Why Do We Bless Over the Lulav and Not the Etrog?
The sages established the blessing over the lulav because it is taller than the others. But real height is not external decoration. It is the question of what a person does with the Torah, strength and status that were given.
We hold four species, yet we bless “on taking the lulav.” The Gemara asks why we do not lift the etrog and bless over it, and answers: “because in its species it is the tallest of them all” (Sukkah 37b). The legal reason is straightforward, but the idea invites reflection: what does “height” mean in a human life?
The etrog is beautiful, expensive and complete. In the Midrash it symbolizes a Jew who possesses both Torah and good deeds (Vayikra Rabbah 30:12). Why, then, does the mitzvah not bear its name? Perhaps because personal completeness, however important, is not the final measure. The question is not only what is inside a person, but where those gifts carry that person and what they do for others.
A person can know Torah and remain unchanged. One can know a great deal and speak coarsely, hold an honored role and belittle people, succeed greatly and turn success into a wall. Torah is measured not only by knowledge but by the transformation it produces.
Rav Yosef said about the day of Matan Torah, “If not for this day, how many Yosefs are there in the marketplace?” (Pesachim 68b). Torah created a new kind of height in him. Real learning should broaden vision, refine judgment, soften ego and bring depth into ordinary reactions.
This height is tested precisely where it could be abused. If I know more, does the person who knows less feel diminished beside me or protected? If I have money, does it only widen the gap or also open doors of kindness? If I have authority, must I display it constantly, or am I secure enough to listen?
The four species are held together. The tall lulav is bound to the myrtle and willow, while the etrog stands alongside. Perhaps that itself teaches that truly elevated people do not need distance from others in order to feel great. They remain capable of connection.
The world asks a successful person: how high did you get? Torah asks: what did you do with your height? If God gave you more Torah, influence, talent or resources, did anyone nearby become higher because of the way you used them?
Real height is not the distance between you and the people below. Real height is how many people you managed to lift with you.