SECTION 647 Laws Relating to the Willow. (1–6)
סימן תרמז דִּינֵי עֲרָבָה וּבוֹ ו' סְעִיפִים:
1 “The willows of the brook” mentioned in the Torah1 are a known species referred to by this name. This species of willow has the following distinguishing signs:
[i] Its stem is red.2 Nevertheless, even while it is still green, one may fulfill his obligation with it, because ultimately it will turn red through exposure to the sun.
[ii] Its leaf is not round, but is extended like a stream.
[iii] The mouth of the leaf, i.e., its edge, is smooth, not serrated.3 [See fig. 25 (p. 386).]
[iv] Most [trees of] this species grow near streams of water; hence the name — “willows of the brook.” Nevertheless, even the minority [of the trees of this species] that grow in the deserts and on the mountains are also fit to be used for the mitzvah of the willow [together with] the lulav, because they have all the above distinguishing characteristics.
Fig. 25: The leaves of the willow have smooth edges (see sec. 647:1).
א "עַרְבֵי נַחַל" הָאָמוּר בַּתּוֹרָה,1 הוּא מִין יָדוּעַ הַנִּקְרָא כֵּן,א וְזֶה סִימָנוֹ: קָנֶה שֶׁלּוֹ הוּא אָדֹם,ב,2 וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּעוֹדוֹ יָרֹק – אָדָם יוֹצֵא בּוֹ יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ,ג לְפִי שֶׁסּוֹפוֹ לִהְיוֹת אָדֹם כְּשֶׁתַּגִּיעַ עָלָיו הַחַמָּה,ד וְעָלֶה שֶׁלּוֹ אֵינוֹ עָגֹל אֶלָּא הוּא מָשׁוּךְ כְּנַחַל, וּפִיו שֶׁל הֶעָלֶהה דְּהַיְנוּ חֻדּוֹ הוּא חָלוּק וְאֵינוֹ עָשׂוּי פְּגִימוֹת פְּגִימוֹת.ו,3 וְרֹב מִין זֶה הוּא גָּדֵל עַל נַחֲלֵי מַיִם, וּלְכָךְ נִקְרָא מִין זֶה "עַרְבֵי נַחַל", וַאֲפִלּוּ מִעוּטוֹ הַגָּדֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר וּבֶהָרִים – גַּם כֵּן הוּא כָּשֵׁרז לְמִצְוַת עֲרָבָה שֶׁבַּלּוּלָב, כֵּיוָן שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ כָּל סִימָנִים הַלָּלוּ:ח

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2 There is a species of willow whose stalk is red and whose leaf is extended like a stream, but its edge is not smooth. [However, the edge] does not resemble [the edge of] a saw (which has [relatively] large ridges). Instead, it has very small grooves like the cutting edge of a small sickle. This species is also valid.
ב וְיֵשׁ מִין עֲרָבָה שֶׁקָּנֶה שֶׁלּוֹ הוּא אָדֹם וְעָלֶה שֶׁלּוֹ מָשׁוּךְ כְּנַחַל,ט אֶלָּא שֶׁפִּי הֶעָלֶה אֵינוֹ חָלָק וְגַם אֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה לְמַסּוֹר (פֵּרוּשׁ מְגֵרָהי שֶׁפְּגִימוֹתֶיהָ גְּדוֹלוֹת קְצָתיא), אֶלָּא יֵשׁ בּוֹ תְּלָמִים קְטַנִּים עַד מְאֹד כְּמוֹ פִּי מַגָּל קָטָן – וְגַם זֶה כָּשֵׁר:יב
3 There is, however, a certain species that resembles a willow, but its stalk is not red. Its leaf is round and its edge is [jagged] like a saw. [This species is called a] tzaftzafah. [See fig. 26.] It is not acceptable [for the mitzvah]2 even in a pressing situation,4 as will be explained in sec. 649[:23]. All of these matters are halachos transmitted to Moshe at Sinai.
Fig. 26: The leaves of the tzaftzafah are conspicuously serrated, like a saw (see sec. 647:3).
ג אֲבָל יֵשׁ מִין אֶחָד דּוֹמֶה לָעֲרָבָה, אֲבָל קָנֶה שֶׁלּוֹ אֵינוֹ אָדֹם וְעָלֶה שֶׁלּוֹ עָגֹל וּפִי הֶעָלֶה הוּא דּוֹמֶה לְמַסּוֹר, וְזֶהוּ הַנִּקְרָא "צַפְצָפָה", וְהִיא פְּסוּלָהיג,2 אֲפִלּוּ בִּשְׁעַת הַדְּחָק4 כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן תרמ"ט.יד וְכָל דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ הֵן הֲלָכָה לְמֹשֶׁה מִסִּינַי:טו

