סימן יא - דיני חוטי הציצית ובו ל"ה סעיפים

Recording: Seifim 1–35

1. The mitzvah of tzitzis, when techeiles was available, was to take two threads dyed [with] the dye called techeiles and two undyed threads, called white threads, for since we are not commanded to dye them, they naturally remain white.

Now that we have no techeiles^[1], one must take two white threads in place of the two threads of techeiles,

because tzitzis have no fewer than four threads, as it says: "גדילים תעשה לך" ("Make yourself twisted threads") (Devarim 22:12). A twisted thread has no fewer than two threads, twisted one over the other, and when it says "twisted threads" in the plural, that makes four.

If he added even one thread to the four, he has transgressed "do not add,"

and so the tzitzis to which he added the thread are invalid until he removes one thread from them, see Siman 10^[2].

2. The threads of tzitzis must be twined, as it says: "פתיל תכלת" ("A thread of techeiles") (Bamidbar 15:38), that it be spun and twined like a cord.

Just as techeiles is spun and twined, so too the white, for they are compared to each other, as it says: "גדילים תעשה" ("Make twisted threads"), etc. (Devarim 22:12).

3. They must be spun and twined specifically for the sake of tzitzis^[3],

that is, he should say at the start of the spinning and the twining that he does so for the sake of tzitzis, or say to a woman: "Spin me tzitzis for a tallis"^[4],

as it says: "תעשה לך" ("Make for yourself") (Devarim 22:12), for the sake of your obligation.

If they were not spun for their purpose or not twined for their purpose, they are invalid.

Some who are scrupulous are stringent with themselves even about combing the wool, but this is not the custom.

4. If a non-Jew spun them or twined them, even if a Jew stands over him and tells him to do it for the sake of tzitzis, they are invalid, ^{[Kuntres Acharon 1]} for a non-Jew acts for his own purpose and pays no attention to the Jew's words, unless the Jew helps him a little.

But if a deaf-mute, a person of unsound mind or a child spun or twined them, ^{[Kuntres Acharon 2]} and an adult stands over them and tells them to do it for the sake of tzitzis, they are valid.

5. The four threads of tzitzis must be placed on the tallis and doubled, to make eight threads, as it says: "פתיל תכלת" ("A thread of techeiles") (Bamidbar 15:38), that it be doubled like a cord.

After doubling them, each of the eight threads must be twelve thumb-widths long, measured at the wide part of the thumb.

6. The thumb-width of an average person is the width of seven barley grains placed side by side tightly, which equals the length of two barley grains placed loosely.

7. These twelve thumb-widths are measured after he has made all the windings and knots, and they are measured from the edge of the corner, but whatever lies on the corner is not included in the count.

Therefore each of the four threads must be thirty thumb-widths long, so that when he doubles them each of the eight threads will be fifteen thumb-widths:

two thumb-widths from the hole in the tallis through which the tzitzis are inserted to the edge of the corner, which is the measure of a thumb joint to be explained below in this siman^[5]; one thumb-width for the knots; and twelve thumb-widths hanging, to make the tzitzis valid.

8. One of the threads should be longer, so that he can wind it around the twisted part, as will be explained below in this siman^[6].

If he has no one thread long enough to make all the windings with it, he may make some windings with this thread and some with another,

for so too, when techeiles was available, they made some windings with techeiles and some with the white threads.

9. If he wishes to make the tzitzis longer than twelve thumb-widths he may, and he may lengthen them as much as he wishes.

It is good to do so, so that even if they tear, twelve thumb-widths will remain.

10. We have already said in Siman 9^[7] that the tzitzis must be specifically of the same kind as the corner.

Therefore tzitzis are not made from wool caught on thorns when the sheep lie among them, nor from hairs plucked from the sheep, nor from the leftover warp threads the weaver leaves at the end of the garment.

If he made tzitzis from these they are invalid, because these kinds are not fit for making a garment, for they are the waste of the wool and a garment is not made from such,

and the Torah said "the corner," meaning the same kind as the corner, as written in Siman 9.

