String Ratios Discussed:
Bottom Line
This 1998 exchange shows that even among early adopters, there was no settled practice as to whether Techeiles belonged primarily on the tallis gadol or the tallis katan.
Several possible explanations are floated. A tallis gadol made of wool may have been seen as the stronger de’oraisa setting, while a cotton tallis katan could be treated as a more limited obligation. On the other hand, tadir might favor the tallis katan, while hiddur might favor the tallis gadol. Cost may also have been a practical factor.
What is striking is that nobody in the thread produces a clear source establishing one garment as preferable. The split practice therefore seems to reflect experimentation rather than a developed halachic consensus.
Bottom line: in the early period of renewed Techeiles, even people who accepted the practice were still working out where and how to incorporate it into ordinary tzitzis use. Tallis gadol versus tallis katan was not yet governed by a clear accepted rule, and practical considerations appear to have played nearly as much of a role as halachic theory.
Main Text
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 10:42:57 -0500
From: “Steve. Katz” <katzco@sprintmail.com>
Subject: T’cheles Revisited
I know a number of gentlemen who wear t’cheles on their talis gadol and not on their talis katan.
I also know a number of gentlemen who wear t’cheles on the talis katan and not on their talis gadol.
Who has a good teretz?
steve katzco@sprintmail.com
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 17:00:56 -0400
From: richard_wolpoe@ibi.com
Subject: Re: T’cheles Revisited
I once heard something like this:
That some people (based on a Gro I believe) davka wear cotton arba confos as if to go out of their way to be meakyem the wool (mid’oreiso) in their Talis Gadol and do miderabbon on their Talis Koton…. therefore, perhaps, the techiles people are choshesh to be yotsei yedei shneihem.
Also, perhaps it is not economically feasible to do both.
Rich Wolpoe
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 16:13:37 -0400
From: “Pechman, Abraham” <APechman@mwellp.com>
Subject: RE: T’cheles Revisited
Even if it’s not cost effective to do both (btw, how much do tcheyles tzisis cost?), shouldn’t there be a logic to put them on either the tallis koton (todir?) or the tallis gadol (hidur?), but not to leave it up to an individual’s own predilection?
Avi Pechman
I once heard something like this:
That some people (based on a Gro I believe) davka wear cotton arba confos as if to go out of their way to be meakyem the wool (mid’oreiso) in their Talis Gadol and do miderabbon on their Talis Koton…. therefore, perhaps, the techiles people are choshesh to be yotsei yedei shneihem.
Also, perhaps it is not economically feasible to do both.
Rich Wolpoe
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 17:30:50 -0400
From: richard_wolpoe@ibi.com
Subject: Re[2]: T’cheles Revisited
I heard that the Talito with Techiles are quite expensive….
Also Talit/Talitot sounds nekeivo t ome so why Talis Gadol and Katon and not Gedolo and Ketano?
Rich Wolpoe
Even if it’s not cost effective to do both (btw, how much do tcheyles tzisis cost?), shouldn’t there be a logic to put them on either the tallis koton (todir?) or the tallis gadol (hidur?), but not to leave it up to an individual’s own predilection?
Avi Pechman
