A Handy General Guide for the Arba Minim

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

LULAV

� The lulav must be four tefachim from where the lowest leaves are connected to the spine until the top of the spine not including the t�yomes. According to the Chazon Ish this is 15.35 inches. According to Rav Moshe Feinstein this is 14.16 inches. According to Rav Chaim No�eh this is 12.6 inches.
� The top leaf (t�yomes) must not be open like a fork, it must be both doubled and closed.
� The top leaf must not be split more than half of its length.
� When there are two top leaves neither one may be split more than half of its length.
� The t�yomes must not be cut off.
� The lulav must not be crooked or bent over like a sickle.
� The lulav must not be withered.
� If just the t�yomes is withered – the Mishna Brurah writes it is invalid, the Chazon Ish permits it.
� The leaves of the lulav must not be so dried out that they cannot be tied together.
� The t�yomes should be completely closed.
� The spine of the lulav should be five tefachim from where the lowest leaves are connected to the spine until the top of the spine not including the t�yomes.
� The lulav should be green and appear fresh
� The lulav should be completely straight.
� Ideally, it is the choice form of fulfilling the Mitzvah if the leaves lie naturally together (MB 645:3).

ESROG

� The esrog must be at least the volume of an egg.
� The esrog must not be grafted from other types.
� The esrog must be hadar � beautiful � as defined by chazal.
� There must not be any part of the esrog that is missing.
� The upper chosem (where it starts angling upward) must be free of blemishes � black or white spots
� The upper chosem must be free of scabs that are raised.
� The esrog must not be completely round like a ball.
� The esrog must be edible � it may not be orlah (first three years) or tevel (untithed).
� The esrog should be at least the volume of two eggs.
� The whole esrog should be free of any marks and scabs
� It should have a pitom.
� It should be shaped like a tower.
� It should be yellow.
� It should be bumpy and not smooth lie a lemon
� The stem should be recessed into the fruit.
� The stem and the pitom should be at 180 degrees to each other.

HADDASSIM

� There must be three of them
� They must be 3 tefachim in length. According to the Chazon Ish this is 11.8 inches. According to Rav Moshe it is 10.62 inches. According to Rav Chaim No�eh it is 9.45 inches.
� They must be triple-leaved – meshulash (three leaves growing at same level) for at least 1 and � tefachim.
� They should be meshulash for 3 tefachim.
� All the leaves should be intact.
� All the leaves should be green and appear fresh.
� The leaves should not be larger than a thumb nail.
� The wood part should be covered with leaves, i.e. the top of the leaf should reach and cover the bottom of the leaf above it.

ARAVOS

� There must be two of them.
� They must be 3 tefachim in length. According to the Chazon Ish this is 11.8 inches. According to Rav Moshe it is 10.62 inches. According to Rav Chaim No�eh it is 9.45 inches.
� The top of the Aravos must be intact
� Most of the leaves must be present.
� The leaves should be green and appear fresh.
� The leaves should be complete and not slit
� The leaves should be long
� The leaves should have smooth edges
� The wood part should be reddish.
� The aravah, ideally, should come from a tree that grows next to a river (Arvei Nachal).

The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@gmail.com