The same law applies to all inferior kinds of wool from which a garment is not made: they are invalid for tzitzis for the reason stated.

11. If one stole threads that had been spun for the sake of tzitzis, and the thief went and made tzitzis from them, they are invalid, as it says: "ועשו להם" ("They shall make for themselves") (Bamidbar 15:38), from their own, excluding what is stolen.

If the thief sold the tzitzis to another, ^{[Kuntres Acharon 3]} and the owners have already given up hope of them, they are valid, because the buyer acquired them through the owners' giving up hope and the change of domain from the thief to the buyer, as written in Choshen Mishpat, Siman 361.

12. If one stole unspun wool and the thief spun it for the sake of tzitzis, and the owners have not yet given up hope of it, it is invalid for tzitzis, because it is still stolen and does not belong to the thief at all,

for he did not acquire it by this change of making it into threads, since this is a change that can revert to its original state, for threads can be made back into wool.

But if the owners have already given up hope of it, or even if they have not yet given up hope but the thief made a complete change in this wool that cannot revert to its original state, ^{[Kuntres Acharon 4]} such as bleaching the wool with sulfur, in the way explained in Choshen Mishpat, Siman 360, see there,

since the thief has acquired the wool completely, for even if the wool still exists he need only return its value to the victim, it is actually his in every respect, and so the tzitzis he made from it are valid.

Nevertheless he should not recite a blessing over them, for this is not blessing but blaspheming^[8], since the tzitzis came to him through robbery.

13. If one bowed down to an animal, its wool is invalid for tzitzis.

Although animals that were worshipped are not forbidden for ordinary use, and whatever is attached to them is like them, so that this wool is permitted for ordinary use,

nevertheless it is forbidden for a mitzvah because it is repulsive to the Most High, for worshipped animals are forbidden to the Most High for the altar, and so too the wool on their backs.

Although when he makes tzitzis from it, it changes from what it was, for before it was wool and now it has become threads, nevertheless its appearance remains and it is recognizable as wool.

But if one bowed down to planted flax, he may make tzitzis from it, for something attached to the ground that was worshipped is permitted for benefit,

and it is not repulsive even to the Most High, since it has changed from what it was when it was worshipped, for before it was simply like wood, and now that he has made threads from it, its original appearance has completely passed.

14. When he makes the hole through which he inserts the tzitzis, he should not make it more than three thumb-widths from the edge of the garment^[9], because it says "on the corner" (Bamidbar 15:38), and beyond three it is not the corner but the garment.

If he made the hole beyond three thumb-widths, then even though (when he makes) [when he ties] the tzitzis on the garment he makes the threads short on the corner, so as to crease the corners, and it folds until the hole comes within three thumb-widths, it is nevertheless invalid.

15. If he made the hole beyond three thumb-widths, and after attaching the tzitzis in the hole he cut through the hole so that the tzitzis hang within three thumb-widths, they are invalid,

because it says: "גדילים תעשה" ("Make twisted threads"), etc. (Devarim 22:12), and not from what was already made invalidly, as written in Siman 10^[10].

16. He should not make the hole close to the edge of the garment, because it says "on the corner" (Bamidbar 15:38), and if it were very close to the edge of the garment it would be below the corner.

Therefore he must keep the hole away from the edge of the garment by the measure from the thumb joint to the end of the nail, that is, about two thumb-widths^[11].

If afterward, when he ties the tzitzis, he made the part of the threads on the corner short, and the corners folded until the hole came within the measure explained, it is nevertheless valid.

17. These three thumb-widths we mentioned, and likewise the measure of a full thumb joint by which one must keep away, are measured straight from the edge of the garment's length and likewise from the edge of the garment's width, but he should not measure them diagonally from the angle of the garment's corner.

18. The measure of a full thumb joint we mentioned, by which one must keep the hole away from the edge of the garment, need be observed only at the time of attaching the tzitzis to the garment.

