Shaking the lulav and etrog on Sukkot is a way of physically expressing joy, thanking God for blessing and rain, and symbolizing unity among different kinds of people and different parts of the human being.

What are the lulav and etrog?

  • The lulav is a closed palm frond held together with myrtle (hadassim) and willow (aravot), and the etrog is a citron fruit.
  • Together they are called the arba minim (four species) and are taken and waved each day of Sukkot (except Shabbat) as a Torah-commanded mitzvah.

Core reasons we shake them

  • The Torah says to “rejoice before God” on Sukkot, and taking and waving the four species is understood as a concrete act of that joy in God’s presence.
  • Many sources explain that waving them in all directions shows that God’s presence and sovereignty extend everywhere in the world and in every aspect of life.

Directions, rain, and protection

  • The custom is to shake the lulav and etrog toward the four compass points, up, and down, representing all directions of the world and all “layers” of reality.
  • On a simple, agricultural level, Sukkot is a harvest and rain-season festival, so waving the four species—plants that need abundant water—is linked with prayers for rain and blessing for the year’s crops.
  • Some traditional explanations also see the waving as invoking divine protection from danger that might come from any direction.

Symbolism of unity and the person

  • Classic teachings say each species stands for a type of Jew:
    • Etrog (taste and smell) = those with Torah learning and good deeds.
    • Lulav (taste, no smell) = those with Torah but fewer deeds.
    • Myrtle (smell, no taste) = those rich in deeds but not learning.
    • Willow (no taste or smell) = those lacking both.
  • Binding and shaking them together symbolizes unity : all types of people are needed and must stand together before God.

Symbolism of the body and the heart

  • A popular midrashic layer of meaning maps the four species onto the body: etrog as heart, lulav as spine, myrtle as eyes, willow as lips.
  • Bringing them close to the chest after each directional shake hints that a person is serving God with the whole self—heart, character, actions, sight, and speech—drawing the world back toward the inner core.

TL;DR: We shake the lulav and etrog to rejoice before God with our whole body, to show that the Divine is present in every direction, to pray for rain and blessing, and to express unity among all kinds of people.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.