כְּשֶׁנּוֹתְנִים הַד' מִינִים לְאַחֵר לְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם אוֹמְרִים בְּפֵרוּשׁ שֶׁהוּא בְּמַתָּנָה עַל מְנָת לְהַחֲזִיר, וּבִפְרַט בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן. וְהוּא תּוֹעֶלֶת לַנּוֹתֵן וְלַמְּקַבֵּל. הוֹרָה אַאַמוּ"ר שֶׁיַּתְחִילוּ בִּרְכַּת שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ כְּשֶׁהַלּוּלָב בְּיָדוֹ אַחַת וְהָאֶתְרוֹג בַּשְׁנִיָּה. הַפְּסוּקִים כִּי אָמַרְתִּי גו' - רַק בְּהוֹשַׁעֲנָא רַבָּה. גַּם בַּיּוֹם מְבָרְכִים לֵשֵׁב בַּסּוּכָּה אַחַר קִדּוּשׁ וְלֹא אַחַר הַמּוֹצִיא.

When handing someone the Four Species so that he can recite a blessing over them, one should say explicitly that it this “a gift on condition that it is returned.”1 This practice applies especially on the first day, and it is of benefit both to the donor and to the recipient.

My revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab], directed that one should begin reciting the blessing Shehecheyanu2 while holding the lulav in one hand and the esrog in the other.3

[When reciting the Hoshanos, we say the verses and phrases that appear in the Siddur after each day’s reading, such as] Ki Amarti…,4 only on Hoshana Rabbah.

Even during the day,5 the blessing Leishev basukkah is recited after Kiddush, and not after Hamotzi.

הַהַנְהָגָה בְּעֵת בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים (כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעִיל יוֹם ב' דְּחַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת), אָנוּ יוֹדְעִים עַל יְדֵי זֶה שֶׁרַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן הָיָה לוֹקֵחַ אֶת הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק, קוֹדֶם חֲתוּנָתוֹ, תַּחַת טַלִּיתוֹ לִנְשִׂיאַת כַּפַּיִם.

The customs that are observed during the Priestly Blessing (as detailed in the entry for the second day of Shavuos) have come down to us by virtue of the fact that the Alter Rebbe used to take [his grandson] the Tzemach Tzedek — [in his youth,] before he was married — under his tallis during the Priestly Blessing.

Living as a Chassid

Some of the customs that the Rebbeim observed privately over the generations were not made known publicly, or were reserved for individuals of unique spiritual standing.

However, as the Rebbe once stated:6 “During the latter years of his life in this world, the Rebbe [Rayatz] revealed numerous customs to public knowledge, including many that until then had been observed privately. Now the Rebbe [Rayatz] was aware of the attitude with which his words would be received; he knew how eager were his listeners to implement them, and how widely these words would be disseminated. It is thus clear that the above practice was not simply a case of ‘teaching and being rewarded [for a mere academic exercise],’7 but a practical directive. This means that after a certain degree of preparation, all those who have come to hear of these customs should begin to practice them.”

At the same time, as the Rebbe later notes, “It is indeed common knowledge that one ought not grasp at supplementary optional observances (hiddurim) that are not in keeping with one’s own general standards. Moreover, there is a risk that one will regard the embellishment as if it were the nucleus of the mitzvah, which in turn will not be given its rightful place. Nevertheless, with regard to those practices which have been revealed, and which an individual has heard about, it is well-nigh certain that since all things happen by Divine Providence, the issue at hand is a Heavenly instruction, and has relevance to him. (At the same time, the aforementioned word of caution must still be borne in mind.)”