Musing – Is there a fifth “Kind” in the Lulav?

Hebraic Musing – Is there a fifth “Kind” in the Lulav?

There are four “kinds” of fruit God mentions when He tells us how to celebrate the seven day feast of Tabernacles with a Lulav --  “On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.” Lev. 23:40 NIV  

Remember -- the seven day feast of Tabernacles/Booths/Sukkot is all about fellowship with God and one another. Yesterday was the last day.

There is a traditional teaching of the symbolism for each variety of fruit and how they represents each of four different kinds of people and their Torah, or Biblical understanding.  The traditional fruit waved before the Lord are--

The citron both smells and tastes good and represents a person who has attained wisdom from the Bible and also performs good deeds.
The myrtle has a good fragrance but is inedible, so it symbolizes a person who does good deeds but hasn’t learned from the Bible.
The date palm is edible but has no smell and thus representing a person who has wisdom but doesn’t engage in good deeds.
Finally, the willow doesn’t have taste or aroma, so it represents a person with neither wisdom nor good deeds.

A unique consideration – There is a cord that is used to bind this bundle of fruit together.  What might that cord represent?  Is there a fifth kind of person symbolized in the assembled Lulav?  Is there a fifth kind of person who binds all of the types of persons together in unity?   “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”  Ps 133:1  NIV

How often we find strife between the brothers who might represent different kinds of fruit.  I have heard those differences called denominations, churches, nations, cultures or “the guy who doesn’t agree with me.”   So, even if my friends don’t agree with me, we are still friends.  BTW, my definition of a stranger is “a friend I have not met yet.”   

Why did this song come to mind?

♫  Chorus  Bind us together, Lord, bind us together    With cords that cannot be broken,
Bind us together, Lord, bind us together    Bind us together with love.
♫ There is only one God.  There is only one King. There is only one body. That is why we sing…   (REPEAT CHORUS)

Point to Ponder

No matter which type of fruit we represent,
how can we be the CORD that cannot be broken?

Shalom Chaver (friend)                                                          October 6, 2015         

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,   Author:                                                            

“Hebraic Insights”  “Biblical_Marriage” “Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
“Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament” Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   www.InsightsByYosef.com