Jerusalem – This Sukkot, Jews who are fortunate enough to live in the Land of Israel have a unique opportunity to perform a special mitzvah: to take the lulav on Shabbat. As it says in the Mishna (Sukka 4a):
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
* The lulav and the arava – willow – (are taken) six or seven (days)… When is the lulav (taken) seven (days)? When the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat, one waves the lulav seven days; on other days, six.
So, why is this mitzvah special? First, it is not every year that the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat. On most years, the first day of Sukkot does not fall on Shabbat and the lulav is considered “muktzeh” on Shabbat. Muktzeh is a category of items not to be handled on Shabbat, though doing so is not a direct violation of Sabbath laws not to do work as per the Bible, but instead are rabbinically mandated.
Second, this mitzvah can only be performed in the Land of Israel. The Talmud (Sukka 43a) explains that the Jews of Babylon–who were in doubt as to whether the first day of Sukkot occurred on Shabbat or Sunday–did not perform the mitzvah of waving the lulav.
So how did we lose this mitzvah?
As the discussion of the lulav continues in the Talmud, it suddenly changes its position and surprisingly declares:
“Since we in Babylon do not override Shabbat, they in the Land of Israel do not also. But what of the first day when we in Bavel do not override the Shabbat and they in the Land of Israel do? They answered: Lulav will not override Shabbat for them either!” (43b)
A stunningly new claim has been made that contradicts the previous conclusion: Since the Jews of Babylon do not override Shabbat by performing the mitzvah of waving the lulav, the Jews of the Land of Israel shouldn’t either.
A familiar-sounding rivalry
Not so dissimilar from the rivalry we unfortunately see today between the haredim and the national religious, our Sages wrote of an atmosphere of competition and rivalry that prevailed between the Jewish centers in Babylon and the Land of Israel. Regarding the mitzvah of lulav on Shabbat, it clearly seems that the sages of Babylon were ill at ease with the fact that the Jews of the Land of Israel were fulfilling a Torah-mandated mitzvah that the Jews of Babylon were not—and could not—perform as this could imply that the Jews of the Land of Israel were of a higher status and order.
During the periods of the Tannaim (70-200 CE) and the Amora’im (200 to 500 CE) until at least the time of Abbaye (d. 337 CE), the Jews of Babylon had no choice but to recognize the lofty status and the birthright of the Jews and Sages of Land of Israel. During this period, it was acceptable for the Jews of the Land of Israel to perform the mitzvah of waving the lulav when the first day of Sukkot fell on Shabbat even though they themselves did not.
But with the passage of time, and the persecutions of the Jewish community in Eretz Yisrael by the Romans and the Byzantines, and later the Arabs/Muslims, the community dwindled until the center of Jewish life shifted to Babylon and the Babylonia community could impose their Halachic worldview.
Taking lulav this Shabbat
Fortunately I have been blessed to have returned to the Land of Israel, where I follow the mitzvahs and customs of that once-dwindling Jewish community. I observe only one Passover seder, observe only one day of holiday for Sukkot, observe shmitta and more.
This year I will add another mitzvah to that list: taking the lulav on Shabbat. Although I will take the lulav in my sukka, before I go to synagogue, I pray for the day when all of the people of Israel will be ready to fulfil the mitzvah of lulav on Shabbat as the Mishna (Sukkah 3a) states:
“When the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat all of the Jews bring their lulavs to synagogue (on Friday night because of the prohibition of carrying from one domain to another); and (the next day) everybody identifies his lulav and takes it.”
Who wrote this? Who is this person who will be taking the lulav on Shabos?
ridiculous
I guess this writer is smarter than all the gedolim from the brisker rov to the chazon ish to rav eliyashiv
The statements of this author show he is completely ignorant of halacha!
I did not see any halachic argument for taking a lulav on shabbos in EY, quite the opposite, he brings the gemara that says we do not. And further, the article was purely a polical article. And to affirm his political view he will be oiver a gezairah derabonon and halacha p’sukah?
This is a joke opposed by ALL poskim.
What did the Chazal said about someone who paskens from Mishna and ignores the Gemara???
Your argument makes me sick. How dare you talk this way about the amoraim?! Your arrogance is shocking. What you don’t understand is that the gemara is torah shebaal peh, and therefore is the final say on all matters. If you do not accept the authority of the gemara then why keep anything outside of torah shebiksav? Why light chanukah candles? Why read megillas esther? Your premise that the Baboloynian rabbis forbade it because of some kind of complex is beyond appalling. How dare you pretend you can possibly fathom the psychology of the amoraim?! The gemara says they are angels compared to us.We just finished yom kippur, I hope and pray that you retract your words, do teshuva , and do not shake your lulav this year on shabbos.
Is this Halachically correct, or is this a political statement thinly veiled as a Kiyum Mitzvoh?
Is this a chumra or a kulah?
Ain Ruach HaMokom Noach Hameinu.
I am surprised the author does not mention the machlokes Rashi and the Rambam as to whether Medinah includes Yerushaliym, based on the mishna that differentiates between mikdash and medina.
When you quote Amei Ha Ratzim , the least you can do for them is to make them famous by adding their name. This Am Horetz is very rare.
This article is megaleh ponim shelo kehalacha and is motzee laaz on Talmuid Bavli.
