Many Murex proofs are not absolute. A term may be broad. A source may refer to purple rather than blue. A Rishon may use language like tolaas. A classical source may describe a dye family rather than one exact species. Since each proof can be challenged, the identification remains unproven.
read moreThe pro-Murex side leans too much on language. Terms like purpura, porphyra, hyacinth, and related words can mean different things in different contexts. Sometimes they refer to a dye source. Sometimes to a color. Sometimes to dyed cloth. Sometimes to royal luxury goods. Since the words are flexible, they cannot prove that Murex was the…
read moreSome sources describe the chilazon with terms like tolaas or limtza. A tolaas usually means a worm, and limtza is often understood as a slug-like creature. That sounds like a soft worm or slug, not a hard-shelled sea snail like the Murex.
read moreColor of the sea: Murex proponents say that that refers to the sea bed, and are twisting the sources. In Maseches Tzitzis, it writes that the Chilazon’s body comparable to the sky interchangeably. Maybe its a machlokes. Gemara just before writes that Techeiles is the color of the sea. The Smag writes that Techeiles and…
read moreQuestion שבת (כח ע”א):“תנינא: לא הוכשרו למלאכת שמים אלא עור בהמה טהורה בלבד.” Shabbos 28a:“We learned: It is not valid for meleches Shamayim except the hide of a kosher animal.” Techeiles, though, comes from a chilazon – some type of snail / sea-creature. Many assume it’s not kosher. So how can its dye be used…
read moreOne of the Melachos for catching the Chilazon is Tzad, as Tosafos in Shabbos 75a writes that it thrashes around when caught. A literal fish can do so, the murex trunculus cannot. Therefore, the murex trunculus cannot be the Chilazon shel Techeiles.
read moreIt appears that Rashi simply wrote that the Chilazon was a tolaas – a worm. Where on earth do we get it being a snail? Even better, show me even one Rishon who writes that Chilazon means a snail. One!
read moreIn Sanhedrin 12 it says זוּג בָּא מֵרֶקֶת, וּתְפָשׂוֹ נֶשֶׁר, וּבְיָדָם דְּבָרִים הַנַּעֲשֶׂה בְּלוּז, וּמַאי נִיהוּ. Techeiles proponents like to use this as proof that Techeiles was lost during Roman times. However, the Gemara isn’t talking about that at all, It’s talking about how Chazal wanted to declare a leap year and were caught in…
read moreOn page 16, Dr. Singer assumes that the “nartik” or malvush of the Midrashim is a shell. Despite the fact that we lack an adequate explanation for these words, there is only the one opinion, that of Rabbi Binyomin Mosufa, that nartik means a shell. All the other Rishonim and Acharonim refer to the chilazon…
read more“…אין לומר שחסרו הראשונים בידיעות המציאות… דבריהם אמת לאמיתה.” English: “We cannot say the Rishonim lacked knowledge of reality. Their words are absolute truth.” 📖 Source: חלזון התכלת במשנת הראשונים, פתיחה R’ Aharon Lifschitz
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