The Torah commands us to take “Pri Eitz Hadar” and lucky for us – it turned out to be the Etrog or Esrog, a citric fruit which grows on a tree full of needle like thorns.
Yes, the esrogim are growing all year long. They endure everything and don’t really care if it’s snowing, if it’s raining, if it’s hot or cold – they are stubbornly persistent (I think it reminds me of a certain religion).
If you’ve never seen an esrog, just think about a lemon. A weird lemon. In the ritual of Sukkot, the esrog, which has a nice taste and a nice smell, represents those of us who have both the Torah and good deeds (all of us I’m sure). How to choose an Esrog? We have to be careful when choosing an esrog and follow strict guidelines.
- Your typical esrog is about 5 inches long and it has a bumpy rind to it.
- The esrog should be oblong shaped and a completely round esrog is not kosher!
- The bottom side of the esrog should also be larger than the top.
- It should have a nice yellow color to it, and no black spots or discoloration of any kind.
- In one end of the esrog you’ll find the stem that connects to the tree.
- At the other side there needs to be a Pitam.
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