Page 49 - HaMizrachi Sukkot 5784 North America

The Ethics of Etrogim

Short Etrog Stories

Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu ל”צז

The Rav’s own etrog etrog in a sealed box which said ‘mehudar’ Zionist Etrogim
on the lid! I was overjoyed.
When the dealer brought Rav Eliahu “Once I visited Rav Eliahu and we were
etrogim for himself and his family, he “But when I opened the box, the etrog talking about Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira,
would bring him the very best he had. really wasn’t that beautiful. I didn’t know the Baba Sali zt”l. ‘Come, I’ll show you
The Rav would select a few, lay them all whether I’d been deceived or that I just something,’ said the Rav, and took out
out in a line and say, “This one’s the most didn’t know the halachot, so I decided to what looked like some very thin sticks.
beautiful, but I won’t take it. I’ll take this knock on Rav Mordechai Eliahu’s door (he ‘What are they?’ I asked. ‘Dry etrogim orig-
one or that one.” lived very close to us). inally grown in Morocco. The Baba Sali
used to send me some every year.’
When the dealer asked him why he didn’t “The Rav studied my etrog from all
take the most beautiful one for himself he angles… ‘Kasher (kosher).’ ‘Only kasher?’ I “Then he added: ‘I never made a beracha
replied, “So as not to make Jews feel bad. said. ‘Not mehudar?’ ‘Kasher.’ I kissed his on them though. I only say a beracha on
etrogim from our holy Land. I told that
When they see the rabbi has an etrog with hand and left. I’d barely closed the door to the Baba Sali and he still sent me his
a slight dent – that he too is not perfect – when someone came out and said, ‘Excuse Moroccan ones. But there’s nothing like
they will value their own etrog more. They me, the Rav asks you to come back inside.’ the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael and the etrogim
won’t think it’s sub-standard. And they The Rav smiled at me and said, ‘Let’s do of our holy Land.’”
won’t think that rabbis take the best for an exchange deal. You give me your etrog,
themselves and leave whatever’s left for the kosher one, and I’ll give you mine, the  Translated and adapted from yeshiva.org.il
everyone else.” mehudar one.’
“I blushed and couldn’t stop the tears. I
Fair swap gratefully accepted the Rav’s offer and I
was the happiest boy in town.
“When I was eight, my father was tragi-
cally killed in an accident. When I reached “The next day, I went to daven in Rav
bar mitzvah, I really wanted my own etrog Eliahu’s shul. I wanted to see what etrog
but my mother couldn’t afford it. I saved he would make the beracha on. Lo and Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu ל”צז
was the Rishon LeTzion and
up, little by little, until I had enough to go behold… mine! Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel.
to Machane Yehuda and buy my very own “Suddenly, I understood.”

ח ָר ְז ִמּ ִמ תוֹרוֹא PRESENTED BY WORLD MIZRACHI

A 12-part series of 20-minute podcasts on the remarkable persona and teachings of Rav Kook
The podcast series began on July 30 and will run over 12 consecutive
weeks with a new episode available every Sunday.

Visit mizrachi.org/OrotMiMizrach to listen
or ‡nd it on your favorite podcast streaming platform