinion if it is kosher or mehudar, extra special. One year, a kollel student brought him a magnificent etrog. Rav Eisen examined it carefully and said, “This esrog is not for you.”

The young man was stunned. “Is something wrong with it?”
Rav Eisen asked, “What do you do?”
“I learn in kollel.”
“How much is your monthly stipend?”
The young man told him.
“And how much does this etrog cost?”
The answer was nearly 70% of his monthly stipend.
Rav Eisen nodded. “Just as I thought. The etrog is mehudar but buy a less expensive one. With the money you save, buy something nice for your wife for yom tov.”

The most beautiful mitzvot are those that require us to give of ourselves for another.

Sometimes, one can have a beautiful etrog without even having one at all.

Rabbi Mordechai of Neshchiz saved his pennies all year around to have enough money to buy a beautiful etrog. One year, on his way to buy his etrog, he encountered a man who was weeping bitterly. His inquiry revealed that this man had made his meager living as a porter, hauling things by horse and wagon. That day his horse had died, and he was now without a means of livelihood.

Reb Mordechai promptly gave the man the entire of sum of money he had saved throughout the year so he might buy another horse. The man rushed off overjoyed, and Rabbi Mordechai turned his eyes to heaven and said, “Dear God, all other Jews will fulfill the mitzvah of the four species with an etrog, but I will do so with a horse.”

We have plenty of opportunities to perform extraordinary mitzvot that may seem pretty plain but are truly uplifting and inspiring.

I like to say that the most beautiful etrog is one blemished from being passed around for others to use. So please be sure to offer your lulav and etrog to family, friends, coworkers, or neighbors who don’t have their own or don’t generally fulfill the mitzvah altogether.

It is easy to get lost in the pursuit of beauty – even for a mitzvah. Especially on Sukkot, there are lots of “things” we use, and we want them to be attractive. The etrog provides a perfect opportunity to internalize that the most beautiful mitzvot are those that uplift others.