סימן כא - כדת מה לעשות בציצית שנפסקו בטליתות ישנים ובו ה' סעיפים

Recording: Seifim 1–5

1. Tzitzis are articles used for a mitzvah, that is, they have no holiness in themselves, but are used for a mitzvah^[1].

Therefore, after they are torn from the tallis one may throw them away, even onto a garbage heap.

But as long as they are fixed in the tallis, they may not be used for any ordinary purpose, such as tying something and the like, because this disgraces the mitzvah.

Some say that even after they are torn one should not treat them disgracefully, throwing them onto a garbage heap or any repulsive place (but he may throw them where it is not repulsive),

and he need not put them away in storage, since they have no holiness.

Although the law follows the first view, nevertheless one who is stringent and careful in mitzvos, may a blessing come upon him.

Some who are particularly devout are stringent to put them away, or to place them in a book as a marker: since one mitzvah was done with them, let another be done with them.

2. Tallisos of a mitzvah that have worn out, one keeps away from them, and may not wipe himself with them or use them for any repulsive purpose, but he discards them and they decay by themselves.

3. One may enter a lavatory in a tallis with tzitzis, for this is not such a disgrace to the mitzvah.

When is this said? With a garment made for clothing and not set aside for prayer.

But with our tallisos of a mitzvah, set aside only for prayer, it is not proper to enter a lavatory in them.

Likewise one who goes to relieve himself on Yom Kippur must take off the kittel, since it is set aside only for prayer^[2].

4. But one may sleep even in tallisos of a mitzvah, for this is not such a disgrace^[3].

Likewise they may be given to a launderer, even a non-Jew.

5. One should take care that his tzitzis do not drag on the ground, because this disgraces the mitzvah.

Notes

1. Used for a mitzvah: "ואלו הן תשמישי מצוה: סוכה, לולב, שופר, ציצית" ("These are articles used for a mitzvah: sukkah, lulav, shofar, tzitzis") (Megillah 26b). On the tallis and the tzitzis, in Torah Or: "ולכן אין בטלית הגשמית שום קדושה כלל, ומותר להשתמש בה דברי חול. משא"כ בציצית" ("Therefore the physical tallis has no holiness at all and may be used for ordinary matters, unlike the tzitzis") (Torah Or 100a), brought in Likkutei Sichos, vol. 39, additions, which cites this siman.

2. The kittel: In the class on Chabad customs: "The kittel should not be worn into a restroom, in the way of a tallis gadol" (Customs for Erev Yom Kippur, section 12). On wearing the kittel, see below, Siman 610, seif 9.

3. Sleeping: On a tallis katan, the Rebbe writes: "וכן גם בעת השינה תהי' לבוש בטלית קטן" ("And also while sleeping you should be wearing a tallis katan") (Igros Kodesh, vol. 13, no. 4302).