Sukkot is one of the most celebrated Kosher Holidays. Often called as the Feast of Tabernacles or Festival of Shelters, this week-long holiday comes five days after Yom Kippur and is one of the three bible-based pilgrimages, also known as shalosh regalim. This holiday celebrates two things. Firstly, as a thanksgiving for the good harvest and the marking the end of harvest season, and secondly, for the protection G-d granted to the people of Israel when they departed from Egypt. During this holiday, etrog (citron) is taken with the other Four kinds, lulav (palm frond), three hadassim (myrtle twigs), and two aravot (willow twigs). But what’s so special about etrog? Here are some interesting things you need to know. It’s Ancient and Pure Because of the Halachic preference for purity, etrog, unlike any other citrus fruits, are not allowed to be grafted onto other citrus trees. This means that the etrogs used for this holiday are ancient and pure, with little to no cross-breeding happening for over 1000 years. Etrog is also one of the four ancient citrus fruits which includes pomelo, mandarin and papeda where most of the modern citrus comes from. Grown as an Ornament Though after the holidays, most people eat the etrog or turn it into a liquor, an etrog that is cultivated for the Sukkot may not be ideal to eat and make a liquor from. This is because etrogs are very prone to destruction such as infestations, bruises, and its pitams (pithom) may fall-off. This is very important since etrog that is used for religious activities should be clean. Any discoloration, missing iota, bubbling or discoloration on its rind, and if pitam or stem is missing, would make the fruit invalid. That is why this fruit is protected with a lot of pesticides and applied with growth hormones so that the pitams will not fall. So what do I do with my Etrog? Now that you know that there are a lot of pesticides applied on the etrog. What should you do with it after the holiday?
After all these holidays we spent at our own homes because of the pandemic. We should reward ourselves next year with luxurious Jewish Tours. Riding a cruise on some of the world’s rivers and going places is something to look forward to.
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