The berachah recited when taking the arbah minim is: על נטילת לולב – “on the taking of the lulav”. In what case would a person have to recite a blessing: על נטילת אתרוג- “on the taking of the esrog”?
Although our custom is to take all four of the species together, the Shulchan Aruch (651:12) rules that if a person picks up each of them separately, he fulfills his obligation. The proper way to do this is to take the lulav first and recite the berachah: על נטילת לולב, with the intention that the berachah also covers the other three species, which he then immediately takes one by one. If he subsequently speaks after putting the lulav down, it is considered a hefsek [interruption], and he must then recite a berachah as he takes each of the other three species, על נטילת אתרוג , על נטילת עץ אבות, ועל נטילת ערבה (see Mishnah Berurah 651:56).
