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The Esrog Challenge

JL;DR SUMMARY Natan Slifkin explores the theological challenges regarding the identification of the esrog, or citron, as the pri etz hadar mentioned in the Torah. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

TraditionSukkotOral LawEsrogFour SpeciesSecond Temple EraPri Etz HadarCitronTorah Shebaal PehZohar Amar

Places mentioned

Israel
"It may come as a surprise to some (though it is becoming increasingly well-known) that the esrog is not native to the Land of Israel."
Egypt
"There is speculation that some may have been imported to Egypt earlier, but it is not accepted that it was cultivated in the Land of Israel."

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Cairo Item ID 63198
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Retrieved 2025-10-06 05:30:24 UTC
Curated 2025-10-06 08:31:21 UTC