Hebrew: הֲדַס, hādās
Family: Myrtaceae
Scientific Name: Myrtus communis
The myrtle grows wild in the Mediterranean through India as a shrub or small tree. In Israel, the myrtle grows wild mainly in the Carmel, Galilee, Golan, and sources of the Jordan. The myrtle has not undergone domestication since its fruits are generally not eaten. However, since its main purpose is for the mitzvah, plant specimens that meet the halachic requirements were selected: the leaves cover the branch on all sides, and three leaves emerge from each node. The leaves contain essential oils that give the myrtle its characteristic pleasant fragrance.
Producing triple myrtles: The growth of the plants usually occurs at their growth tip after germination. The tip continues to develop, adding new layers. The initial parts thicken and harden, forming the stem. In each stem, there are nodes from which the leaves emerge. The part between the nodes is called the internode. Each node may have one or several leaves. The myrtle is among the few species where, after a unique process, three leaves emerge from the same joint. To obtain a good quantity of “triple myrtles,” the plant must be cut back at the beginning of summer (before Passover) by very low pruning or burning the myrtle shrubs. These actions accelerate the growth of myrtle branches, induce the production of long branches without splits and the formation of three leaves in each node. This trait of emerging stronger and more beautiful following destruction and adversity makes the myrtle a symbol of Jewish revival.
Avot strain: There is a myrtle strain where nine leaves emerge from each node and cover the stem. This variety can be found in Israel and some places in the eastern Mediterranean. It may be the identification of the Egyptian myrtle mentioned in rabbinic literature.
In the Torah, the plant etz avot (“a leafy tree”) is mentioned as one of the Four Species to be taken on Sukkot. The identification of the etz avot branch as myrtle (hadas) is not explicitly mentioned in the Torah, but tradition dictates as a halachah le-Moshe mi-Sinai (law given to Moses at Sinai) that it refers to the myrtle, and there is no dispute about this. The myrtle is one of the seven trees that will blossom in the Land of Israel during the redemption (Isaiah 41:19). In rabbinic literature, the myrtle is mentioned in many parables as a metaphor for Torah scholars, blossoming, and renewal.
Terumot and ma’aserot (offerings and tithes): Since the primary use of the myrtle is fragrance (not food), it is exempt from terumot and ma’aserot.
Shemitah (Sabbatical year). It is forbidden to burn or prune the myrtles during shemitah, as this encourages their growth and thus constitutes the prohibition of sowing. Myrtles grown for their fragrance have shemitah sanctity. However, some maintain that myrtles intended for Sukkot do not have shemitah sanctity since they are grown for use as a mitzvah and for their fragrance.
Kashrut of the myrtle for Sukkot: The myrtle is identified as the eitz avot, as this term has two conditions:
1. “Its branches cover most of it,” meaning the leaves cover the branch;
2. There are three leaves in each row emerging from one stalk.
The myrtle is the only species that meets these two criteria. This myrtle is called a triple myrtle. In contrast, the wild myrtle is a myrtle where only one or two leaves emerge from each node.
Blessing for fragrance: The myrtle is a perennial woody plant, and therefore the blessing for its fragrance on its leaves is borei atzei besamim (Blessed are You… Creator of fragrant trees).
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