i like the ones that have the little nub on top

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5783584&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310796#49328576)

if i had to guess the nub is probably a nutrient pouch

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5783584&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310796#49328746)

***

what is the biologicial purpose of a the pitam on the etrog (citron fruit)?

ChatGPT said:

Great question — and a surprisingly deep one botanically!

The pitam (פִּטָם) on an etrog — the little stemlike protrusion with a “button” at the end opposite the branch — actually corresponds to the style and stigma of the citron flower (the female reproductive part). In biological terms, it’s the remnant of the flower’s pistil that remains attached after pollination and fruit development.

Here’s the breakdown:

In most fruits (like lemons, oranges, etc.), the style and stigma dry up and fall off once the fruit begins to grow.

In etrogim (and certain other varieties of citron), however, the pitam persists as the fruit matures.

The ball-like structure at the tip of the pitam is the stigma (where pollen lands), and the thin column is the style, which once connected the stigma to the ovary inside the fruit.

So, biologically, the pitam had a reproductive purpose during flowering — enabling pollination and fertilization — but by the time we see the fruit, it’s just a leftover floral structure with no ongoing function for the plant.

Interestingly, many commercial citron varieties (especially those grown for fragrance or food) have been bred to drop the pitam early so the fruit isn’t damaged easily — the pitam can fall off with a small bump, which is why for sukkot we’re careful that it remain intact (pitam shenafal = invalid).

So in short:

🌼 Biological purpose: originally part of the flower’s reproductive organ (style and stigma).

🍋 Current role: none — just a remnant after pollination, but culturally significant for ritual use.

Would you like me to show a labeled diagram of an etrog flower and fruit showing which parts correspond to the pitam?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5783584&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310796#49328774)

a kosher citron tree can't be grafted, and all of the citrons used for food are grafted.

so you only have a limited number of trees in the world that are eligible to produce kosher etrogs. and then a ton of them have various blemishes to make them not-kosher.

so yeah, kinda what you say -- the ritual-friendly ones command the big numbers.

plus, a lot of the industry is jewish mafia -- jews driving up the prices to fuck over other jews.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5783584&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310796#49328924)

ritual objects should be cheap and easily accessible. maybe you don't get the finest etrog for 10$ but it should be servicable and have a nice nub on it. a "good" quality of reagants or services in religious activity should never be price-gated. it's like selling indulgences

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5783584&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310796#49329686)

wait until you see how much jews overcharge other jews on kosher for passover food.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5783584&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310796#49329694)

a common israeli expat complaint about israel is "every jew is constantly trying to grift the others" there. it makes no sense. wasn't the country founded on the strength of the kibbutz? is it because the israeli population makeup is so racially diverse now?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5783584&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310796#49329714)

anyway, the torah requires you to acquire an etrog and it doesn't say you're exempt if the seller is trying to gouge you. so you dont have a choice.

you're not allowed to perform a ritual on a stolen item. you cant steal an etrog and get credit for fulfilling the mitzvah. but you still have to get gouged.

the kibbutz culture of israel is completely dead. the kibbutzniks were commie ashkenazis. between the barbaric sephardim and the sleazy russians and the need for israel to be capitalistic to keep up with the rest of the world, there's no way kibbutz socialism could survive.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5783584&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310796#49329740)

https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2012/09/F120927YS04.jpg

https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/683726

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5783584&forum_id=2\u0026mark_id=5310796#49329753)