Praying for an Esrog on Yom Kippur:
The first day of Sukkos is the Yahrzeit of my ancestor, Rav Mordchele of Nadvorna zy”a. It is related that one year, he could not find a nice, mehudar esrog, as he greatly desired. In the end, he chose an esrog that was not fully clean. Before Yom Kippur, he placed the esrog in the Aron Hakodesh and said, “If Mordechai does teshuva, the esrog will be clean.”
Incredibly, on Motzoei Yom Kippur, he took the esrog out of the Aron and it was completely clean and mehudar.
Washing the Esrog With Tears:
When Rav Yechiel of Alexander zy”a’s esrog was brought to him, he would not look at it until after the day of Selichos when the 13 Middos of Hashem are recited. He would say, “With the tears of the Selichos of the 13 Middos before yom Kippur, we wash all of the imperfections and stains off of the esrog.”
Meriting Two Worlds:
The Maharil writes that the word “lulav” has the same gematriah as the word “chaim” (life). This is a hint that if one purchases a beautiful lulav and esrog, he will merit life in this world and in Olam Haba.
Enthusiasm for the Mitzvah:
Sefer Shmuos Tovos relates that Rav Shalom of Kaminka zy”a once spent Sukkos in the city of Belz and he was amazed to see the Belzer Rov zy”a floating in the air when he held his lulav and esrog. He thought that he might be imagining it, but he looked several times and saw that it was not his imagination, it was real.
When he later went to the Belzer Rov’s tish, the Rov said, “One should be very enthusiastic to perform the mitzvah of taking the lulav, to the extent that he fulfills the verse of ‘take for yourself on the first day.’ One should ‘take himself’ for the mitzvah by raising himself up until he is standing on air!”
Saving the Daled Minim for the Entire Year:
Sefer Seder Hayom writes that on Motzoei Sukkos one should take his daled minim and store them in a designated place where he will see them and remember them. If one does this, he will be saved from harm. One certainly should not throw them in the garbage, as this is not a respectful way to treat them.
