Keeping the Arbah Minim fresh on Yom Tov.

Could you please explain how to handel the Arba minim on Yom Tov? This year, It’s a two-day Yom tov followed by Shabbat, and I don’t want them to dry out. I'm particularly interested in the rules about placing the lulav in water, and using wet towels for arba minim, and the same too with regard to flowers since I buy flowers for Yom tov do they have the same halacha.

Thank you for your question.

First we will speak about the Lulav then the flowers.

Placing the Lulav in water :

There is a difference between Shabbos, Yom tov and chol hamoed

The source of this Halacha is brought in the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, Hilchot Lulav, Siman 654:

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים הלכות לולב סימן תרנד

מקבלת אשה הלולב מיד בנה או מיד בעלה ומחזירתו למים ותוסיף עליו מים אם צריך, אבל לא תחליף המים; ובחה"מ, מצוה להחליפם כדי שישאר לח והדור. הגה: ונוהגין ליקח כל יום חה"מ ערבה חדשה ולקשרה בלולב, והוא הדור מצוה.

"A woman (of course also a man may take the lulav, but the chiddush is that even a woman who doesn't have the Mitzvah of Arba minim like a man does, never the less it is not considered muktseh for her to handle) may take the lulav from her son or from her husband and return it to the water, adding more water if necessary, but she should not replace the water; on Chol HaMoed, it is a mitzvah to change the water so that it remains fresh and beautiful.

Rema adds: It is customary to take a new Aravah (willow) each day of Chol Hamoed and tie it to the lulav, as this beautifies the mitzva

We see that on Yom Tov, one may return the lulav to the water it was in, at the start of Yom Tov and even add water up to half of the amount. Same too, one may place the Arba Minim in a damp towel on Yom Tov. However, if the towel is so wet that water is squeezed out with each press, then it is forbidden to place the Arba Minim there, as it is highly probable that by doing so, one will transgress the prohibition of "sechitah" (squeezing).

However, there are opinions that forbid this because there is a separate halacha stating that one may not use arba minim that were "kavush", meaning, if they were immersed in water for 24 hours, they become pasul (invalid).

Therefore, when one places the Arba Minim back in the water, one should leave out of the water enough of a Shiur (measure) to ensure that it remains kosher and does not become kavush.

Having said that, if one places the Arba Minim in a wet towel, it can be totally covered, since there is no issue of kavush when wrapped in a towel.

On Shabbos, all the Arba Minim are muktzeh

:Flowers

.One might say it should be forbidden to place flowers in a vase of water on Shabbos since it could be considered planting (zo’rea)

:The Shulchan aruch siman 336 seif 11 writes as follows

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים הלכות שבת סימן שלו סעיף יא

השורה חטים ושעורים וכיוצא בהם במים, ה"ז תולדת זורע וחייב בכל שהוא. הגה: ומותר להעמיד ענפי אילנות במים בשבת, ובלבד שלא יהיו בהם פרחים ושושנים שהם נפתחים מלחלוחית המים (מהרי"ל).

Soaking wheat, barley, and similar items in water is considered a Melacha of Zorea (planting)…. Rema adds: It is permitted to place tree .branches in water on Shabbat, provided that they do not have flowers or roses that open due to the moisture of the water (Maharil)

The Mishnah Berurah explains that placing wheat and barley in water is prohibited because the intention is for them to be moist and ready to take root, which constitutes a transgression of zo’rea (planting). However, flowers that have already blossomed are not affected by the water is permissible to place in a vase of water under certain conditions as follows

:If one forgot to place the flowers in water before Shabbos, then it depends on the type of flowers one has

If there are still buds that are going to blossom and because one places them in water it will cause them to blossom, then it is forbidden to place these flowers in water because it constitutes the melacha of "zorea." Similarly, if the flowers were already in the water before Shabbos and they fell out, one may not return them to the water

:If, however, the bouquet of flowers has fully blossomed, then it will depend on other factors

If they were not placed in water at the beginning of Shabbos, then one may not bring water and place them inside it, as this is considered to be working on Shabbos for the flowers.
The Mishnah Berurah, siman 336, seif 44, writes that if one didn’t place the flowers in water before Shabbos, and there is a container filled with water, then one can place them inside since this is not considered as working to get water for the flowers. Same too if these flowers were already water and fell out, then one may return them to the vase

One may move the vase of flowers on Shabbos as long as it is filled only with water. However, if there is earth or sand inside, then it is forbidden

Wishing you a Chag Kasher Ve’sameach

Shulchan aruch siman 336 seif 11