סימן יב - דברים הפוסלים בציצית ובו ז' סעיפים

Recording: Seifim 1–7

1. Although we have explained that when the tzitzis are attached to the garment, each of the eight threads must be twelve thumb-widths long^[1],

nevertheless, if after he attached the tzitzis all eight threads were torn,

and of each of the four long threads there remained only enough to make a loop^[2] around each of the other torn threads of the four long threads, around each one by itself,

that is, if all eight threads were torn, the torn thread of the four long threads must have three times the amount of a loop around one thread,

and even if only seven threads were torn, the torn thread of the four long threads must have three times the amount of a loop around [one] thread,

if it has this measure, it is valid.

Some say that even if there remained in all the torn threads of the four long threads only enough to make from all of them one loop together, it is valid.

One should be stringent according to the first view.

2. When is it said that the torn threads must have enough for a loop? When five or more of the eight threads were torn.

But if only four of the eight were torn, even if nothing remained of them,

if all four torn threads are on one side of the knot, and when attaching the tzitzis to the garment he took care to mark the four ends, so that these four ends always lie on one side of the knot and the other four on the other side^[3], it is valid,

because of each torn thread the second end has remained, with even more than enough for a loop.

Moreover, even if all eight threads were torn, four of them entirely, and in the other four on the second side of the knot there remained only enough for a loop, it is valid,

since of each of the four long threads enough for a loop remained, nothing more is needed.

When is this said? When all the torn threads were on one side of the knot.

But if they were on both sides, even if only two of the eight were torn, one on this side and one on that side, and they did not have enough for a loop,

or even if the two torn threads were on one side of the knot but he did not take care when making the tzitzis that the four ends always lie together on one side of the knot,

then there is concern that these two torn threads are one thread of the four long threads,

so that one of the four long threads has been torn entirely, with nothing left of it for a loop.

Therefore the tzitzis are invalid, because one of the four threads the Torah requires in tzitzis is missing.

If neither of the two torn threads of the eight has enough for a loop by itself, but the two remnants together would make enough for a loop, it is still to be disqualified.

Although of the long thread that was torn enough for a loop has remained,

nevertheless, since each end of this torn thread extending beyond the knot lacks enough for a loop by itself, they are as if they did not exist at all,

for anything less than enough for a loop is as if it is not there,

so it is as if nothing remained of the long thread.

3. Some say that one never validates, even if enough for a loop remained, unless two long threads remained whole, that is, four ends each twelve thumb-widths long,

because this was the measure and number of the white threads when there was techeiles^[4].

Therefore even now, when we must complete two white threads in place of two techeiles threads,

for this completion it is enough to have torn threads with enough for a loop, since when the tzitzis were attached to the garment all the threads were whole.

But two threads, which are the essence of the mitzvah and were required even when there was techeiles, must always be whole,

and then one validates the other threads, if they were torn and enough for a loop remained in each of the two torn long threads.

Therefore if three of the eight ends were torn, even if enough for a loop remained in each of them, it is invalid,

because there is concern that two of the torn ends do not come from one long thread, but each comes from a long thread of its own,

so that two whole long threads have not remained.

But if only two ends were torn, if enough remained in one of them to make a small loop, even if he cannot put other threads inside the loop but only that thread itself with which he makes the loop, it is valid,

for even if these two torn threads come from one long thread, the long thread has still not been torn entirely, since enough for a loop has remained in it.

But if in neither of the two torn ends there remained enough for a small loop,

if these two ends do not come from one side of the knot but one from this side and one from that side,

or even if both come from one side but he did not take care when making the tzitzis that the four ends always lie together on one side of the knot, it is invalid,

because there is concern that these two ends do not come from two long threads but both from one long thread,

so that one of the four long threads has been torn with nothing left of it even for a loop, and there are only three long threads here,

and there is no tzitzis with fewer than four threads, as written in Siman 11^[5].

But if these two ends come from one side of the knot, and when making the tzitzis he took care to mark the four ends so that they always lie together on one side of the knot,

even if the two ends were torn entirely, with nothing left in either for a loop, it is valid,

because these two ends certainly come from two long threads,

so that in each of the two long threads more than enough for a loop has remained, namely the second, whole end.

4. The common custom is to be stringent according to the last view^[6].

But under pressing circumstances, such as where tzitzis are not available to repair it, one may rely on the first view, for this is primary.

5. Wherever enough for a loop is required, and because the threads are thick he cannot tie the loop, but were they of average thickness they would have enough for a loop, it is valid.

