Rambam

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I have been wearing tekhelet for about a year now, and I would like to start off by thanking the Ptil Tekhelet Organization for helping to revive this mitzvah. I have a question as to the length of the tekhelet string on the tzitzit. Is it kosher for the tekhelet string (I wear Rambam tekhelet, so there is only 1 string) to be shorter than some of the white strings? If it is not kosher, should the white strings be shortened? Also, I heard that it is only appropriate to bite off strings, not to use scissors or a knife?
I have been wearing tekhelet for about a year now, and I would like to start off by thanking the Ptil Tekhelet Organization for helping to revive this mitzvah. I have a question as to the length of the tekhelet string on the tzitzit. Is it kosher for the tekhelet string (I wear Rambam tekhelet, so there is only 1 string) to be shorter than some of the white strings? If it is not kosher, should the white strings be shortened? Also, I heard that it is only appropriate to bite off strings, not to use scissors or a knife? 150 150 rhecht

1) I am not aware of any white-to-blue relative length considerations. The halacha does talk about minimum lengths of strings of course (i.e., k’dei aniva), but this applies to all strings equally. So, in answer to your question, I do not believe there is any need to shorten your white strings in order to make…

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Do you think it would be possible and within the framework of halacha to tie the tzitzit according to Rambam (similar to the Teimani community), however without using the Yemenite knot, but by using a method similar to the Chabad way of separating the chulyot. I’ve included pics to show you. Thank you for your time and info.
Do you think it would be possible and within the framework of halacha to tie the tzitzit according to Rambam (similar to the Teimani community), however without using the Yemenite knot, but by using a method similar to the Chabad way of separating the chulyot. I’ve included pics to show you. Thank you for your time and info. 150 150 rhecht

Halachically, your method certainly fulfills the d’oraita requirements of kesher elyon and one chulya of 3 winds. As for d’rabannan, however, Rava (Men. 38b) requires a knot on every chulya, and though not everyone paskin’s like Rava, the Rambam does as he explains in Hil. Tzitzit 1:7 – wherein he says to “make a knot”…

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As to the tying method I prefer, the choices are many and I am not sure what to do. What are your thoughts? Are there common traditions? Is it an issue of aesthetics or of religious belief or tradition? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I assume that they are all “kosher” knots depending upon the accepted authority? Which is the oldest known?
As to the tying method I prefer, the choices are many and I am not sure what to do. What are your thoughts? Are there common traditions? Is it an issue of aesthetics or of religious belief or tradition? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I assume that they are all “kosher” knots depending upon the accepted authority? Which is the oldest known? 150 150 rhecht

Concerning the choices, I have been asked this many times and have detailed the options on our site: http://www.tekhelet.net/diagrams/TyingFAQ.htm If you would like a cut to the chase, I recommend Rambam strings tied according to the Rambam method as handed done by the Teimanim. There is an issue of aesthetics as one is supposed to…

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I need some clarification about the Ra’avad method of tying tekhelet. I saw the film put out by Ptil Tekhelet and I also have the diagram that is on the website that you did. They do not seem to agree. In the film, they show double knots between chulyot and the chulyot are not all the same number of winds. In your diagram, there is one single cord knot between chulyot and all the chulyot have seven winds. Also, in your diagram the second chulya is all white (though you mention that some alternate blue and white). The film show them all alternating. Which one represents the Ra’avad method?
I need some clarification about the Ra’avad method of tying tekhelet. I saw the film put out by Ptil Tekhelet and I also have the diagram that is on the website that you did. They do not seem to agree. In the film, they show double knots between chulyot and the chulyot are not all the same number of winds. In your diagram, there is one single cord knot between chulyot and all the chulyot have seven winds. Also, in your diagram the second chulya is all white (though you mention that some alternate blue and white). The film show them all alternating. Which one represents the Ra’avad method? 150 150 rhecht

