​This is a black-and-white photograph of a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) man selecting a willow (aravah) branch as part of the Arba Minim (Four Species) that he will use on the festival of Sukkot. The photograph was taken in Tel Aviv at the Arba Minim market that is set up in the days preceding the festival. The man is dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, and black fedora hat and has a long, white beard. He is staring intently at the willow branch to make sure that it complies with the requirements for a kosher (suitable) branch. Each component of the Arba Minim – the lulav, etrog, myrtle, and willow – has its own list of requirements. While some people purchase the set as a whole, in Israel it is quite common for people to select each component separately to ensure its quality.

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Sukkot and the Four Species - The Festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) has two central commandments. The first is that Jews should live in a temporary abode (Sukkah) for seven days (eight days outside of Israel). The second is that on every day of the festival, Jews take the Four Species (Arba’at HaMinim) in hand and make a blessing over them.

Each of the Four Species has certain requirements for them to be fitting (Kosher) for the commandment (Mitzvah). According to tradition, the buyer should check that the requirements are present in each of the species. The Four Species consist of the Lulav (palm branch), the Etrog (citrus fruit), Hadass (myrtle branches) and Aravah (willow branches).