Just a stone’s throw from Crown Heights, the beautiful Brooklyn Botanic Gardens boast hundreds of exotic flowers and trees from all over the world. Who knew that among the myriad varieties of plants growing in the garden, literally in our back yard, there is also a complete collection of all of the Daled Minim; the Lulav, Esrog, Hadassim and Aravos?
The special collection of the Sukkos plants are maintained by curator Karla Chandler in an artifially controlled climate that best suits the growth of these species in the ‘warm temperate pavilion’ in the garden’s conservatory. Currently, the special species are all next to one another and labeled by their scientific binomial nomenclature. The Esrog tree is labeled “Citron” – citrus medica meaning Mediterranean Citrus. It currently does not have any esrogim, pending pollination treatments. The Lulav tree is just behind the Esrog tree and is labeled “Date Palm” or phoenix dactilifera, and currently has one remaining unopened Lulav growing from its top, (Although this specimen would be ‘kosher’ for the four kinds, it is currently only for display and not available to be used for the mitzvah at this time.) The Hadas bush is just to the right of the Esrog and has a plate titled “Common Myrtle” myrtus communis. Although these are of the strictly ‘kosher’ variety, there are small ‘grape’-like berries that seasonally grow on some of the stems but the shulchon oruch says that these should be cut off and the hadassim are kosher. The Arava or Willow has been brought in from the numerous bushes outside the pavilion since they grow just as well outside.
If you are having difficulty finding the collection of the Arba Minim, ask for the curator, Ms. Karla Chandler to direct you. Ask when to come for pruning time when you might receive some of the fragrant cuttings from the esrog and hadas. Ms. Chandler also suggested that the Botanic Gardens administration is considering a proposal that would add the traditional Hebrew names to the labels of the collection of Sukkos plants to make them easier to find.
If you are considering a visit to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, don’t leave before asking to see the twenty five year old frankincense tree and some of the other varieties of plants that are believed to be part of the incense that was offered daily in the Beis HaMikdosh, the Ketores. Also, there are several olive trees that mature with ripe oil olives right around Chanukah.
Visit the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens on Friday this Chol Hamoed and enjoy an eye opening horticultural presentation about the ‘Four Species’ by a botanic expert. The workshop is sponsored by the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens in collaboration with Tzivos Hashem Crafts Workshops and the last presentation will take place on Friday at 12:45 in English, followed by Hebrew and French for out of town guests. Let’s show support for this meaningful effort the BBG is making for the Jewish community. To drive or walk from Crown Heights, proceed west on Crown Street until Washington Avenue, enter at 1000 Washington Ave. By subway, take the #3 Train to the ‘Brooklyn Museum’ station and enter the gardens at 900 Washington Avenue.
Who knows, maybe one day we’ll be able to walk down to the Botanic Gardens and order our Daled Minim. It must be Moshiach Times!
For information on conducting hands-on workshops on the Daled Minim please visit JewishChildren.com
The Kew (botanical) Gardens provided two consecutive war years the Chief Rabbi of England with a few (2) estrogim from the personal Camelia Green House of the Queen’s Mother (a”hashalom).
The tree here that all seedlings were under the help and supervision of a Talmid Chacham muvhak and baki in the 4 minim.
However, i don’t think the BBG will sell esrogim, so it’s ok for the socharim to continue to purchase from Calabria…no big competition from the BBG anyway.
B”H
There would be no problem with these minim, especially as they are carefully supervised by a CH expert on these things. That’s the thing with anonymous potsers who write as if they know what they are talking about.
Yehuda, you were great on Friday! So many non-jews learned so much. A real Kiddush Hashem!! You are a real chossid.
Surely it would be best to get an Italian grown esrog, an Egyptian lulav, hadassim from Tzfas, and arovos from Crown St. But if the daled minim were to be grown in the Botanical Gardents under supervised conditions, they would be absolutely KOSHER. Ask any Rov.
the Rebbe Had Mesiras Nefesh during the war, to go from france to Italy to get a esrog. Also If a esrog tree is grafted {the do that to make it stronger} it isnt kosher for the daled minim.
What would be wrong with using them?????
An esrog is a esrog and a Lulav is a Lulav, seems to me they would be ok???
The Arovos have to be Arvei Nachal to be used in the Daled Minim (although any willow may be used for Hoshaynos) These do not seem to be of that type.
This is a big Kiddush Hashem!
This is a big Kiddush Hashem!
Would you explain why such minim would not be permissible to be used?
But you are definitely NOT ‘yotzhe’ with none of them (not even one of these 4 meenim) ,Sorry buddy if I spoiled your ‘Koch’ in the Botonical.
You could use it, but I doubt it would ever be possible to provide the community with a greenhouse….
You wouldn’t use them because, the daled minim have to be your own. Taking the ones from the garden would be stealing and would become posul for the mitzvah. That is, unless the botanical gardens sells them. Who knows, maybe one day.
Sounds like a perfect trip to take the kids for a short trip while mom prepares shabbos. See you on Friday!
Lepoel we would not use those