סימן י - דיני כנפות הטלית ובו כ"ג סעיפים

Recording: Seifim 1–23

1. A tallis that does not have four corners is exempt from tzitzis, as it says: "על ארבע כנפות כסותך" ("On the four corners of your garment") (Devarim 22:12).

If it has more than four corners it is obligated, as it says: "אשר תכסה בה" ("With which you cover yourself") (ibid.),

and this verse is superfluous, except to include one with five or more corners as obligated.

Why do you choose to include one with five and exclude one with three?

I include one with five, for five contains four, and I exclude one with three, for three does not contain four^[1].

2. Since those with five or more corners are included only because they have four corners,

from here you learn that with five or more corners one need not attach tzitzis to all the corners of the tallis, but only to four [of them].

If he went ahead and attached them to five corners, he transgressed "do not add"^[2].

3. When attaching them to a garment with five or more, he should attach them to the four corners farthest from one another,

because it says "on the four corners" (Devarim 22:12), and those farthest from one another are [more] recognizable as corners.

4. A tallis that had four corners, and he cut one corner diagonally and made it two corners, has become one with five corners and remains obligated.

The same applies if he cut two corners diagonally: it has become one with six corners.

5. Although the law is that one with five or more corners is obligated,

nevertheless it is good to take care in the first place not to make any garment with more than four corners, because some disagree and exempt it from tzitzis^[3].

6. One who raised the corners of his tallis and sewed the folds, until it looks as though the corners are rounded off and no corner remains there,

is nevertheless not exempt from tzitzis, for as long as he has not cut them off the tallis entirely, this shows that he still needs them, and they will end up returning to how they were,

and they are still considered part of the tallis, which therefore has four corners.

He must attach tzitzis at the place of the original corner, although it is now sewn to the garment, since it will end up returning to how it was.

If he did not fold the corners into a round, but folded them so that a corner still remains at the place of the fold, he attaches the tzitzis at the place of the fold, since it has the form of a corner^[4].

7. Leather garments are exempt from tzitzis, as it says: "על כנפי בגדיהם" ("On the corners of their garments") (Bamidbar 15:38), and only what is woven is called a garment.

8. If most of the tallis was of leather and the lesser part of cloth, even if its corners are also of the cloth, it is exempt.

But if most of it is of cloth and the lesser part of leather, even if its corners are also of the leather, it is obligated,

because everything follows the main part of the garment^[5], as it says: "אשר תכסה בה" ("With which you cover yourself") (Devarim 22:12), implying that the obligation of tzitzis depends on the part of the garment that covers the main part of the body.

9. If the tallis is of leather with cloth sewn beneath it, it is exempt.

But if it is of cloth with leather sewn beneath it, it is obligated, because the lower layer is secondary to the main garment.

10. If it had three corners and he made three tzitzis on it, and afterward he made it another, fourth corner and also made tzitzis on it,

the first three tzitzis are invalid, and he must untie them and attach them to the tallis again,

because at first, when he attached the three tzitzis to the garment, they were made invalidly, for the tallis was not yet obligated in tzitzis at all, since it did not yet have four corners.

Although he afterward also made the fourth corner, the first three tzitzis do not become valid through this, since he did no new act on them to make them valid,

and the Torah said: "גדילים תעשה" ("Make twisted threads") (Devarim 22:12), and not from what was already made invalidly^[6].

11. The same law applies if he made only one of the tzitzis on it, or even if he wound only one section,

and afterward completed it to four corners and made tzitzis on them: he must untie the sections^[7] or the tzitzis made invalidly, and attach them to the tallis again.

12. But all tzitzis made on the tallis after it already had four corners are valid,

although they were hanging on the tallis when it was invalid because of the tzitzis made invalidly,

nevertheless the tzitzis were not invalidated by this, since they themselves were validly made.

13. A tallis twice as long as usual, which he folds in two and wraps himself in^[8]:

some say one attaches tzitzis to it while it is folded, that is, two tzitzis at the place of the fold, one on each side,

because this place is called a corner at the time of wrapping, when the tallis is folded,

and two tzitzis at the corners of one of the hanging ends of the tallis.

Others say one must attach the tzitzis at the place called a corner when the tallis is unfolded, for it is ordinarily made to be spread out, and it is considered spread out since he did not sew it,

therefore he should not attach the two tzitzis at the place of the fold, because when the tallis is spread out the tzitzis will be in the middle of the tallis; rather he should attach them at its four corners as spread out.

