Shaking the Lulav
Get up early to shake the lulav, especially today. If possible, do not eat or drink before shaking the lulav. It is best to shake the lulav in the sukkah.
Lift the lulav with your right hand with its spine facing you, and say the berachah of Al Netilas Lulav. Next, lift the esrog with your left hand (making sure it is upright) and say the berachah of Shehecheyanu. As you finish the berachah, join the lulav and esrog together, tilting the esrog and joining its top third with the bottom of the lulav.
For additional halachos regarding shaking the lulav, see below, “Hosafos.” Next, do the na’anuim. Face east, holding the lulav and esrog together. Keeping them in their upright position, move them toward the southeast corner (i.e., at a 45° angle to your right), shake them slightly, and bring them back until they touch your chest (the place where you strike when saying Ashamnu). Repeat this three times. Do another three na’anuim in the manner described above toward the northeast corner (i.e., at a 45° angle to your left), due east (directly in front of you), upwards, downwards, and west (behind you), totaling eighteen na’anuim.
The lulav and esrog remain upright throughout the na’anuim, including when they are lowered downwards. Ensure the top of the lulav does not touch the roof/sechach (especially when lifting them upwards). When lifting the lulav and esrog upwards, lower them slightly before bringing them back to your chest. Similarly, when lowering the lulav and esrog downwards, lift them slightly before bringing them back to your chest. When moving the lulav and esrog west, for the first two times move them toward the southwest corner (i.e., at a 135° angle to your right), and for the third time move them due west (directly behind you). Throughout the na’anuim, cover the esrog with your hand (if possible), revealing it slightly only for the last na’anua (in which the lulav and esrog are moved due west). When doing the na’anuim, the Rebbe would stand with his feet together, as during Shemoneh Esrei.
Shacharis and Hallel
Say the Shemoneh Esrei for Shalosh Regalim, inserting the additions for Sukkos where indicated. After chazaras hashatz, the whole Hallel is said. Hold the lulav when saying Hallel (with your right hand), and when doing the na’anuim, hold the esrog as well (with your left hand), joining them together. The berachah preceding Hallel is said throughout Sukkos, whether saying Hallel with a minyan or alone.
Four sets of na’anuim are done during Hallel. The first set is done when saying the words Hodu laHashem ki tov ki le’olam chasdo (immediately after the paragraph Halelu es Hashem). When saying the word Hodu, do three na’anuim toward the right (in the manner described above). When saying laHashem, do not move the lulav and esrog. When saying ki, do three na’anuim toward the left; when saying tov, do three na’anuim frontward; when saying ki, do three na’anuim above; when saying le’olam, do three na’anuim below; and when saying chasdo, do three na’anuim behind you.
The second and third sets are done when saying the words Ana Hashem hoshiah na. When saying the word Ana, do three na’anuim toward the right and then another three toward the left. When saying Hashem, do not move the lulav and esrog. When saying hoshiah, do three na’anuim frontward and another three above, and when saying na, do three na’anuim below and another three behind you. Do the same when saying Ana Hashem for the second time. The fourth set is done when saying the possuk Hodu laHashem at the end of Hallel for the first time. These na’anuim are done in the same way as when this possuk was said earlier (see above).
If you do not have your own lulav and esrog, try to borrow a set to use for Hallel and Hoshanos.