But if, after he attached the tzitzis to the garment, some warp or weft threads came apart, and the hole widened, and the tzitzis slipped down within a full thumb joint, they are valid.

Likewise, if after attaching the tzitzis to the garment the garment came apart below at its edge, until less than the measure of a full thumb joint remained from the edge to the corner, they are valid^[12],

for the Torah was particular that the tzitzis not be below the corner only at the time of making, as it says: "ועשו להם ציצית על כנפי" ("They shall make themselves tzitzis on the corners"), etc. (Bamidbar 15:38).

Nevertheless, in the first place it is good to make a hem around the hole through which he inserts the tzitzis, so that the threads of the garment around the hole do not come apart from within and leave less than the measure of a full thumb joint from the edge of the garment, and people would think it was so before the tzitzis were attached.

Likewise he should make a hem at the edge of the garment, so that less than the measure of a thumb joint does not remain from its edge to the hole.

19. If there is a woven border (called "leist") at the edge of the garment, woven there for strength, whether the border is at the edge of the garment's width or at the edge of its length, he should not attach the tzitzis there in the border,

even if it is [a distance of] a full thumb joint from the edge of the corner, such as when the border is wide; even so, tzitzis are not attached to it,

because it says: "על כנפי בגדיהם" ("On the corners of their garments") (Bamidbar 15:38), and the border does not count as the main part of the garment but is secondary and serves the garment.

20. When tzitzis are attached to the garment itself, he need not keep a full thumb joint from the edge of the garment apart from the border, but the border too counts toward the measure.

Likewise for keeping within the three thumb-widths we mentioned, the border also counts as part of the garment, and so he must take care that the hole not be beyond three thumb-widths from the outer edge of the border.

21. Although the border counts as part of the garment for the measure of a full thumb joint, nevertheless in the first place it is good to measure a full thumb joint without the border, and the hole should be within the three thumb-widths including the border, as explained^[13].

If the border is very wide, he should cut some of it off.

22. If warp threads without weft, or weft without warp, stick out at the edge of the garment, there is doubt whether these threads count as part of the garment or not, since they are not fully woven.

Therefore he must take care that the hole not be beyond three thumb-widths from the edge of these threads, in case they count as part of the garment, and if the stretch of these threads is very wide he should cut some of it off.

He should also take care to measure a full thumb joint apart from these threads, in case they do not count as part of the garment.

23. One may take one long thread, double it into four, insert it in the corner and double them, making eight, and afterward cut the ends of the threads so that they become eight threads.

If he forgot and did not cut the ends of the threads until he had wound even one section, and after winding the section he tied even one knot, it is invalid,

since by Torah law one section and one knot suffice, for it says simply: "גדילים תעשה" ("Make twisted threads") (Devarim 22:12), and the verse does not (specify) [state] the number of twists.

Thus the tzitzis have already been made invalidly, for when he wound the section and tied the knot there were not four whole threads but one thread doubled into eight.

Therefore even if he afterward cuts the ends of the threads it accomplishes nothing, since the tzitzis themselves were already made invalidly, and the Torah said "make," and not from what was already made invalidly.

But if he cut the ends of the threads right after winding one section, before tying even one knot after the section, and all the more if he cut them right after the first knot before beginning to wind the section, it is valid,

since all that makes tzitzis valid according to the Torah had not yet been made invalidly before he cut the ends of the threads, they are not to be invalidated because of "make, and not from what was already made invalidly."

Nevertheless, in the first place it is good to cut the ends of the threads before inserting the tzitzis in the hole, so that no part of the making of the tzitzis is done invalidly.

24. It is good to take care not to cut the tzitzis with a knife, in the manner of what it says: "לא תניף עליהם ברזל" ("You shall not lift iron upon them"), etc. (Devarim 27:5), but he should bite them with his teeth.

25. It is written in the Torah: "גדילים תעשה לך" ("Make yourself twisted threads") (Devarim 22:12). One might think he should make it all twisted; the verse therefore says: "ועשו להם ציצית" ("They shall make themselves tzitzis") (Bamidbar 15:38),

and tzitzis are separated threads, as explained in Siman 8^[14].

