Aravos Should Be Swapped Every Day – A Limud Zechus for Those Who Don’t

The Rema (654:1) writes that due to hiddur mitzvah some people take new and fresh aravos every single day. The Nimukei Orach Chaim and Minhagei Divrei Chaim MiSanz very much encouraged this minhag.

It is clear from the Rema that the need to replace the aravos every single day is due to hiddur mitzvah, therefore if the aravos are still fresh and crispy (i.e. it was placed in water; vacuum packed; wrapped in a towel; wrapped in silver foil etc. or whatever your preferred trick is) then there is apparently no point in replacing it!

However, the Radvaz (Ta’amei HaMitzvos, Mitzvah 118) writes that the aravos shouldn’t be replaced the entire Yom Tov, because they represent rashoim [wicked people], who have no taste or smell, and it is best to let them dry out and wither, as we don’t want to give strength to the Samech Mem and various other forces of tumah.

Rabbi David Koldetzky shlita (Shoneh Halachos, Toras HaMo’adim, siman 654, ois 4) and Rabbi Shammai Kehas HaKohen Gross shlita (Shu”t Shevat HaKehasi, 4:178) both write that many people do not replace their aravos every day, unlike the Rema, and this because there is reason for this based on sod, as we see in the Radvaz.

In the sefer Minhagei HaChasam Sofer (Perek 8, siman 10) they bring that the Chasam Sofer didn’t replace his aravos every day. This was also the minhag of the Belzer Rebbe. The minhag of the Chazon Ish and the Steipler (Orchos Rabbeinu, Vol. 2, pg. 296) was to swap them every two or three days (Piskei Teshuvos, siman 654:2).

The sefer Hilchos Chag BeChag (Arbas HaMinim, Perek 6, halachah 14) writes: If the aravos are dried out and kosher only bedieved, then according to all opinions there is a mitzvah to swap them. He adds a nice reason for the custom of not replacing it when there is no need: דכיון דאיתעביד בה מצוה חדא, ליתעביד בה מצוה אחריתי – once one mitzvah was done with the item, we like to do another one. He compares this to the machlokes we find by Chanukah candles, if one should swap the wicks every day, or if it is best to use the wicks from the night before, as they have already had a mitzvah done with them.

The gilyon Oimek HaPeshat writes:

כואב הלב לראות אנשים, שמשקיעים במינים מהודרים בשווי מאות שקלים, ולעיתים רוכשים כמה אתרוגים מכל הזנים, ואילו ערבות מתפשרים על סוג פשוט שמחירו יותר זול בשקלים בודדים, וכן מתעצלים להחליף ערבות במהלך החג, וכאשר מגיעים ל'הושענא רבא' בקושי הערבות כשרות לברכה, אחרי שכמשו ונבלו העלים. (במיוחד ב'לבלוב' למעלה שהרבה פעמים מתייבש במהירות). כמובן שאין אנו מפקפקים, על הנוהגים כן ממנהג אבותיהם להקפיד לא להחליף את הערבות, על פי דברי הרדב''ז הנ''ל.

“It pains the heart to see people who invest in fancy arbah minim worth hundreds of shekels, and sometimes purchase several esrogim of all varieties. However, when it comes to the aravos, they are happy with cheap simple aravos that cost a few shekel. They are also too lazy to replace their aravos during Succos, and when they reach 'Hoshanah Rabbah', the aravos are barely kosher for making a berachah on, after the leaves have dried out and withered so much. (Especially in the lavlulv above, which often dries quickly). Of course, we do not doubt those who have the minhag to do so, based on the Radvaz.”

In America, the common minhag is to take Shatzer aravos (Monsey aravos) which are stronger than the ones found in Eretz Yisrael, and they don’t need to be changed so often. Many people who take such aravos find that they only need to be replaced on Hoshanah Rabbah. [Another benefit of such aravos is that the leaves stand pointing upwards, and there is no concern that the leaves are not עומדים דרך גדילתן – standing the way they grew.]

I heard good advice from a chocham eched. He advised that on erev Succos one should buy many bundles of aravos, so that one has reserves for the entire Succos, and this way, when one is unsure if they need replacing or not, since he already has some, it won’t be too much of an effort to do so.