“Lachem”—Does Your Lulav and Etrog Have to Be Yours? Sukkot 2026

Can you borrow someone else’s lulav and etrog on Sukkot? On the first day, simply borrowing a set is not enough: the Torah says u’lekachtem lachem—“you shall take for yourselves”—and the Four Species must belong to the person performing the mitzvah. The classic solution is a matanah al menas lehachzir, a real gift given on condition that it be returned.

This question is especially relevant in 2026 because Sukkot begins on Shabbos. The Four Species are not taken on Shabbos, so the first actual lulav taking is Sunday, September 27. In Israel, Sunday is already Chol Hamoed; in the Diaspora it is the second day of Yom Tov.

What Does “Lachem” Mean?

Vayikra 23:40 says, “You shall take for yourselves on the first day…” The word lachem—“for yourselves”—requires ownership on the Torah-mandated first day.

Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 658:3 rules that a person does not fulfill the first-day obligation with a lulav that a friend merely lent him. Even an arrangement that amounts only to “yours until you finish” is insufficient if it is not a true gift.

Shulchan Aruch HaRav 649 likewise explains that a borrowed set is invalid where the Torah requires lachem.

The Solution: Matanah Al Menas Lehachzir

The halachic solution is to give the set as a genuine gift on condition that it be returned.

Shulchan Aruch 658:4 rules that a matanah al menas lehachzir—a gift on condition that it be returned—is legally a gift. During the mitzvah, the recipient truly owns the Four Species. Afterward, the condition requires him to return them.

This is not merely a loan with different wording. The transfer of ownership is real, which is why it satisfies lachem.

The Famous Lulav Shared on a Ship

The source comes alive in Gemara Sukkah 41b. Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya and Rabbi Akiva were traveling together on a ship during Sukkot. Only Rabban Gamliel had a lulav, which the Gemara says he had bought for one thousand zuz.

Rabban Gamliel performed the mitzvah and gave the lulav to Rabbi Yehoshua as a gift. It then passed as a gift to Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya and Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Akiva returned it to Rabban Gamliel.

The Gemara derives an important principle from this: a gift conditioned on its return is considered a valid gift. The same passage records Rava’s ruling that if an etrog is given on condition that it be returned, the recipient fulfills the mitzvah if he returns it. If he fails to return it as required, the condition was not fulfilled and the acquisition fails retroactively.

Can a Family or Synagogue Share One Set?

Yes—when the ownership transfer is handled correctly.

On a day when lachem applies, the owner can give the complete set to the next person as a matanah al menas lehachzir. That person performs the mitzvah and then returns or transfers the set according to the arrangement.

It is best to state the gift clearly rather than simply saying, “You can borrow my lulav.” The notes to Shulchan Aruch HaRav 649 cite the practice of explicitly saying that it is “a gift on condition that it is returned.”

For a communal set, synagogue or outreach program, access to a shared set does not by itself establish the ownership needed where lachem applies. The person responsible for the set should know how to transfer it properly.

A Common Trap: Giving the Set to a Child Too Early

There is another practical ownership issue. A minor can acquire property in certain circumstances but may not be able to transfer it back with the same legal effectiveness required for the next adult’s mitzvah.

For that reason, when adults and children are sharing the same set on a day when ownership is required, the adults should perform the mitzvah before the set is transferred to a child. This practical caution is discussed in Chabad.org’s Four Species guide.

If the family situation is complicated, ask a rav how to arrange the transfers.

What About the Later Days?

Outside the Beis Hamikdash, the Torah obligation of lulav is on the first day. The Sages instituted taking the Four Species on the remaining days as a remembrance of the Temple.

Shulchan Aruch HaRav 649:2 therefore rules that from the second day onward in Israel, where the second day is Chol Hamoed, one may fulfill the mitzvah with a borrowed set. The ownership issue is not a defect in the Four Species themselves; it is the absence of the first-day requirement of lachem.

What Changes in Sukkot 2026?

Shabbos, September 26: This is the first day of Sukkot, but lulav is not taken on Shabbos.

Sunday, September 27 in Israel: It is Chol Hamoed. The ordinary later-day rules apply, including the greater leniency regarding a borrowed set.

Sunday, September 27 in the Diaspora: It is the second day of Yom Tov. There is a halachic dispute about how fully first-day disqualifications are carried into the second day.

Shulchan Aruch HaRav 649:21 advises that, when possible, a person in the Diaspora should use a valid set belonging to a friend by receiving it as a gift on condition that it be returned, and recite the blessing on that set. This respects the opinion that a borrowed lulav remains invalid on the second day of Yom Tov.

So even though no one takes lulav on the Torah-level first day this year, matanah al menas lehachzir remains highly practical for Diaspora communities on Sunday.

FAQ: Borrowing a Lulav and Etrog

Can I borrow my friend’s lulav on the first day?

A simple loan does not satisfy the first-day requirement of lachem. The standard solution is for your friend to give it to you as a matanah al menas lehachzir—a gift on condition that you return it.

Do I really own it if I have to give it back?

Yes. Gemara Sukkah 41b and Shulchan Aruch 658:4 establish that a gift on condition of return is legally a gift.

What if I forget to return it?

If the gift was conditioned on its return and it is not returned as required, that can invalidate the acquisition retroactively—and therefore the mitzvah. Ask a rav about the specific case.

Can several people use one lulav and etrog set?

Yes. Where ownership is required, it can be transferred from one person to the next as a proper conditional gift.

Can I give the shared set to my child?

Be careful about giving a shared set to a minor before the adults have used it on a day when ownership is required, because transferring it back can create a halachic problem. Adults should generally go first.

Do I need to own the set on Chol Hamoed?

On the ordinary later days, a borrowed set can be used because the first-day lachem requirement does not apply in the same way. The second day of Yom Tov in the Diaspora has additional considerations.

Owning Your Own Set Keeps It Simple

Sharing a set is a mitzvah and can be done correctly. But owning your own Four Species avoids the transfer questions, gives you time to inspect and prepare the set properly, and makes it easier to perform the mitzvah throughout Sukkot.

You can browse EasyEtrog’s lulav and etrog sets for Sukkot 2026.

This article presents general halachic information. Questions about ownership, gifts to minors, communal sets, or a conditional gift that was not returned should be brought to a rav.

Primary Sources

• Vayikra 23:40 — u’lekachtem lachem
• Gemara Sukkah 41b — Rabban Gamliel’s lulav and matanah al menas lehachzir
• Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 658:3–4 — borrowed lulav and conditional gift
• Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Orach Chaim 649 — ownership, borrowed Four Species, later days and second-day Yom Tov