4 When the tip of the willow — i.e., the tip of the twig from which the leaves actually emerge — has been cut off, the twig is invalid,5 because it is not considered “beautiful.” [See fig. 27.] For this reason, when the willow twigs are longer [than one desires] and he wishes to trim them, he must be very careful not to trim them near the top, but at the bottom, where they were connected to the bough.
Fig. 27: This willow twig is now invalid (see sec. 647:4).
ד עֲרָבָה שֶׁנִּקְטַם רֹאשָׁהּ,טז דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁנִּקְטַם רֹאשׁ הָעֵץ עַצְמוֹ שֶׁהֶעָלִין גְּדֵלִין בּוֹיז – פְּסוּלָה,5 לְפִי שֶׁאֵין זֶה הִדּוּר.יח וּלְכָךְ צָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר מְאֹד כְּשֶׁהַבַּדִּין שֶׁל עֲרָבָה אֲרֻכִּין יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי וְרוֹצֶה לְקַצְּצָן שֶׁלֹּא יְקַצְּצֵן בְּרֹאשָׁם, אֶלָּא לְמַטָּה בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁהֵן מִתְחַבְּרִים לְהֶעָנָף:

5 If most of the leaves have fallen off, the willow twig is invalid. One must therefore be very careful, for often [the leaves] are stripped off when the willow twigs are pushed into [the binding of] the lulav or when [the Four Species] are shaken. If only some of the leaves have been detached, the willow twig is valid.5 Nevertheless, at the outset, [such a willow twig] should not be used if one can readily find a perfect one, none of whose leaves have fallen off, for the optimal way to perform the mitzvah is to use a specimen that is intact.
ה נָשְׁרוּיט רֹב עָלֶיהָ – פְּסוּלָה. וְצָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר מְאֹד בְּדָבָר זֶה, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים נוֹשְׁרִים עַל יְדֵי תְּחִיבָתָן לְתוֹךְ הַלּוּלָב, וְגַם עַל יְדֵי נִעְנוּעַ.כ אֲבָל אִם לֹא נֶעֶקְרָה רַק מִקְצָת עָלֶיהָ – כְּשֵׁרָה.כא,5 וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, לְכַתְּחִלָּה אֵין לִקַּח אוֹתָהּ אִם אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ בְּקַל לִמְצֹא אַחֶרֶת שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁלֹּא נָשְׁרוּ מֵעָלֶיהָ כְּלוּם, שֶׁהַשְּׁלֵמָה הִיא מִצְוָה מִן הַמֻּבְחָר:כב
6 If most of the leaves have dried out, the willow twig is invalid,6 for it is not considered “beautiful.”7 What degree of dryness [disqualifies them]? Their surface becomes white. If the leaves have not dried out to this extent, then even if [the leaves] have withered, the twig is valid.5
The twig is invalid if most of its leaves are drooping and are dislodged from their point of connection to the stalk, even if they have not fallen off entirely, being still somewhat connected. [The twig is also invalid] if most of the leaves have cracked and are divided in two over most of the length of [each] leaf, for [in both of the above situations] it is considered as if most of the leaves have fallen off.8
ו יָבְשׁוּכג רֹב עָלֶיהָכד – פְּסוּלָה,6 שֶׁאֵין זֶה הִדּוּר.כה,7 וְכַמָּה שִׁעוּר הַיְבֵשׁוּת? מִשֶּׁהִלְבִּינוּ פְּנֵיהֶם,כו אֲבָל אִם לֹא הִגִּיעוּ הֶעָלִין לְשִׁעוּר הַיְבֵשׁוּת אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּבָר כָּמְשָׁה – הֲרֵי זוֹ כְּשֵׁרָה.כז,5
אִם נִדַּלְדְּלוּ רֹב הֶעָלִיןכח וְנִתְּקוּ מִמְּקוֹם חִבּוּרָם בַּקָּנֶה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נָשְׁרוּ לְפִי שֶׁעֲדַיִן הֵם מְחֻבָּרִים קְצָת,כט וְכֵן אִם נִסְדְּקוּ רֹב הֶעָלִין וְנֶחְלְקוּ לִשְׁנַיִם בְּרֹב אֹרֶךְ הֶעָלֶהל – הֲרֵי זֶה כְּאִלּוּ נָשְׁרוּ רֹב עָלֶיהָ וּפְסוּלָה:לא,8
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