In my view there are some similarities between the view of chasidim for not eating in the sukkah on shmini atzeres (at least in colder climates) and the view of the author here. In both cases the maskana of the bavli gemorah is analyzed and distinctions between the situation in bavel and another area is sued for not following a gezara. I recognize that the sukkah and esrog issues have major differences, but why the outrage at someone expressing this view (that he should follow the mishna written in EY rather than the gemorah written in bavel when chassidim have found reasons not to follow the bavli maskanan relating to sukkah on S”A?
Rav Eliyashiv is not opposed to benching lulav on shabbos in EY, although his views have been frequently misprepresented as distinguishing between within yerudhalayim and outside yerushalayim.
eather way you will be oiver on baal tosif since you will have chamesh minim, including the one holding the others.
this sikas shabbos im walking into belz yerishalyaim with my arba menim
welcome back to the ‘tzidoikim’
haha october fool’s day
It is not so confusing not to take the arba minim on shabbos because the mitzvah of taking it both outside of Yerushalayim all seven days became totally derabbanan without the Temple. This would explain why shabbos is doyche the arba minim on the first day. Outside of Yerushalayim the mitzvah de’oraisa existed only on the first day WHEN the Temple existed. With no temple taking the arba minim the entire week is now derabbanan. Am I not correct?
This comes from the same camp that holds an American in E”Y for yom tov only needs to keep 1 day and not 2 as almost all of us are nohaig to do.
Therefore, the inyan of preventing tikkun (like with shofar) on shabbos is doyche the arba minim because of the possible violation of de’oraysas.
The author is at besta big Am haretz but more likely a pure apikores
The author of this piece should read the first Rashi to Sukkah 44a:
לדידהו נמי לא דחי – שלא לעשות ישראל אגודות אגודות ונראה כשתי תורות, דלדידן לא דחי לולב שבת.
Translation:
“For them [in the Land of Israel] lulav doesn’t override [Shabbos] either – This is so that the Jewish people are not divided into factions, making it appear like we have two Torahs, given that lulav doesn’t override Shabbos for us [outside of Israel].”
So what exactly is this author trying to do: create factions for no reason? He might also consider that one of the symbolisms of the Four Species is the unity of all types of Jews (Vayikra Rabbah 30:12); is it right to use this very mitzvah to create further division where none exists?
sorry, dont think that this apikorsus is even worth a halachic answer
Funny that even those few supporters of this “psak” don’t dare to metion the name of it’s author…
How about being makriv the Korbon Peisach. Tumeh Hitreh Betzibbur
apikoros in one word. if you don’t believe in any posek means that you don’t believe in v’asisa kchol asher yoricha. not believing even one little (or rather seemingly little) line of the torah makes one an apikoros. the author is probably reform.
kol ho’over al divrei chachomim chayav misa
Did he also blow the shofar on the first day of Rosh Hashanah this year?
The is part of Zoinnist apikorses
i want to take lulav this year because i think thats the right the to do
oyyy anytime someone wants to do something should we post it???
Why did they wake up this week and not last week (Rosh Hashona) . The only reason why we don’t blow the Shofer on shabbos is so that you might carry it & not because of muktza. HELLO
maybe appropriate for purim, why publish this sukkos time?
i mean no disrespect when i say i don’t think this fellow had the benefit of a proper education from childhood on, and never bothered to compensate for it.
Rabbi Chaim Bar-David is the rabbi that was interviewed by VIN in a series of videos about his unique views. He is connected to Machon Shilo.
Not one posek has ever dared to go against the ruling of all Rishonim and Achronim to date and allow the lulav on Shabbos anywhere.
This would appear to be a shaala of zaken mamre in the time of Sanhedrin and an issue kol haover al divrei chachomim.
This gentleman shows his ignorance immediately in his first passage, as to why it is forbidden on the Sabbath and it continues on from there. If he would actually learn the sources for the hallacha rather than dreaming up this diatribe based on some misguided opinion of Chazal he may someday be worthwhile reading.
This year, I am going to schect my korban pesach in the sukkah on shabbos, waive my arba minim over it and blow a shofar after bentching shehakol on the rice and kitnyos while wearing my techelis tzisis on a linen talis, but only after kissing the silkscreened mezuza. Following the afikoman, we are serving peacock heads in cream sauce. All are invited. The ladies will be given aylias to the Torah only if they wear tefilin and make the berachas two at a time in unison.
This guy wants to make a tumult with his “psak” and every one of you is falling for it. Just ignore him. I can’t imagine anyone with their head on straight will follow him.
U WILL BE OVER BAAL TOSEF SINCE U WILL TAKE 4 MINIM PLUS URSELF IS 5 “MINIM”!
“When the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat all of the Jews bring their lulavs to synagogue (on Friday night because of the prohibition of carrying from one domain to another); and (the next day) everybody identifies his lulav and takes it.”
What an Am Haarets “Erev Shabat” means Friday not Friday night, which is shabbos as well. Even than “omly” in the Bais Hamikdash, but not in the rest of Israel.
we need sanhedrin
afra lepumai!
I don’t know who this is, and I done want to know, but this is sure, he is a BIG APIKORES, and he will end like all apikorsim did.