Sukkot is about equality, one of the core values of the IDF: the belief that everyone should have an equal chance regardless of his or her background. “We bring this feeling of equality to life with the waving of the four species,” the Chief Rabbi wrote. Each one of the species represents a different type of person, and a different type of IDF soldier. “The lulav (date palm frond), aravah (willow tree leaves), hadas (myrtle tree leaves) and etrog (citron) are all different from one another: the etrog has flavor and scent, the aravah has no flavor and no scent, the lulav has only flavor and the hadas only scent. So too the People of Israel and the soldiers of the IDF – there are people with different qualities and different talents, without which we would not be able to coexist. Yet we bless the four species separately only after we have united them all together. Everyone is needed for our national endeavor.”
To read more of Chief Military Rabbi, Brig. Gen. Rabbi Rafi Peretz’s speech, follow the link above.