How so? The twisted part comes out from the corner and the tzitzis come out from the twisted part.

The twisted part has no measure by Torah law, so whether he wound most of the length of the tzitzis or wound only one section, it is valid,

provided he makes a knot at the end of the winding, because the winding does not hold without a knot after it, and then there would be no twisted part here.

26. If he wound all of the tzitzis and left not even a little of the branch coming out, it is invalid, for it says "tzitzis."

27. When there was techeiles, the Sages instituted not to wind fewer than seven sections, corresponding to the seven heavens^[15], for techeiles resembles the sky.

They also instituted to make a knot at the end of each section, to mark the difference between one section and the next.

Now that we have no techeiles, we need not be particular about the number of sections or the number of knots between the sections.

Nevertheless the custom has been widespread throughout Israel since ancient times to make five knots, because it says: "וראיתם אותו וזכרתם את כל מצות ה'" ("You shall see it and remember all the mitzvos of G‑d") (Bamidbar 15:39).

All the mitzvos number 613, and tzitzis in numerical value is 600, and eight threads and five knots make 613.

28. It is customary to make four spaces between the five knots and to make some windings in each space.

How so? He takes four threads from one side of the corner and four from the other side and ties them over each other twice, for one will not hold and does not count as a knot at all.

Then he winds the long thread around the seven threads a number of windings, ties them again twice over each other, winds again,

and does so until he completes five double knots and four spaces between them filled with windings.

There is no set number of windings in each space, but he may do as he wishes.

29. The beauty of tzitzis is that a third of the length of the threads, that is, four thumb-widths, be the twisted part, and two thirds the branch^[16].

Even if he made the tzitzis longer than twelve thumb-widths, a third of the length should be the twisted part.

The knots and windings together are everywhere called the twisted part, and altogether they should be only a third of the length of the threads, that is, four thumb-widths.

In the Raaya Mehemna it is written that between one knot and the next there should be the full width of a thumb, apart from the knots.

30. It is customary to make seven windings in the first space, eight in the second, eleven in the third and thirteen in the fourth, which altogether total thirty-nine, the numerical value of "G‑d is One"^[17].

Since it is a beauty for tzitzis that all the sections be of equal length, in the first space, where the windings are few, he should space them apart, in the second space bring them a little closer, in the third closer still, and in the fourth closer yet, until all are of one measure.

31. Some are accustomed to wind the windings in each space in sections^[18],

that is, after winding the first three windings he leaves a little space and again winds three times in that same space,

and then winds one from the first space and combines with it two from the second space, leaves a little space and winds another three times,

and so on until the thirty-nine windings are finished, in thirteen small sections.

So they did when there was techeiles.

32. All the measures we have explained for the number of sections, windings or knots are only in the first place.

But after the fact, when he has already finished making the tzitzis, or in a pressing situation, such as on the eve of Shabbos close to dark when he has no time, they left their words at the law of the Torah, and one section and one knot suffice, and he may bless over them.

33. Some are accustomed to tie one knot at the end of each of the eight threads, so that they do not untwine.

Others do not do so, because they do not wish to add to the five knots, for the reason explained above^[19], especially if the threads are well twined, when it is not at all common for them to untwine.

34. When he hangs the tzitzis on the garment, he must be careful to hang them so that the hanging twisted part touches and strikes the corner of the garment and does not hang toward the ground, as it says: "על כנפי בגדיהם" ("On the corners of their garments") (Bamidbar 15:38)^[20].

Therefore the two lower tzitzis should hang along the length of the garment, so that when he wraps himself in it, with the length of the tallis around the width of his body, the tzitzis touch and strike the corner.

But if the twisted part hung along the width of the garment, then when he wraps his height from head to foot in the width of the garment, the twisted part would hang toward the ground and would not hang, touch and strike the corner.

