Description
The Esrog by Zaide Reuven
© 1998 Zaide Reuven’s Esrog Farm. All rights reserved.
Now in its second edition, The Esrog by Zaide Reuven, is believed to be the only work of its kind to focus entirely on the Esrog, the prized centerpiece of the Arba Minim (Four Species) taken on Succot – Tabernacles. The Esrog by Zaide Reuven is a perfect way to enhance the Simcha of Succot (Tabernacles) and is packed with the history and Halacha, science and symbolism, and medicine and mysticism, of The Esrog. The Esrog by Zaide Reuven has stories, facts and activities for the young and not-so-young.
Why The Esrog? Believed by some to be the “apple” of the Garden of Eden, the Esrog is the “heart” of the Arba Minim – “Four Species” from which, according to Jewish tradition, incredible spiritual blessings will flow if taken in the appropriate fashion.
The Esrog must be understood within the context of the Four Species and the festival of Succot itself. The observance of the commandment to take the Four Species, radiating with the beauty of The Esrog, commemorates and celebrates at once Gods greatness, His forgiveness, His life-giving power, the Torah, the greatness of our forefathers and Sages, the unity of Israel and our atonement, punishment of the wicked and the restoration of the Temple. Every aspect of Jewish life and aspiration is reflected in the Four Species and with its observance is the promise of messianic redemption. The Esrog epitomizes these aspirations and “symbolizes the continuity of Jewish history and its common aspiration, binding together the disparate geographic units of the Diaspora over the centuries” (Isaac & Isaac).
I looked at the etrog the golden, And dreamt of the orchards of gold, I dreamt of the ages the olden, That never in hearts will grow old. (Raskin)
Enlarged Second Edition
As an accompaniment to many Zaide Reuvens Esrog Trees, this book has found its way into homes and offices throughout Israel, North America, South America and Europe. New material in this edition adds depth to an already encylopaedic work on The Esrog:
- Medical uses of The Esrog.
- Recipes for Esrog Schnapps and Candied Esrog.
- Recipes for Esrog perfume.
- Esrog genetics (how much Esrog is an Esrog?)
- Tu BAv – 15th Av, a lesser known festival on the Jewish calendar.
- Bircat Ilanot, the blessing on seeing fruit trees bloom every spring.
- Pollinating your tree and making cuttings.
- The Esrog and the State of Israel.
- The Esrog in Christian Theology.
- A detailed map illustrating The Esrog trade in the 14th – 20th Centuries will escort the reader from The Esrog orchards of the Mediterranean to the shtetls of Eastern Europe.
- The Esrog by Zaide Reuven has 56 pages and 298 footnotes covering Talmud, Midrash, Gematria, Halacha, Kabbalah, Anatomy, Recipes, Quizzes, Stories, Internet and Botany, on..The Esrog
PLUS: A true story of how a Russian doctor discovered Zaide Reuvens Esrog Farm!
