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May a child make a Berachah on a Pasul set of 4 species that their parents gave them to learn how to make the Berachah and do the Mitzvah?

msh210
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Seth J
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1 Answers1

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The Shulchan Aruch (OC 657) rules that if a child knows how to wave the 4 species appropriately, his father must, because of the obligation of Chinuch -- education, arrange for him to have a set. The Biur Halacha (sv Katan) notes that this is true even if they are unable to recite the proper blessing. In sv Kedei, he says that "it is obvious that the set must be kosher".

The Shulchan Aruch (658:6) also rules (based on Sukkah 46b) that one should not give a child his set as a gift to use on the first day (when one must own the set he uses to fulfill the mitzva) before using it himself because a child cannot give away his own property (no Daat Makneh). As such it seems that even external invalidation are problematic for a child. However, Mishna Berura there (sk 28 and Shar HaTziyun sk 36) quotes a number of Rishonim who disagree and suggests that the Shulchan Aruch even agrees that external invalidations are acceptable for the obligation of Chinuch.

Double AA
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  • Hmm. Your second paragraph doesn't quite make sense. What's an eternal invalidation, and what does that have to do with daat makneh or chinuch? – Seth J Sep 28 '12 at 12:34
  • @SethJ It has nothing to do with daat makneh; that's just why the kid can't transfer it back to the adult. "External invalidation": I tried thinking of a better term and am still open to suggestions/edits. What I mean is that it isn't a physical problem in the objects themselves. The 4 species look completely kosher, but you can't use them anyway on the first day because of the requirement of owning them. So some Rishonim hold that that is close enough to the real thing to work for chinuch. – Double AA Sep 28 '12 at 13:48
  • They hold what's close enough to the real thing for Chinuch? A Pasul set, or a set not owned by the child? Or both? – Seth J Sep 28 '12 at 13:50
  • @SethJ They hold a set that looks completely kosher but isn't owned by the kid can be used for the mitzva of chinuch on the first day. (on the rest of the days it doesn't matter who owns it) – Double AA Sep 28 '12 at 13:53
  • So, a set that is neither Kosher, nor owned by the kid, can be used for Chinuch the first day (so long as it looks Kosher)? – Seth J Sep 28 '12 at 14:13
  • @SethJ No, sorry I'm not being very clear. The Biur Halacha said that they have to be kosher. The discussion in the 2nd par. is just whether or not the 'psul' (in quotes b/e we can discuss if it's a psul in the Minim or maybe it's a lack of Lekicha) of not owning it on day one would be problematic for a kid. Some say yes because he has to do it as if he were a Gadol, and some say no because it's close enough. But even those opinions in the 2nd par. who permit a borrowed lulav seem to require it to be kosher otherwise (or at least don't say differently), which is a support for the Biur Halacha. – Double AA Sep 28 '12 at 14:30