Raavad 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”…

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Why does everyone wear Rambam if they are Ashkenazi. What is the reason why many Rabbis pasken like Rambam over Tosafot?
Why does everyone wear Rambam if they are Ashkenazi. What is the reason why many Rabbis pasken like Rambam over Tosafot? 150 150 rhecht

First of all I am not sure why you believe “everyone” wears Rambam; according to our sales figures: 25-30% wear Rambam, 70-73% Raavad, and 1-2% Tosafot. (I think Raavad is the strongest seller partly due to the fact that we ship Raavad as our default). Now though you are correct in your assumption that for…

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1) Is the Rambam with or without a double knot at the top? 2) Is it true that we have archaeological evidence that the halacha for the number of strings follows Tosafos?
1) Is the Rambam with or without a double knot at the top? 2) Is it true that we have archaeological evidence that the halacha for the number of strings follows Tosafos? 150 150 rhecht

1) The Rambam himself does not speak of any double knot – nor does anyone from his time or earlier. The double knot was introduced by the Tosafot. They reasoned that a knot should be a knot that is forbidden on Shabbat. However this is not the opinion of other poskim. When the Gemara talked…

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When using a Rambam string which is part blue and part white, how should I align the color change in the talit hole? From the pictures on your site, it seems that you had the part where it changes from white to blue (speckled) going into the hole and full blue coming out. Is this correct?
When using a Rambam string which is part blue and part white, how should I align the color change in the talit hole? From the pictures on your site, it seems that you had the part where it changes from white to blue (speckled) going into the hole and full blue coming out. Is this correct? 150 150 rhecht

Correct. When using the Rambam string set (regardless of which method you choose to tie) the shamash string should be placed in the hole such that one side of the begged has tekhelet and the other side has white. This is of course in the ideal, however due to the way the 8 strands of…

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One of the strings on my tzitzit tore and It was the white end of my techelet string (I wear Rambam techelet). I was wondering if I could tie that string together with another string and apply glue to the knot to make a longer sting?
One of the strings on my tzitzit tore and It was the white end of my techelet string (I wear Rambam techelet). I was wondering if I could tie that string together with another string and apply glue to the knot to make a longer sting? 150 150 rhecht

The Mishna Berura (12:1:7) discusses a similar case and says that if one has a kosher string (i.e., only one side being too short), you can tie on the extra strand to make the full length. First of all, lets be clear on terminology: the tzitzit are made of 4 full strands that are folded…

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What is the Ari”zal’s source for tying techelet?
What is the Ari”zal’s source for tying techelet? 150 150 rhecht

In Pri Etz Hayim, Shaar Hatzitzit, Ch. 4 (pp. 58-59). He explains that in the time of the Mikdash they had 7 white and 1 tekhelet on each corner. He says that from a kabbalistic perspective tekhelet represents malchut and thus we would really only need one string on one corner – i.e., 31 strings…

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In your guide (https://www.tekhelet.net/guide.htm) it says “The Yemenites have a tradition (even with white tsitsit) of tying a special knot that is the chulya” – in the diagram that is given there, it looks to me to be the same as what you have in your video for the Rambam tying the middle chuliot (https://www.tekhelet.net/diagrams/video/Rambam2.MPG). So I am trying to understand if the Yemenite chuliot are different from the Rambam or not.
In your guide (https://www.tekhelet.net/guide.htm) it says “The Yemenites have a tradition (even with white tsitsit) of tying a special knot that is the chulya” – in the diagram that is given there, it looks to me to be the same as what you have in your video for the Rambam tying the middle chuliot (https://www.tekhelet.net/diagrams/video/Rambam2.MPG). So I am trying to understand if the Yemenite chuliot are different from the Rambam or not. 150 150 rhecht

The Rambam describes his method in his Mishnah Torah (Hilchot Tzitzit 1:7-8), wherein there is room for interpretation, and that is what the Yeminites have done – preserved an interpretation of the Rambam’s method. In Hil. Tzitzit 1:9 the Rambam explains that his custom is to tie according the method described for tekhelet even when no tekhelet…

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