Sukkot is full of quirks: glorious Sukkahs, etrogs wrapped like crown jewels, and the annual challenge of teaching kids not to turn their lulav into a lightsaber. But one of the most technical debates centers around a single word in the Torah: lachem.

In Leviticus (23:40), the verse describing the Four Species (Arbah Minim) reads: “u’lekachtem lachem” – “you shall take for yourselves.” That one little word, lachem (“yours”), sets off an avalanche of halachic (Jewish legal) discussions about who owns what, and when, during the mitzvah of taking the lulav and etrog. Let’s unravel two fascinating cases: women using arba minim, and the special “wavings” during Hallel.

Case One: Women and the Four Species Ownership 

Women are not biblically obligated in the mitzvah of lulav and etrog, since it is a time-bound commandment (mitzvat aseh she’hazman grama). However, women have a long-standing custom (minhag) to take the Four Species anyway – and are rewarded for doing so.

Here’s the catch: does the rule of lachem apply to them as well? In other words, when a woman borrows her husband’s or father’s lulav on the first day, must it legally be hers to fulfill the mitzvah?

The Halachic Consensus

Most authorities say yes. Even though it’s a custom, once a woman performs the mitzvah she should do so in the proper way, which means ensuring the lulav is actually hers, at least temporarily. That’s why the classic solution is for the husband (or owner) to formally “transfer” ownership by saying: “Harei hu shelach matanah al menat lehachzir” – “This is yours as a gift on condition you give it back.”

This neat halachic device allows the woman to truly “own” the lulav for the moment she uses it, fulfilling lachem just like a man would. Afterwards, she hands it back, restoring ownership. Authorities like the Birkei Yaakov recommend this approach explicitly [see Birkei Yaakov, Orach Chayim 658].

It’s a bit like borrowing your friend’s car for a joyride – except in this case, your friend temporarily gives you the title before you hand it right back.

Case Two: Do You Need Lachem During Hallel?

Here’s another Sukkot moment: everyone gathers for Hallel, the festive psalms recited in the morning service. At several points, the congregation waves their Arbah Minim in different directions – a ritual known as na’anuim.

But wait. If lachem requires ownership, does that mean you still need to own the lulav during these Hallel wavings? Or is it enough to wave any old palm branch lying around?

The Timing Matters

The mitzvah of lulav on the first day is biblically required (d’oraita). That’s why ownership is so strict at that moment. But once a person has already fulfilled the mitzvah by taking the lulav and saying the blessing earlier in the service, the Hallel wavings are considered a rabbinic (d’rabbanan) extension – important, but not the same halachic weight.

Authorities like the Nitei Gavriel (Hilchot Arba Minim 44:3) explain that since the na’anuim during Hallel are only rabbinic, the lachem requirement no longer applies in the same way. Even on the first day, once the initial blessing and taking are done, one may use a borrowed lulav for Hallel. The Mikorei Kodesh notes that this effectively puts the Hallel wavings in the same category as the rest of Sukkot, when the mitzvah of lulav is already rabbinic and thus less stringent [Nitei Gavriel, Hilchot Arba Minim; Mikorei Kodesh, p. 78].

So if you forgot your lulav at home, don’t panic. Borrow your neighbor’s. You’ll still be fine for Hallel.

What’s the Takeaway?

  • Women and lulav: Even though women aren’t biblically obligated, once they take the lulav, the mitzvah should be done correctly. That means ensuring ownership – which is why husbands or fathers “gift on condition of return.”

  • Hallel wavings: After the first blessing and taking, the requirement of lachem relaxes. For the na’anuim in Hallel, a borrowed lulav works just fine.

The Bigger Picture

These discussions might feel nitpicky, but they highlight something deeper about Jewish law: details matter, but so does intention. The Torah wanted lulav and etrog to be personally owned because mitzvot are about ownership in the broadest sense – taking responsibility, making it yours.