What you need to do is take the 4 strings for one corner (2 regular length white, 1 long white and 1 long blue) and line up one side so that when you hold them between your thumb and index finger the four lengths are equal (approximately). Then you will notice that the four ends…
read moreThere is actually nothing halachically “unkosher” about using Raavad strings with the Radzyner tying method. Many view the two issues as independent, that is, the determination of how many strings of blue to use is based on certain considerations versus the determination of how to tie being based on other factors. Of course, there are…
read moreThe Chinuch’s words are most sparing and thus leave quite a lot of room for interpretation. Your argument (that the Chinuch is not as we currently explain) is based on the Gemara (Men. 38b) in which Rava says to knot every chulya – likshor al kol chulya v’chulya. The fact is that the Gemara is…
read moreRaavad Knots: In the film (tying video), we show the Raavad being tied with double knots purely out of convenience and we do mention there (if I’m not mistaken) that the knot described by the Raavad is a two-cord twist (like I show in my diagram). Using a double knot is by all means “kosher”…
read moreI would say that if you are inclined to follow the Ravad method in terms of ratio (1 full blue string per corner) then I would advise you tie like the Vilna Gaon, as he too holds that one should use 1 full blue string per corner. As for the oldest methods, it appears that…
read moreThe idea of “minimum 7 and maximum 13” applies specifically to chulyot – as stated by Rebbi (Men. 39a). According to the Raavad (see https://www.tekhelet.com/diagrams/RaavadTyingSource.htm), the statement of Rebbi refers to the wraps of the chulyot (as opposed to most Rishonim who understand Rebbi to mean the number of chulyot which are each three wraps).…
read moreOn the one hand you are correct that the Rosh likes even windings. On the other hand the 3 wrap requirement per chulya is NOT a minimum but a strict definition (Rebbi in Men. 39a). The reason that you see so many more windings per knot in white tying is because there is no issue…
read moreThe Raavad holds (as opposed to all other Rishonim) that when Rebbi said 3 he was talking chulyot and when he said between 7 and 13, he was talking wraps in the chulyot. And because he wants to keep the five knots so he ends up having an extra “spacer” chulya. Based on this understanding it seems to…
read moreI am aware of this problem with the Raavad’s sheeta. The first problem is that you must have a gdil of 4 thumbreadths which according to the minimal opinion comes out to be 8 cm. In order to handle this problem, you could use THICK strings. The other possibility is to use double knots instead of the Raavad knots.…
read moreThe machloket is really: Raavad (7 wraps) v. Everyone else (3 wraps). I believe that if one want to be “yotzei” the view of the Raavad, he should wear another begged tied according to the Raavad. But if this is too cumbersome and one wanted to integrate the sheeta of the Rambam along with the sheeta of…
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