ביאור הטעם לאמירת ברכת הלולב בתוך הסוכה

1. The Custom of Reciting the Lulav Beracha in the Sukkah

The Shulchan Menachem—a collection of the Rebbe’s rulings—in Siman Shin Chof (320), discusses the practice of making the blessing on the lulav inside the sukkah. The Alter Rebbe brings down in his Siddur that it is best to shake the lulav in the sukkah. In practice, as seen in many communities, people are given an opportunity to go into the sukkah specifically to make this blessing. This raises a fundamental question: why should one perform the mitzvah of lulav specifically in the sukkah? After all, these appear to be two separate mitzvot—one is to shake the lulav, and another is to dwell in the sukkah.

2. Kabbalistic and Halachic Perspectives on Location

The initial source for this custom is rooted in Kabbalah. However, the Rebbe points out that the language of the Alter Rebbe seems even stronger than what is found in Kabbalistic sources alone. The implication is that there may be a deeper reason, possibly even one grounded in nigleh—the revealed part of Torah law. The Rebbe encourages us to seek out those matters where Kabbalah aligns with halacha, suggesting that there may be a halachic rationale for performing the lulav blessing specifically in the sukkah.

3. Is It Merely About Doing Everything in the Sukkah?

The distinction becomes clear with a practical example: If it rains and a person is exempt from sitting in the sukkah, does he still need to wait until he can return to perform netilat lulav there? If shaking lulav in the sukkah was only because “everything should be done there,” then when exempt from sukkah due to rain, one could simply make the bracha elsewhere. But if there’s an intrinsic connection between lulav and sukkah, then ideally one should wait until he can do it inside.

4. The Unique Status of Sukkahs as a Yom Tov

The Rebbe further explains by contrasting Sukkot with Pesach. On Sukkot, Hashem’s commandment to dwell in sukkahs for seven days actually defines and creates the holiday itself—hence we call it “Chag HaSukkos.” There isn’t a generic festival onto which we add a mitzvah of dwelling in a sukkah; rather, dwelling in a sukkah is what makes it Sukkos.

This differs from Pesach: While Pesach commemorates yetzias Mitzrayim—the Exodus from Egypt—and includes an additional mitzvah to eat matzah during its time frame, eating matzah does not define or create Pesach itself. That’s why Pesach is called “Chag HaMatzos” by Torah terminology but colloquially “Pesach,” reflecting its commemorative nature rather than being defined by matzah alone.

5. The Integral Connection Between Lulav and Sukkah

The Rebbe argues that this explains why netilat lulav should ideally be performed inside: It’s not merely about convenience or general preference for doing things inside but about expressing how every element of Sukkos flows from and returns to its central mitzvah—the sukkah itself.

6. Support from Mishnah: Lulav at One’s Table

The Rebbe brings further support from a Mishnah which describes someone who was traveling and did not have access to his lulav until returning home or entering his sukkah. The Mishnah states that upon arriving at his table (i.e., where he eats), he should take up his lulav then. If he forgets at first, he should interrupt his meal and take it immediately.

This detail—that one takes up lulav at his table—suggests more than mere convenience: It hints at an ideal location for netilat lulav being where one eats on Sukkos—in other words, inside his sukkah. This subtlety supports both halachic and mystical perspectives that see netilat lulav as most complete when performed within the environment defined by Sukkos itself.

This shiur discusses the custom of making the blessing on the lulav inside the sukkah, as brought in Shulchan Menachem Siman 320. The Alter Rebbe notes in his Siddur that it is best to shake the lulav in the sukkah, and many communities provide opportunities for people to do so. This raises a key question: why perform netilat lulav specifically in the sukkah, given that they are two separate mitzvot?

The initial source for this custom is rooted in Kabbalah. However, the Rebbe points out that the Alter Rebbe’s language seems even stronger than what is found in Kabbalistic sources alone, suggesting there may be a deeper reason—possibly one grounded in nigleh (the revealed part of Torah law). The Rebbe encourages seeking out areas where Kabbalah aligns with halacha, implying there may be a halachic rationale for performing netilat lulav specifically in the sukkah.

One might argue that since we strive to do everything possible in the sukkah—eating, drinking, sleeping—we should also perform netilat lulav there as part of this general principle. However, examining the Alter Rebbe’s wording and the Rebbe’s analysis shows this is not simply about doing all activities in the sukkah. There is something unique about performing netilat lulav itself within it. For example: if it rains and one is exempt from sitting in the sukkah, does he need to wait until he can return to perform netilat lulav there? If shaking lulav in the sukkah was only because “everything should be done there,” then when exempt due to rain one could make the bracha elsewhere. But if there’s an intrinsic connection between lulav and sukkah, ideally one should wait until he can do it inside.

The Rebbe further explains by contrasting Sukkos with Pesach. On Sukkos, Hashem’s commandment to dwell in sukkahs for seven days actually defines and creates the holiday itself—hence we call it “Chag HaSukkos.” There isn’t a generic festival onto which we add a mitzvah of dwelling in a sukkah; rather, dwelling in a sukkah makes it Sukkos. This differs from Pesach: while Pesach commemorates yetzias Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt) and includes an additional mitzvah to eat matzah during its time frame, eating matzah does not define or create Pesach itself. That’s why Pesach is called “Chag HaMatzos” by Torah terminology but colloquially “Pesach,” reflecting its commemorative nature rather than being defined by matzah alone.

Given that Sukkos as a yom tov is defined by dwelling in a sukkah, when we are commanded on “the first day” to take up a lulav, this act is inherently tied to being within that framework—the context of Sukkos means being present within a sukkah. Thus, taking up lulav inside isn’t just about maximizing time spent fulfilling mitzvot within a holy space; rather, it reflects how all aspects of Sukkos are bound together by their connection to dwelling within a sukkah. The Rebbe argues that this explains why netilat lulav should ideally be performed inside: It’s not merely about convenience or general preference for doing things inside but about expressing how every element of Sukkos flows from and returns to its central mitzvah—the sukkah itself.

The Rebbe brings further support from a Mishnah describing someone who was traveling and did not have access to his lulav until returning home or entering his sukkah. The Mishnah states that upon arriving at his table (where he eats), he should take up his lulav then; if he forgets at first, he should interrupt his meal and take it immediately. This detail—that one takes up lulav at his table—suggests more than mere convenience: It hints at an ideal location for netilat lulav being where one eats on Sukkos—in other words, inside his sukkah. This subtlety supports both halachic and mystical perspectives that see netilat lulav as most complete when performed within the environment defined by Sukkos itself.

Summary

This shiur teaches that reciting the blessing on the lulav inside the sukkah expresses how all aspects of Sukkos are unified through dwelling in the sukkah itself—revealing both halachic depth and mystical significance behind this cherished custom.