Every Sukkot, Jews around the world grab their lulav (the palm branch bundled with myrtle and willow) and etrog (citron) for the mitzvah of the arba minim – the four species. It’s a ritual that is both ancient and slightly mysterious: lots of waving, some choreography in six directions, and, inevitably, the question – can you talk while you’re doing it?

Turns out, once you start digging, there are layers of halacha (Jewish law), custom, and a few rabbinic curveballs that make this mitzvah surprisingly…chatty. Let’s unpack it all.

Biblical or Rabbinic? Seven Days or Just One?

First things first: is the mitzvah to take the lulav  week-long Biblical command, or does it only apply on the first day?

The Mishnah in Sukkah 3:12 clarifies: in Temple times, people took the lulav for seven days in the Beit HaMikdash (the Temple), but only one day outside it. After the Temple was destroyed, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai instituted that Jews everywhere should take it for seven days as a zecher laMikdash – a remembrance of the Temple. In other words, post-Temple, the seven-day practice is rabbinic, not Biblical (Sukkah 3:12).

Rashi, the famous medieval commentator, explains this from the verse, “You shall rejoice before Hashem seven days” (Leviticus 23:40). The seven-day rejoicing applies Biblically only before Hashem – meaning in the Temple. Everywhere else, it’s just day one that counts Biblically.

There’s even a debate about whether Jerusalem itself might have had a unique status, according to some readings of Maimonides (Rambam). But for most practical purposes: outside the Temple, it’s one Biblical day, six rabbinic days, and a lot of opportunities to bump your neighbor’s kippah with your lulav.

So…Do You Actually Have to Shake It?

Here’s a fun twist: the Torah never says shake the lulav – it just says take it. The Gemara in Sukkah 38a notes that shaking is a form of shiyarei mitzvah – the “extras” or “accompaniments” to the main mitzvah. It’s not essential for fulfilling the command, but it carries spiritual weight, like waving grain offerings in the Temple was thought to hold back bad winds and harmful dew (Sukkah 38a).

So yes, you can technically fulfill the mitzvah by just holding the four species together. But shaking is strongly encouraged – it turns the mitzvah from a silent prop-holding exercise into a full-body performance.

Don’t Talk with Your Hands Full

Now onto the main question: can you chat while you’re holding – or shaking – the lulav and etrog set?

Between the Blessing and the Action

Jewish law generally frowns on making a blessing (bracha) and then chatting before you actually do the mitzvah. Think of putting on a tallit (prayer shawl): you bless it, then put it on without delay. Interrupting with casual conversation in between is a no-no (hefsek, an interruption).

Applied to lulav, that means: once you say the blessing, you should immediately pick up the species in the correct way – etrog with its pitam (little blossom tip) pointing upward, lulav upright – and that already counts as fulfilling the mitzvah (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 651:5). If you talk before that moment, it’s a problem. After that? Less so.

But What About the Shaking?

Here’s where it gets tricky. Some view the shaking (na’anuim) in six directions during Hallel (the festive prayer service) as a full component of the mitzvah, not just a nice add-on. If that’s the case, then maybe you shouldn’t interrupt until after all the shaking is done. Others argue the mitzvah is technically fulfilled once you’ve held the lulav and etrog correctly, so chatting during the choreography isn’t a dealbreaker.

The safest bet? Hold off on gossip until after you’ve finished shaking north, south, east, west, up, and down. It’s only a few seconds anyway – hardly enough time to tell your friend about the etrog market prices this year.

Hoshanot, Shofar, and Silence 

If you’ve ever been in shul on Rosh Hashanah, you know the drill: before the shofar blowing, someone announces, “No talking until after the last tekiah.” That’s because Jewish law specifically prohibits interruptions between different sets of blasts (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 592:3).

So why don’t synagogues make the same announcement before the lulav and Hoshanot (the circling prayers said with the lulav and etrog)?

Well, there’s no explicit rule in Shulchan Aruch about keeping silent between the blessing on the lulav and Hoshanot. That suggests it’s less strict. Some later authorities even argued that shofar blasts are unique because the mitzvah isn’t complete until all the sets are done, whereas lulav can be fulfilled with one lift.

Still, some point out that silence has its value. Not only does it preserve the focus of the blessing, it also avoids the awkwardness of having half the congregation singing Hodu LaHashem (“Give thanks to G-d”) while someone else is mid-story about last night’s Sukkah dinner.

Standing in the Sukkah: Bonus Round

One more wrinkle: is there anything special about shaking the lulav in the Sukkah itself? Some authorities – like the Alter Rebbe in his siddur – suggest it’s preferable to do the mitzvah inside the Sukkah if possible. The logic is simple: it’s a mitzvah holiday booth, why not double-dip? But whether you’re in the Sukkah, the synagogue, or even your living room (yes, technically it counts), the rules about talking and timing remain the same.

Practical Takeaways 

So, where does this all leave the average lulav-shaker?

  • Day One = Biblical, Days Two–Seven = Rabbinic (outside the Temple). Don’t stress about hierarchy; just enjoy the chance to wave greenery around like a holy Jedi (Sukkah 3:12).

  • Shaking = Recommended, Not Required. Still, it adds spiritual depth, so skip it at your own risk of being the only stiff in shul (Sukkah 38a).

  • Talking = Problematic if it’s before you’ve picked them up correctly. After that, it depends who you ask. Best practice: zip it until after the shaking.

  • Hoshanot ≠ Shofar. No rabbinic announcement needed, but common sense and courtesy suggest silence is golden.

  • In the Sukkah = Nice touch. Bonus points if you manage to balance an etrog, lulav, and slice of kugel simultaneously.

Why It Matters

At the end of the day, these questions highlight something beautiful about Jewish ritual: even the smallest motions – when to speak, when to stay silent, which direction to wave – are infused with meaning. The lulav and etrog are about unity, bringing different types of Jews together. Staying focused during the mitzvah is a reminder that holiness often lies in the details.

And hey, if nothing else, it’s one of the few times a year you get religious permission to shake leaves at your friends in shul.