Since it has not been clarified according to whom the law follows, everyone should therefore take care not to wear a folded tallis at all, unless he sewed it after folding it.

Even if he sewed it on only one side, nevertheless, since it can no longer be spread out from its folding,

therefore according to all opinions one attaches two tzitzis to it at the place of the fold, which is the place called a corner when the tallis is folded.

14. A tallis to which he attached two tzitzis on one corner is invalid, for he transgressed "do not add."

If he cut one of them, even if he cut the first and left the second, it is valid.

Although the making of the second was invalid, for in making it he transgressed "do not add,"

and when he cut the first he did nothing to the second, for it was already made,

and the Torah said: "Make twisted threads," and not from what was already made invalidly, even so the second is valid.

For since there is a prohibition of "do not add" in attaching the second while the first hangs on the tallis, this making counts for nothing, and it is as if he did not make it at all.

Afterward, when he cuts the first and thereby makes the tallis valid with the second, this counts more as an act, and his cutting of the first is then considered as though he were making the second,

and there is no "make, and not from what was already made" here, for it was not yet made,

since its making was forbidden, it does not count as making at all, and now he makes it by cutting the first^[9].

15. The same law applies if he attached five tzitzis to a tallis with five corners, and afterward cut one of them,

whether he cut one of the four tzitzis he attached first or the fifth one he attached last: the tallis is valid, for the reason explained^[10].

16. Garments closed above and open below that have four corners, such as those garments opened below on both sides:

if most of them is open, they are obligated in tzitzis.

If most of them is closed, it is as if all of it were closed, and this is not called a corner, and so they are exempt from tzitzis.

If half is open and half closed, one attaches tzitzis to be stringent and they are obligated in tzitzis,

but one does not recite a blessing over it, for in doubtful blessings one is lenient.

One does not go out in it on Shabbos, for perhaps it is exempt from tzitzis and they are a burden^[11].

Even into a carmelis, where there is only a rabbinic prohibition, one does not go out in it,

for the Sages said that a doubt in their words is lenient only when the doubtful prohibition has already been done, but one may not do a doubtful rabbinic prohibition in the first place.

17. Garments open below on both sides, such as our tallisos katanim:

if most of them is open, and he wishes to exempt them from tzitzis by attaching a strap joining the two sides of the garment from its middle down, so that most of it is closed and it is exempt from tzitzis,

he must take care to attach the strap specifically below the belt, so that the larger closed part is the larger part visible to the eye; otherwise it is forbidden because of how it appears.

This applies specifically when he attaches a joining strap.

But if he attaches hooks joining the two sides of the garment, even below the belt, it does nothing to exempt it from tzitzis,

for since he can open the hooks easily, this does not count as a join at all,

unless the hooks are bent so much that they can be opened only by an act; then they count as a join and do exempt it from tzitzis, if they are attached from the belt down.

18. Therefore one must take care with our tallisos katanim, to which tzitzis are attached, that most of it be open on both sides, the larger part visible to the eye^[12].

He should also take care not to attach hooks to it below the belt,

and even if this is above its middle, as when the tallis katan is very long, it is nevertheless forbidden because of how it appears.

Even if the hooks are not bent much, so that they open easily, it is still forbidden because of how it appears.

19. The corners of the tallis to which tzitzis are attached must be square specifically and not round, for a round edge is not called a corner.

20. A turban, although it has four corners, is exempt, as it says: "כסותך אשר תכסה בה" ("Your garment with which you cover yourself") (Devarim 22:12), which excludes a turban, made to cover not the body but only the head.

Even a turban of the western lands, whose two ends are thrown over the shoulders and body,

although it covers [his] head and most of [him], is exempt, since it is made mainly to cover the head.

21. A scarf placed on the neck in the land of Eretz Yisrael, called in Arabic "shid"^[13], is exempt from tzitzis,

although it has the size of a tallis, which will be explained below in Siman 16,

and although one benefits from it in the sun against the sun and in the rain against the rain,

nevertheless, since they are placed there not mainly for the benefit of covering but for use, to tie money in them and wipe off sweat, it is not called a garment at all.

22. Garments of the regions of Ashkenaz and Sefarad, open in front above and below, with four corners, two above and two below, are exempt from tzitzis,

because the essence of the mitzvah of tzitzis is to have two tzitzis in front of him and two behind him, as explained in Siman 8^[14].

But with these garments, where all four corners are in front of him and they cannot be worn otherwise, one may say the Torah did not obligate them at all, and so the custom is to be lenient.

But every God-fearing person should be stringent for himself and make one corner round, so that he does not have four square corners^[15].