Since had they not been so thick they would be valid, having then enough for a loop, all the more so one should not disqualify them now, when they are also thick and more visible.

6. Wherever enough for a loop must remain, some say that the whole gedil must remain whole, and enough for a loop must remain of the anaf^[7].

Some say that even if they were torn where they are wound in the gedil, and from where they were torn to where they emerge from the corner, that is, the start of the gedil, only enough for a loop remained, it is valid.

And according to the first view at the start of seif 2, even if all the threads wound in the gedil were torn and only enough for a loop remained of them, it is valid.

Nevertheless, of that part of the gedil that remained he should undo some of the windings, so that it should also have a little anaf,

such as if three sections of the gedil remained, he should undo two of them and leave one, so that it is one-third gedil and two-thirds anaf.

The common custom is to be stringent and require enough for a loop from the anaf emerging from the gedil, as the first view in this seif.

But if it is impossible otherwise, such as where tzitzis are not available, one may rely on the last view.

Nevertheless he should not recite a blessing over these tzitzis, for in a doubtful blessing one is lenient, nor should he go out in them on Shabbos into a public domain^[8].

7. Any of the eight threads that came untwined after the tzitzis were already attached to the garment,

whether the whole length of the thread came untwined and became two threads, or only part of it came untwined and part still stands twined,

since tzitzis are invalid if they are not twined, we therefore regard that thread or part of it that came untwined as if that thread or part of it had been torn entirely from the tzitzis,

and its law is as the law of some threads being torn, explained above^[9].

But here one should be more lenient, and should follow the first view above in seif 2, that even if of each of the four long threads only enough for a loop remained twined, it is valid^[10],

because there is one who says that tzitzis threads need no twining at all,

so one should be more lenient here than if they were actually torn.

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Notes

1. Eight threads: Four threads go into the hole in the corner and are doubled, making eight ends. So the "four long threads" of this seif are the four before doubling, and the "eight threads" are the ends after it. The whole siman rests on this distinction: the Torah requires four threads, and when one end is torn there is still a long thread from its other side.

2. A loop: A length that can be wound into a loop. At the end of the next seif: anything less than this "is as if it is not there." Here the measure is for each torn thread by itself, and just below is the view that one loop for all of them is enough.

3. The other side: When the tzitzis are made, the four ends put through the hole are kept always on one side of the knot and the other four on the other side. Then the tearing of four ends on one side cannot be of two ends of the same thread.

4. Techeiles: When there was techeiles, two threads were white and two techeiles. So on this approach the essential obligation that does not depend on techeiles is the two white threads, and they must remain whole.

5. Written in Siman 11: Above, Siman 11, seif 1.

6. The last view: So too the Alter Rebbe states in Piskei HaSiddur without qualification: "אם נפסק אפילו חוט אחד מעיקרו דהיינו על הכנף, או אפילו תוך הגדיל - פסולה. אבל אם נפסק אחד מן הראשין היוצאין חוץ לגדיל - כשרה אפילו נפסק לגמרי ואם נפסקו ב' ראשין, אפילו יוצאים מצד אחד של הקשר - אם לא דקדק בעת עשיית הציצית שיהיו ד' ראשין עומדים לעולם מצד אחד - פסולה אם לא נשתייר באחד מהם כדי עניבה. וכל שכן אם אחד יוצא מצד זה ואחד מצד השני. ואם נפסקו ג' ראשין - פסול בכל ענין, אפילו נשתייר בכל אחד מהן הרבה יותר מכדי עניבה" ("If even one thread is torn at its base, on the corner or even within the gedil, it is invalid. But if one of the ends extending beyond the gedil is torn, it is valid even if torn entirely. If two ends are torn, even from one side of the knot, unless he took care when making the tzitzis that four ends always stand on one side, it is invalid unless enough for a loop remained in one of them; all the more so if one comes out from this side and one from the other. If three ends are torn, it is invalid in every case, even if each of them has far more than enough for a loop") (Laws of Tzitzis in the Siddur).

7. Gedil, anaf: Gedil: the wound and knotted part. Anaf: the separate threads coming out of it. See the Siddur there, note 6: "on the corner or even within the gedil, it is invalid," as the first view here.

8. Into a public domain: There may be no valid tzitzis here, and then the threads are a burden; see Siman 13, seif 1.

9. Explained above: Above, seif 1 and seif 2.

10. It is valid: In the Siddur, after the law of three ends: "וכן הדין אם נתפרקו החוטין משזירתן" ("And the same law applies if the threads came untwined") (ibid.). Here: "one should be more lenient here than if they were actually torn."