Positive Commandment 169 (Digest)
Taking the Four Species
"And you shall take for yourselves on the first day..."—Leviticus 23:40.
We are commanded to take a lulav (palm branch) [along with willows, myrtles and a citron] and rejoice before G‑d on the seven days of the holiday of Sukkot.
Only in the area of the Holy Temple is this mitzvah biblically mandatory for the seven days of the holiday. In all other locations, the biblical obligation extends only to the first day of the holiday.
Women are exempt from this mitzvah.
The 169th mitzvah is that we are commanded to hold a lulav [palm branch, together with the other three species, esrog, myrtle, willow] and to rejoice before G‑d for seven days [i.e., the holiday of Sukkos].
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "And you shall take for yourselves."
The details of this mitzvah are explained in tractate Sukkah. There it is explained that only in the Holy Temple is this mitzvah obligatory for seven days. Elsewhere, the Biblical obligation is only on the first day.
Women are not obligated in this mitzvah.
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