Debate Responses
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Halacha encourages rediscovering lost mitzvos, especially biblical ones. Like shofar, mezuzah, and other mitzvos, Tekheiles can and should be revived when evidence emerges.
Source: “Threads of Reason,” pp. 11–12
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In a letter to R’ Eli Mansour concerning his comment that a Techeiles wearer is showing disrespect to the Gedolim who haven’t worn it yet, Rabbi Mois Navon explains that the centuries-long absence of Techeiles was not a minhag but the result of exile and persecution, much like Jews barred from performing brit mila would not be considered to have a “tradition” to omit it. Restoring Techeiles, he argues, is a way of honoring our ancestors by completing the mitzvah they preserved in part but could not fully perform. He further notes that halachic debate on this issue is genuine and principled, with respected poskim openly or privately supporting Techeiles, making its observance neither arrogant nor dismissive. Most importantly, Techeiles is a Torah commandment, not an optional enhancement, and no mitzvah is meant to wait for Mashiach’s arrival; rather, our commitment to fulfilling it brings that redemption closer.
