Podcasts religion Israel in Translation Sukkot special: The fragility of the etrog

Sukkot special: The fragility of the etrog

Published: Oct. 8, 2014, 9:52 a.m.

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Today we explore the etrog, a powerful symbol of the holiday of Sukkot, through a short story by Shai Agnon and a poem by Orit Gidali.

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Agnon\'s story \'That Tzaddik\\u2019s Etrog,\' translated by Shira Leibowitz and Moshe Kohn, is a parable about a rabbi who sells his tefillin in order to buy a perfect etrog for Sukkot. Gidali\'s poem is about the fragility of the etrog - she talks of wrapping her son in cotton wool "so that the world around you will treat you like an etrog."

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Compared to the other three Sukkot \'species\' (lulav, haddas, and aravah), which are each deficient in either smell, taste, or both, the etrog has both a good taste and a good smell, symbolizing those who have both Torah and good deeds.

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Wishing you all good taste and good smell, chag sameach!

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Texts:

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S. Y. Agnon, A Book That Was Lost and other stories. Edited and introduced by Alan Mintz and Anne Golomb Hoffman. Schocken Books, 1995

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Orit Gidali, Smichut [Closing In], 2009.

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Music:

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Adi Ran - You are Holy

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Adi Ran - \\u05d3\\u05e9\\u05d8\\u05d5\\u05ea\\u05d0 \\u05de\\u05d9\\u05dc\\u05d9

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