The Grafted Etrog Citron Controversy

A serious concern arose in Italy during the sixteenth century when the grafting of the etrog citron onto another citrus variety (e.g., lemon, sour orange) became widespread. The status of a grafted etrog (i.e., fruit growing on a grafted etrog tree) was not discussed in earlier Talmudic and Rabbinic literature. It was nevertheless quite unanimously agreed that a grafted etrog fruit is unacceptable for the Sukkot/Tabernacles ritual, although the specific reason was not clear. Is it possible to identify a grafted etrog? Certain morphological traits were suggested for the identification of grafted etrog fruits, but these traits are not truly reliable. Thus, only trees from a traditionally “never-grafted” source can be used. The halakhic and scientific aspects of etrog grafting and its ramifications are discussed.