before…

Here’s how to say the blessings over the lulav and etrog. Hold them in your hands, with the etrog‘s pittum (stemlike protrusion) pointed downward, and recite:

After the blessing, the etrog is inverted so that the pittum faces up. At this point you wave/shake the both as follows:

1. Stand facing east.

2. Hold the lulav out to the east (in front of you) and shake it three times. Each time the motion of shaking should be a drawing in to you – reach and draw in, reach out and draw in, reach out and draw in.

3. Repeat the same motion three times to your right (south), behind over your shoulder (west), to your left (north), raising it up above you, lowering it down below you.

4. All of these should be done slowly and deliberately. The lulav is also waved during Hallel while saying:  “Give thanks to Yah, for Yah’s lovingkindness endures forever.”

Hodu – shake front [East]

L’Adonai – [never shake when saying G!d’s name]

Ki – shake right [South]

Tov – shake back [West]

Ki – shake left [North]

Le-olam –  shake up

Chasdo – shake down

This verse occurs twice during Hallel.

The lulav is again waved while saying:  “Let Israel say that Yah’s lovingkindness endures forever.”

Yomar – shake front [East]

Na – shake right [South]

Yisrael – shake back [West]

Ki – shake left [North]

Le-olam –  shake up

Chasdo – shake down

And it is waved again while saying: “We implore You, Yah, save us.”

A-na – [Shake front/East on first syllable, shake right/South on second syllable]

Adonai – [never shake when saying G!d’s name]

Ho-shi-ah [Shake back/West first syllable, shake left/North second syllable, shake up last syllable]

Na – shake down