[Avodah] A Little More Mysticism

[R Wolberg]

The gematria of lulav is 68 and is equivalent to the gematria of chayim
(life).  One symbol of the lulav (and esrog) 

is: "Etz chayim" -  the  "tree of life" (referring to Torah).  And though
the physical life is drawn from nature, the 

spiritual life is ultimately from Torah which is the "Eternal Life that He
has planted within us."  

 

The fruit of this (detached) lulav tree is the esrog which according to some
scholars was the original fruit of the 

"tree of knowledge" of good and evil (not the apple) [Gen. Rabba 15].  Thus
the Torah offers what we lost at 

Eden: the potential for life and purpose. 

 

We hopefully have been purified through Yom Kippur and we pray that the
holiday of Sukkot infuse in us the 

elements to refine our lives with lasting values. And if for some reason we
haven't been purified through the 

holidays, then we have the "mei Noach" - "waters of Noah" (the largest
mikvah in history) to finish the job. 

 

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