Jewish Ideas to Change the World

Rabbi Dr. David Z. Moster, Director of the Institute of Biblical Culture(http://www.BiblicalCulture.org) presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Etrog: How a Chinese Fruit Became a Jewish Symbol" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami (www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ.

ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Every year before the holiday of Sukkot, Jews all around the world purchase an etrog—a lemon-like fruit—to participate in the holiday ritual. In this book, David Z. Moster tracks the etrog from its evolutionary home in Yunnan, China, to the lands of India, Iran, and finally Israel, where it became integral to the Jewish celebration of Sukkot during the Second Temple period. Moster explains what Sukkot was like before and after the arrival of the etrog, and why the etrog’s identification as the “choice tree fruit” of Leviticus 23:40 was by no means predetermined. He also demonstrates that once the fruit became associated with the holiday of Sukkot, it began to appear everywhere in Jewish art during the Roman and Byzantine periods, and eventually became a symbol for all the fruits of the land, and perhaps even the Jewish people as a whole.
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Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library.

Show Notes

Rabbi Dr. David Z. Moster, Director of the Institute of Biblical Culture(http://www.BiblicalCulture.org) presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Etrog: How a Chinese Fruit Became a Jewish Symbol" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami (www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Every year before the holiday of Sukkot, Jews all around the world purchase an etrog—a lemon-like fruit—to participate in the holiday ritual. In this book, David Z. Moster tracks the etrog from its evolutionary home in Yunnan, China, to the lands of India, Iran, and finally Israel, where it became integral to the Jewish celebration of Sukkot during the Second Temple period. Moster explains what Sukkot was like before and after the arrival of the etrog, and why the etrog’s identification as the “choice tree fruit” of Leviticus 23:40 was by no means predetermined. He also demonstrates that once the fruit became associated with the holiday of Sukkot, it began to appear everywhere in Jewish art during the Roman and Byzantine periods, and eventually became a symbol for all the fruits of the land, and perhaps even the Jewish people as a whole. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.kolami.9 https://www.facebook.com/BiblicalCulture/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

What is Jewish Ideas to Change the World?

Jewish Ideas to Change the World delivers thought-provoking content by leading Jewish thinkers with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. It is produced by Valley Beit Midrash.

Valley Beit Midrash (VBM) is dedicated to social justice as driven by Torah ethics. VBM's mission is to improve lives through Jewish learning, direct action, and leadership development.

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• Social Justice in the Parsha (weekly divrei Torah by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz)
• Pearls of Jewish Wisdom on Living with Kindness (Rabbi Shmuly's class series)

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