As for the two upper tzitzis, sometimes the twisted part must hang along the length of the garment and sometimes along its width, all according to how he wraps himself^[21],

but he should take care that the twisted part not hang toward the ground, but touch and strike the corner.

35. Some say tzitzis should not be made on the garment as we make them, but he should make two holes in the garment, insert the tzitzis in one hole and bring them out through the second hole.

The law does not follow these "some say," and one who wishes to be stringent with himself and do as they say should do so only on a tallis katan^[22], so that it not be seen by all and appear as showing off.

---

Notes

1. No techeiles: The Rebbe wrote: "במש"כ ע"ד חלזון ותכלת בהנוגע לפועל עתה בציצית - הרי ידוע אשר הרעישו ע"ז והתנגדו לזה, וגם ע"פ נגלה, גדולי עולם בעת יצא חידוש זה מראדזין. וגם כ"ק אדמו"ר (מהורש"ב) נ"ע לא הסכים על החידוש בשו"א ... אבל זכורני שמביא שע"פ קבלה יהי' ענין התכלת רק לעת"ל. ואנו אין לנו אלא דברי כ"ק אדנ"ע" ("As for what you wrote about the chilazon and techeiles for practice now in tzitzis: it is known that they raised an outcry against it and opposed it, also on the basis of Nigleh, the great ones of the world, when this innovation came out of Radzin. The Rebbe Rashab too did not agree to the innovation in his responsum ... but I recall that he brings that according to Kabbalah the matter of techeiles will be only in the time to come. And we have only the words of the Rebbe Rashab") (Igros Kodesh, vol. 17, no. 6382); see Shulchan Menachem, Techeiles in Tzitzis in Our Time.

2. See Siman 10: Above, Siman 10, seif 14.

3. For the sake of tzitzis: On tzitzis made by machine, the Rebbe wrote: "הנה אף שכמה מגדולי האחרונים מחמירים בזה, וכידוע בשו"ת דברי חיים מהר"מ אש, מחזה אברהם, הנה ידוע לאידך גיסא שכמה אחרונים הקילו בזה והתירו, עיין שו"ת חסד לאברהם, תפארת יוסף, והעיקר פס"ד למעשה של כ"ק אדמו"ר (מוהרש"ב) ... וא"כ לדעתי אין כדאי להכריע לצד מי שהוא" ("Although several of the great later authorities are stringent in this, as is known from the responsa Divrei Chaim, Maharam Ash and Machazeh Avraham, it is known on the other hand that several later authorities were lenient and permitted it, see the responsa Chesed LeAvraham and Tiferes Yosef, and most important is the practical ruling of the Rebbe Rashab ... therefore in my opinion it is not worthwhile to decide for either side") (Igros Kodesh, vol. 6, no. 1722); see vol. 13, no. 4682, and Shulchan Menachem, Making Tzitzis by Machine.

4. Spin me tzitzis: The Siddur: "צריך להזהיר לנשים העושות ציצית שתוציא בפיה בפירוש בתחילת הטוויה שהיא עושה כן לשם ציצית וכן בהתחלת השזירה" ("Women who make tzitzis must be cautioned to say explicitly, at the start of the spinning, that she does so for the sake of tzitzis, and likewise at the start of the twining") (Laws of Tzitzis in the Siddur).

5. Below in this siman: Below, seif 16.

6. Below in this siman: Below, seif 28.

7. In Siman 9: Above, Siman 9, seif 1.

8. Blaspheming: "הרי שגזל סאה של חטין טחנה לשה ואפאה והפריש ממנה חלה כיצד מברך אין זה מברך אלא מנאץ" ("If one stole a se'ah of wheat, ground it, kneaded it, baked it and separated challah from it, how can he bless? This is not blessing but blaspheming") (Bava Kama 94a).

9. Three thumb-widths: The Siddur: "עד רוחב שלש גודלין ולא עד בכלל אלא פחות מעט" ("Up to the width of three thumbs, not including it, but slightly less") (Laws of Tzitzis in the Siddur).

