Hello
The Gemara on 41b discusses holding the Lulav while davening. The conclusion of the Gemara is that while it is prohibited to hold Tefillin or a Sefer Torah inone's hand while davening, it is permitted to hold the Lulav since it is aMitzvah.
I have a number of questions:
1) This would clearly imply that simply holding a Sefer Torah is not a Mitzvah(that's not really a question - just an observation).
2) Why does the fact that holding the Lulav is a Mitzvah reduce the amount of Tirdah that a person has in terms of his protection of the Lulav (e.g that it not bump into other objects lest it become Pasul). I understand that he loves the Mitzvah and it's not a burden -- but isn't he still worried about protecting it (maybe even davka because it's a Mitzvah)?.
3)On 42a the Gemara asks on Rav Yosef that as soon as one picks up the Lulav, he has already been Yotze his Mitzvah -- so how can Rav Yosef still call that person a "Toeh Bidvar Mitzvah". Rashi explains that before he was Yotze the Mitzvah he was Tarud about doing the Mitzvah and hence he is not chayav a korban if he transgresses. But after he was yotze the Mitzva he's no longer Tarud -- so he should be culpable? And Abayye and Rava answer by providing examples of how he carried the Lulav without being yotze the Mitzvah. So seemingly the assumption of the question remains according to the Maskana -- that as soon as one picks up the Lulav he is Yotze. So how can we say that when one is Davening he has no Tirdah while holding the Lulav because he's doing a Mitzvah -- he was already Yotze the Mitzvah!! And if you say that the Mitzvah continues as long as he's holding it, then what was the Gemara's question on 42a? And if extended holding of the Lulav is not really a Mitzvah -- just a nice thing to do -- then why the distinction between Lulav and Sefer Torah in terms of davening?
Thanks
Howie Schiffmiller
1) The Braysa is referring to a Sefer Torah that has nothing to do with the davening (perhaps his personal sefer), so it isn't a mitzvah, just like in the case where he is holding a Tifilin, which also isn't a mitzvah.
2) Apparently, the Gemara feels that since he is excited about the mitzvah of lulav, he won't find protecting it a distraction.
3) The mitzvah of lulav continues as long as he holds onto it, so
throughout davening he isn't considered Tarud.
As far as how to understand the question on 42a, when Abaye said he is liable if he was already Yotze, he meant that as long as he had fulfilled his requirement he is culpable (This is what Rashi means when he says "shelo yatza yiday chovaso-that he hasn't fulfilled his requirement" in "Lo Shanu"). So, as long as he held lulav already, even though it is still a mitzvah for him to hold it, he would be liable if he carried it out on Shabbos since he is no longer considered worried about doing the mitzvah
because he already fulfilled his requirement.
-Best wishes
Yossie Teichman