23. Garments called "rak," with a square piece of cloth attached above and lying on his shoulder behind him, called a "kalner"^[16], are exempt from tzitzis,

for above they have no corners except the corners of the kalner lying behind him,

and these are not corners, since the two points behind him do not line up opposite the corners in front of him,

and so they are not called corners at all, because they are not the end of the garment,

and this is like one who sews two corners in the middle of a garment, where he certainly need not attach tzitzis, for this is not the corner spoken of in the Torah.

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Notes

1. Three does not contain four: The source: "כשהוא אומר אשר תכסה בה הרי בעלת חמש אמור ומה אני מקיים על ארבע ארבע ולא שלש ומה ראית לרבות בעלת חמש ולהוציא בעלת שלש" ("When it says 'with which you cover yourself,' one with five is stated. How then do I uphold 'on the four'? Four and not three. Why do you choose to include one with five and exclude one with three?") (Menachos 43b).

2. Do not add: The prohibition of adding to a mitzvah, for the Torah set four tzitzis and no more. For the law of two tzitzis on one corner, see seif 14 below.

3. Some disagree: That is, "four" means four exactly, the side the Gemara raises: "או אינו אלא ארבע ולא חמש" ("Or perhaps it means only four and not five") (Menachos 43b). The conclusion there is that one with five is obligated.

4. The form of a corner: In a round fold the place of the fold has no form of a corner, so the tzitzis go at the place of the original corner. Here the place of the fold itself has the form of a corner, so it is the corner.

5. The main part of the garment: The source: "היא של בגד וכנפיה של עור חייבת היא של עור וכנפיה של בגד פטורה מאי טעמא עיקר בגד בעינן" ("If it is of cloth and its corners of leather, it is obligated; if it is of leather and its corners of cloth, it is exempt. What is the reason? We require the main part to be cloth") (Menachos 40b).

6. Already made invalidly: The source: "הטיל לבעלת שלש והשלימה לארבע פסולה [משום] תעשה ולא מן העשוי" ("If he attached them to one with three and completed it to four, it is invalid [because of] 'make, and not from what is made'") (Menachos 40b). On this rule in tzitzis see also seif 14 below, Siman 11, seif 15 and seif 23, Siman 15, seif 4 and seif 9.

7. The sections: On a section made invalidly, see below, Siman 11, seif 23.

8. Folds in two: The source: "טלית כפולה חייבת בציצית ורבי שמעון פוטר" ("A folded tallis is obligated in tzitzis, and Rabbi Shimon exempts it") (Menachos 41a).

9. By cutting the first: This is the difference from seif 10: there the making itself was not forbidden, so it counts as an invalid making, which can be remedied only by untying. Here, because of the prohibition, it does not count as making at all, so the cutting is the making.

10. The reason explained: Above, seif 14.

11. A burden: See below, Siman 13, seif 1, on when the threads count as a burden.

12. Visible to the eye: In Piskei HaSiddur, more strongly: "צריך ליזהר בטלית קטן שלנו להיות פתוח לגמרי מב' צדדיו. ולא יחבר שם אפילו בקרסים ומכל שכן בתפירה, אפילו מחציו ולמעלה ... ואין צריך לומר שלא לעשות בתי זרועות" ("One must take care that our tallis katan be entirely open on both sides. He should not join it there even with hooks, all the more so by sewing, even from its middle up ... and needless to say he should not make sleeves") (Laws of Tzitzis in the Siddur).

13. Shid: The Beis Yosef: "נקרא הסודר ההוא בלשון ערב שי"ד שהוא לשון חיזוק על שם שמחזיקים בו בידיהם" ("That scarf is called in Arabic shid, a word for holding, because they hold it in their hands") (Beis Yosef, Orach Chaim 10).

14. Explained in Siman 8: Above, Siman 8, seif 10.

15. Four square corners: In Piskei HaSiddur: "מלבושים שלנו שיש להם ב' כנפות מלפניהם למטה וב' כנפות למעלה בבית הצואר צריך ליזהר לעשות הכנפות שלמעלה עגולות כמו שנהגו עכשיו מקרוב ולא מרובעים כמקדם, כדי לפטרם מציצית לדברי הכל" ("Our garments, with two corners in front below and two corners above at the neck opening: one must take care to make the upper corners round, as has recently become the custom, and not square as before, to exempt them from tzitzis according to all opinions") (Laws of Tzitzis in the Siddur).

16. Rak, kalner: Rak: a coat. Kalner: the collar over the shoulders.