When one takes the Arba Minim (four species) on Sukkot, he should hold the Lulav in his right hand and the Etrog in his left hand. Since the Hadasim and Aravot are held together with the Lulav, such that the Lulav contains three Mitzvot, it should be held in the more important hand, which is the right hand. The Etrog, which is held independently, and thus represents but a single Mitzva, is held in the left hand, which is of lesser importance than the right hand.
Does this Halacha apply as well to lefties, for whom the left is the more important of the two hands, or should they hold the Lulav in their left hand and the Etrog in their right?
The Rosh (Rabbenu Asher Ben Yechiel, Germany-Spain, 1250-1327) held that a left-handed individual holds the Lulav in his more important hand, the left hand, and this is the ruling adopted by the Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles, Poland, 1525-1572), in his glosses to the Shulchan Aruch (651). By contrast, the Rosh's son, the Tur (Rabbi Yaakov Ba'al Ha'turim, Germany-Spain, 1275-1349), held that lefties hold the Arba minim in the same manner as righties, with the Lulav in the right hand and the Etrog in the left. This is the position adopted by the Shulchan Aruch (651), and this is the ruling of Chacham Ovadia Yosef (Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 352).
Thus, a left-handed Ashkenazi holds the Lulav in his left and Etrog in his right, in accordance with the Rama's ruling, whereas a left-handed Sepharadi should hold the Lulav in his right and the Etrog in his left, like righties, following the Shulchan Aruch's position.
When one holds the Arba Minim, he should bring his hands together. Even though the Etrog is not held in the same hand as the other three species, one should bring his hands together so that all four species are held and waved as a single unit. This is particularly important during the recitation of the Beracha over the four species, and during the Ni'inu'im (waving of the Arba Minim).
Our practice for the procedure of the Ni'inu'im follows the custom of the Arizal, which requires waving in the following sequence: south, north, east and west (waving three times in each direction). After waving three times to the east, before turning around to the west, we wave three times upward, and then three times downward. Whenever one turns to face the next direction, he should do so by turning to the right, rather than to the left.
Summary: According to the practice of the Sepharadim, one holds the Lulav in his right hand and the Etrog in his left regardless of whether he is right-handed or left-handed. (A left-handed Ashkenazi holds the Lulav in his left and the Etrog in his right.) One should bring his hands together while holding the Arba Minim, particularly when reciting the Beracha and performing the Ni'inu'im. Our practice is to follow the Arizal's sequence of waving the Ni'inu'im: south, north, east, up, down, west. One changes directions by turning to the right, rather than to the left.
