סימן כ - דיני לקיחת ומכירת טלית ובו ו' סעיפים

Recording: Seifim 1–6

1. One who buys a tallis with tzitzis from a Jew may presume it valid, for all Jews are expert in the proper making of tzitzis.

2. One who buys a tallis with tzitzis from a non-Jewish merchant, even one who deals not in tallisos but in other goods, and who says he bought this tallis from a Jew with its tzitzis, is believed,

for a merchant is presumed not to lie, since if he is found a liar in one thing he will not be believed in others.

One relies on this presumption only when he sells a tallis properly fitted with tzitzis, for there is another side to be lenient: a non-Jew does not usually know how the sections and knots are made, so he presumably bought it with its tzitzis from a Jew.

But one does not buy tzitzis not hanging on a tallis from a non-Jew, even a merchant, for perhaps he himself spun or twined them^[1].

3. One who sends tzitzis to another by way of a non-Jew must seal them with a seal within a seal^[2], in the manner explained in Yoreh De'ah, Siman 118, because there is concern that the non-Jew may exchange them for other threads not spun for tzitzis.

When is this said? When the non-Jew would benefit from the exchange.

But if he would have no benefit from an exchange, there is no concern that he would exchange them to cause a Jew to stumble.

4. All this applies when he sends threads not twined, or even twined but not cut into four long threads and still one long thread.

But if they are twined and cut into four long threads, there is no concern that the non-Jew will exchange them, for he surely has no other threads like them, since threads are made this way only for tzitzis.

5. Likewise, one who finds tzitzis threads in the marketplace, if they are twined and cut into four long threads, they are valid, for they were surely made for tzitzis.

6. One does not sell a tallis with tzitzis to a non-Jew, even a merchant, lest the non-Jew wear it and a Jew who sees him think he is a Jew, since he is wearing tzitzis, and accompany him on the road, and the non-Jew kill him, for a non-Jew is suspected of bloodshed^[3].

Likewise, one does not give a tallis with tzitzis to a non-Jew as a pledge or for safekeeping, unless it is for a short time, so that there is no concern a Jew would accompany him on the road.

Notes

1. Spun or twined: Spinning and twining must be done for the purpose and by a Jew, as explained above in Siman 11, seif 3 and seif 4, and Siman 14, seif 2. In the Baraisa: "הלוקח טלית מצוייצת מן השוק מישראל הרי היא בחזקתה, מן העובד כוכבים מן התגר כשרה, מן ההדיוט פסולה" ("One who buys a tallis with tzitzis in the market: from a Jew, it keeps its presumption; from a non-Jew, from a merchant it is valid, from a private person it is invalid") (Menachos 43a).

2. A seal within a seal: Two marks one inside the other, so that he cannot open and exchange it without this becoming known.

3. Suspected of bloodshed: "אין אדם רשאי למכור טלית מצוייצת לעובד כוכבים עד שיתיר ציציותיה. מאי טעמא? הכא תרגימו משום זונה; רב יהודה אמר: שמא יתלוה עמו בדרך ויהרגנו" ("One may not sell a tallis with tzitzis to a non-Jew until he unties its tzitzis. What is the reason? Here they explained it because of a harlot; Rav Yehuda said: lest a Jew accompany him on the road and he kill him") (Menachos 43a). Here only the second reason is brought.