（利23）住棚节的四样植物(Leviticus 23) Four Species for the Festival of Booths

（利23）住棚节的四样植物(Leviticus 23) Four Species for the Festival of Booths

(ChatGPT translation from Chinese, edited by Mijiale, 中文在后面）

The Festival of Sukkot (the Feast of Booths) takes place during the season of autumn harvest, and there is a specific ritual involving four types of plants. These plants are waved together in prayer three times in each of the six directions (front, right, back, left, up, and down), as a way to praise the Creator, who governs everywhere. https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/arbaah-minim

This practice originates from Leviticus 23:39-40:

“You shall celebrate the festival of the LORD for seven days, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the produce of the land. The first day shall be a day of complete rest, and the eighth day shall also be a day of complete rest. On the first day, you shall take the product of majestic trees, palm fronds, (Hebrew has “and” here) boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.”

The four plants mentioned in the text are likely:

  1. The product of majestic trees (a beautiful fruit)
  2. Palm fronds
  3. Boughs of leafy trees
  4. Willows of the brook

We can use this passage as an example to illustrate how even the smallest details in the Bible carry significance.

According to the Talmud (Sukkah 34b)https://www.sefaria.org/Sukkah.34b.4?lang=bi, the Hebrew text does not contain the conjunction “and” between the first two types of plants, while it does use “and” to link the last three. This has led Jewish tradition to interpret that the last three plants should be tied together in the ritual, while the first should remain separate. This conclusion comes purely from the Hebrew grammar.

Interestingly, this interpretation also makes sense when considering the different parts of the plants used. The last three should be taken from branches, which are easy to bind together, while the first (a fruit) is specified as “the product” (which is “fruit” and is singular in the original Hebrew) and thus cannot be easily bound with the others.

Moreover, this binding interpretation has an important educational message, see https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/367015.4?lang=bi: According to Jewish tradition, the types of trees represent different types of Israelites. The trees’ fruit symbolizes how well someone knows the Scriptures, and their fragrance represents how good their actions are.

So, what are the four types of plants according to tradition? Based on the article “Four species – Wikipedia”:

  1. The product of majestic trees refers to the fruit of the etrog (Hebrew: אתרוג‎), a citron, which has both a pleasant taste and fragrance. This symbolizes an ideal Israelite, one who excels in both knowledge of the Scriptures and good deeds.
  2. Palm fronds come from the date palm, which has no fragrance but produces sweet fruit. This symbolizes someone who may not excel in good deeds but has a deep understanding of the Scriptures.
  3. Boughs of leafy trees refer to myrtle branches (hadas), which have a pleasant fragrance but no edible fruit. This symbolizes someone who may not be well-versed in the Scriptures but excels in good behavior.
  4. Willows of the brook refer to willow branches, which neither bear fruit nor have a fragrance. This symbolizes someone who neither excels in knowledge of the Scriptures nor in good behavior.

In the church context, the reality is that Christians who excel in both Scripture and behavior (like the etrog) are relatively rare. Many Christians fall short in one area or the other, like the date palm, myrtle, or willow trees. Some may lack in behavior, others in scriptural knowledge, or both. However, just as these three species are bound together in the ritual, if Christians come together and complement each other’s strengths, they can collectively exhibit both scriptural knowledge and good deeds. Unfortunately, people often emphasize on their own strengths while discounting —or even being jealous of —those of others. In church life, I have observed examples where “date palms” and “myrtles” look down on each other, even harboring hostility. The biblical hint that binds these three types of branches together with the conjunctions “and” has a profound and practical lesson, reminding us of the importance of unity and collaboration.

（利23）住棚节的四样植物

住棚节是圣经里秋天丰收后收藏的季节，有一个仪式，在祷告时，取四样植物，一起朝六个方向（前右后左上下）各摇动三次，称颂掌管万有的造物主。https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/arbaah-minim

这个仪式，是根据利未记23:39-40， “你 们 收 藏 了 地 的 出 产 ， 就 从 七 月 十 五 日 起 ， 要 守 耶 和 华 的 节 七 日 。 第 一 日 为 圣 安 息 ， 第 八 日 也 为 圣 安 息 。第 一 日 要 拿 美 好 树 上 的 果 子 和 （原文没有“和”字）棕 树 上 的 枝 子 ， 与 茂 密 树 的 枝 条 并 河 旁 的 柳 枝 ， 在 耶 和 华 你 们 的 神 面 前 欢 乐 七 日 。”

经文提到的植物应该是这四样，

“（1）美 好 树 上 的 果 子，

（2）棕 树 上 的 枝 子，

与 （3）茂 密 树 的 枝 条，

并（4） 河 旁 的 柳 枝”。

我们以这段经文为例，要说明圣经的奇妙，以至于其中的细节都有意义。

根据talmud的sukkah 34b，https://www.sefaria.org/Sukkah.34b.4?lang=bi

原文的（1）“美 好 树 上 的 果 子”，与

（2）“棕 树 上 的 枝 子”， 这头两种植物间之间并没有希伯来文“ו”所代表的中译本的“和”字。而后三种植物间，则的确有两个“ו”（译成“与”“并”）连结。所以在节日的仪式中，犹太人认为应该把后三种植物绑在一起，而第一种植物则不绑起来。以上纯粹是按希伯来文语法推导出来的。

奇妙的是，从植物被选取的不同部分来看，这样的解释也是合理的，后三种植物应该是取其枝条，枝条很容易绑在一起；但第一种植物，圣经明确表示是取其“果子”，而且是一个果子（原文果子是单数），这的确不容易绑起来。

更奇妙的是，这种绑在一起的解释，有很有好的教育意义，参考https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/367015.4?lang=bi:

犹太人认为不同种类的树，象征不同种类的以色列人，树是否结好吃的果子，象征以色列人圣经学得好不好；树木是否发出香味，则象征以色列人的行为好不好。

圣经里的这四种植物是什么？按住棚節四樣植物 – 維基百科”的翻译，

美 好 树 上 的 果 子，是香櫞（希伯來語：אתרוג‎，羅馬化：etrog）果實，一種像檸檬的果實，它的果实好，又有香味。这象征理想的以色列人，圣经学得好，行为也好。

棕 树 上 的 枝 子，是椰枣树枝，椰枣树没有香味，但是果实很好吃。这象征行为称不上优秀，但精通圣经的以色列人。

茂 密 树 的 枝 条， 是香桃木枝，“香桃木”不像桃子而更像丁香，它不结好吃的果实，但香味很好。这象征不熟悉圣经，但行为很好的以色列人。

河 旁 的 柳 枝，就是柳树枝，柳树既没有香味，也不结好吃的果实。

这象征圣经程度与行为都称不上优秀的以色列人。

从教会的实际情况来看，精通圣经，行为又好的“香櫞”基督徒其实是很少的。更多的是不理想的基督徒， 是像椰枣，香桃木，或柳树，有的行为欠缺，有的圣经欠缺，有的两者都欠缺。后三种信徒虽然不理想，但是如果把他们像三种树枝那样“绑在了一起”，不就变得又有圣经学问，又有好的行为了吗？可惜，人常常会看重自己强的方面，而不看重甚至嫉妒别人强的方面。实际的教会生活里我的确看到过“椰枣”，“香桃木”的相互看不上甚至相互有敌意的例子。圣经里隐含的这个教导，把后三种树的枝条用“ו”（和，与，并）这个连接词结合起来的，很有现实意义，值得我们注意。