10. As written in Siman 10: Above, Siman 10, seif 10.

11. Two thumb-widths: The Siddur: "ולא די במה שהנקב שבו מכניס החוטין הוא למעלה מקשר גודל שנאמר גדילים תעשה לך על ארבע כנפות שיהא הגדיל נעשה בגובה הכנף" ("It is not enough that the hole through which he inserts the threads is above the thumb joint, for it says 'Make yourself twisted threads on the four corners,' that the twisted part be made at the height of the corner") (Laws of Tzitzis in the Siddur).

12. They are valid: The Siddur: "ואם לאחר שהטיל הציצית ברחוק מלא קשר גודל באורך ורוחב כדת, נפסקה זוית הבגד מלמטה לגמרי מן הבגד, אפילו נפסקה סמוך להנקב שהציצית תלויה בו ולא נשתייר אלא משהו עד הנקב - כשרה" ("If, after he attached the tzitzis a full thumb joint away in length and width as required, the angle of the garment tore off entirely below, even close to the hole on which the tzitzis hang, with only a little left up to the hole, it is valid") (Laws of Tzitzis in the Siddur).

13. As explained: Above, seif 20.

14. As explained in Siman 8: Above, Siman 8, seif 12.

15. Seven heavens: "הפוחת לא יפחות משבע כנגד שבעה רקיעים" ("One who makes fewer should not make fewer than seven, corresponding to the seven heavens") (Menachos 39a).

16. Two thirds the branch: The Siddur: "כי לכתחלה צריך להיות הגדיל שליש וענף ב' שלישים" ("For in the first place the twisted part should be a third and the branch two thirds") (Laws of Tzitzis in the Siddur).

17. G‑d is One: On the custom of our Rebbeim with the tallis: "סיפר כ"ק מו"ח אד"ש ... אשר כ"ק אדנ"ע הי' תופר בין המשי וארג הטלית חתיכת משי מהנשאר מבגדי אדה"ז הצ"צ וכו'. ע"פ רוב הי' בקרן הימיני שמלפנים ואצל הנקבים" ("The Previous Rebbe related ... that the Rebbe Rashab would sew, between the silk and the fabric of the tallis, a piece of silk left from the garments of the Alter Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, etc. Usually it was at the front right corner, by the holes") (Igros Kodesh, vol. 2, no. 185); see Shulchan Menachem, Making the Tzitzis.

18. In sections: The Rebbe wrote: "בהנוגע לחוליות הציצית, הנה ידוע מנהגנו לעשות ג' ג' א' ואח"כ ב' ג' ג' וכו' בכדי לצרף הב' להא' כמובן" ("As for the sections of the tzitzis, our custom is known, to make 3, 3, 1, and then 2, 3, 3, etc., in order to combine the 2 with the 1, as is understood") (Igros Kodesh, vol. 11, no. 3743).

19. Explained above: Above, seif 27.

20. Their garments: "ציצית צריכה שתהא נוטפת על הקרן שנאמר על כנפי בגדיהם" ("Tzitzis must hang down over the corner, as it says: 'On the corners of their garments'") (Menachos 42a).

21. How he wraps himself: The Siddur, that how they are tied depends on the custom of wrapping: "זהו לפי מנהג שנתפשט בינינו להגביה צדי הטלית על הכתף מכאן ומכאן כדי שיהיה ב' ציצית לאחריו ושנים לפניו להיות מסובב במצות" ("This follows the custom that has spread among us, to raise the sides of the tallis on the shoulders on each side, so that two tzitzis are behind him and two in front of him, to be surrounded by mitzvos") (Laws of Tzitzis in the Siddur).

22. On a tallis katan: The Siddur: "ובטלית קטן יש לעשות ב' נקבים מרוחקים כמלא קשר גודל באורך ורוחב ויכניס הד' חוטין בנקב זה ויוציאם בנקב זה" ("On a tallis katan one should make two holes, a full thumb joint away in length and width, insert the four threads through this hole and bring them out through that hole") (Laws of Tzitzis in the Siddur).