​This is a black and white photograph of a group of men selecting a lulav for the Arba Minim (Four Species) they will use on the festival of Sukkot. The five men, dressed in dark suits, white shirts, and black fedora hats, are standing in front of a table with lulav (date palm) branches lying on it. Based on their clothing, these men are probably Haredi (ultra-Orthodox). The man in the middle is holding a lulav branch upward and is examining it to see whether or not it is kosher, i.e., suitable for use during Sukkot. The other men, some with lulav branches in their hands, are looking intently at the lulav branch and seem to be contemplating its status. This photograph was probably taken in an Arba Minim market where different components of the Arba Minim and sukkah decorations are sold. Buyers go around the different stalls looking for the best specimens of each of the four species and combine them to create their own Arba Minim.

The lulav is the closed stem or frond of the date palm tree. In order for it to be kosher, it should be straight and not split along the leaves. It is used as one of the four species – the willow, myrtle, and etrog – to fulfill one of the major commandments of the festival of Sukkot. Each component of the Arba Minim has its own list of requirements making it kosher. While some people purchase the set as a whole, in Israel it is quite common for a person to select each species separately to ensure their quality.

Would You Like to Know More?

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).