String Ratios Discussed:
Bottom Line
This 2001 exchange is valuable because R’ Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer explains not only that he wore Techeiles, but why he deliberately kept it mostly out of public view.
He wore two blue strings on his tallis katan, tied according to the Radzyner method, while continuing to use ordinary white strings on his tallis gadol. His reason was not that he thought the tallis gadol required different halacha, but that he did not want his Techeiles to become a public “statement.” If his tallis katan would normally be visible, he says he would tuck the tzitzis inside for the same reason.
More importantly, Bechhofer defines how he viewed the status of modern Techeiles at the time. Because the traditional practice had overwhelmingly been to wear only white and the renewed case for Techeiles rested on newly assembled evidence, he classified wearing it as a safek and therefore, practically, a chumra or hiddur. He compares it to yashan: evidence may point toward greater stringency, but established communal practice still carries weight. Techeiles was easier for him to adopt because it affected only himself and imposed no burden on anyone else.
Bottom line: Bechhofer’s private tallis-katan practice was a deliberate compromise between evidence and mesorah. He thought the Murex case was strong enough to act on personally, but not strong enough to turn his practice into a public declaration or to treat non-wearers as failing an obligation. In 2001, he was treating restored Techeiles as a serious safek worth observing — but still as a hiddur, not yet as settled halacha.
Main Text
Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2001 21:36:45 -0400
From: “Yosef Gavriel and Shoshanah M. Bechhofer” <sbechhof@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>
Subject: Techeles
There is an expert on the list who has a wonderful essay that resides in an early version on my hard drive on the topic, Rabbi Chaim Twerski. If he grants permission, I would be happy to post it here.
[He did. However, you can find that essay on the web already, at http://www.tekhelet.com/pdf/tw01.pdf. Response to the article from R’ Aaron Goldstein along with further emails from both RCT and RAS is available at http://www.aishdas.org/articles/itc_mail.htm. -mi]
For the sake of informational purposes only, I note that I wear Techeles, two blue strings tied like the Radhzyner, on my tallis kotton, but “regular” white strings on my tallis gadol (that’s both weekday and Shabos TG).
Kol Tuv,
YGB
ygb@aishdas.org
http://www.aishdas.org/rygb
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 10:35:43 EDT
From: Joelirich@aol.com
Subject: Re: Techeles
In a message dated Mon, 22 Oct 2001 10:30:54am EDT, “R’ Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer” <sbechhof@casbah.acns.nwu.edu> writes:
For the sake of informational purposes only, I note that I wear Techeles, two blue strings tied like the Radhzyner, on my tallis kotton, but “regular” white strings on my tallis gadol (that’s both weekday and Shabos TG).
What was your reasoning for differentiating between Talis katan and gadol (pshara?)
KT
Joel RIch
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 16:08:44 -0400
From: “Yosef Gavriel and Shoshanah M. Bechhofer” <sbechhof@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>
Subject: Re: Techeles
At 10:35 AM 10/22/01 -0400, Joelirich@aol.com wrote:
What was your reasoning for differentiating between Talis katan and gadol (pshara?)
Why make statements?
Kol Tuv,
YGB
ygb@aishdas.org
http://www.aishdas.org/rygb
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 16:28:22 -0400
From: Micha Berger <micha@aishdas.org>
Subject: Re: Techeles
At 10:35 AM 10/22/01 -0400, Joelirich@aol.com wrote:
What was your reasoning for differentiating between Talis katan and gadol (pshara?)
On Mon, Oct 22, 2001 at 04:08:44PM -0400, RYGB wrote:
Why make statements?
Since every time I’ve seen you, the tzitzis on your tallis qatan were worn outside, I’m not sure how that’s less of a statement.
In any case, are you arguing that techeiles today is a hiddur, a safeiq, or something else? Is this a question of not being chayav enough to warrant perishah min hatzibur?
Please elaborate.
-mi
—
Micha Berger For a mitzvah is a lamp,
micha@aishdas.org And the Torah, its light.
http://www.aishdas.org – based on Mishlei 6:2
Fax: (413) 403-9905
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 05:16:45 -0400
From: “Yosef Gavriel and Shoshanah M. Bechhofer” <sbechhof@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>
Subject: Re: Techeles
At 04:28 PM 10/22/01 -0400, Micha Berger wrote:
Since every time I’ve seen you, the tzitzis on your tallis qatan were worn outside, I’m not sure how that’s less of a statement.
Most people do not see my TK since I normally wear a suit jacket in public. Were I to generally remove it in public, I would wear my tzitzis inside.
In any case, are you arguing that techeiles today is a hiddur, a safeiq, or something else? Is this a question of not being chayav enough to warrant perishah min hatzibur?
I believe the precedent for my hanhogo is the Ba’al ha’Tanya, who, IIRC, ruled that those who follow his psak should have two-holed TK’s but still maintain the one-holed TG.
Techeles can certainly be no more than a safek regardless, and would therefore, under present circumstances, be tantamount to a hiddur at best and therefore your last question can be answered quite simply “yes”.
[In a 2nd email… -mi]
To expand on an earlier response to Micha, I think the wearing of techeles and the keeping of yashan are similar (albeit one is a lav and one is an aseh, and other variations – I am painting broad brushstrokes).
I.e., in both cases there was an overwhelming mesorah one way and recently trends – based on evidence – have risen to the contrary.
I therefore classify both as chumros or hiddurim.
I wear techeles because it has no ripple effect – keeping yashan would require me to compel a lot of people who come into contact with me to go to greater extents of hassle. Techeles only concerns me, myself, and I.
Kol Tuv,
YGB
ygb@aishdas.org
http://www.aishdas.org/rygb
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 17:10:59 +0200
From: “Carl M. Sherer” <cmsherer@ssgslaw.co.il>
Subject: Re: Techeles
On 23 Oct 2001, at 5:16, Yosef Gavriel and Shoshanah M wrote:
Since every time I’ve seen you, the tzitzis on your tallis qatan were worn outside, I’m not sure how that’s less of a statement.
Most people do not see my TK since I normally wear a suit jacket in public. Were I to generally remove it in public, I would wear my tzitzis inside.
Why would you wear your tzitzis inside if you removed your jacket? If you were not “bein ha’goyim” (MB 8:15), would you wear them out?
— Carl
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 15:55:55 -0400
From: “Yosef Gavriel and Shoshanah M. Bechhofer” <sbechhof@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>
Subject: Re: Techeles
At 05:10 PM 10/23/01 +0200, Carl M. Sherer wrote:
Why would you wear your tzitzis inside if you removed your jacket? If you were not “bein ha’goyim” (MB 8:15), would you wear them out?
In order to avoid statements (see previous posts).
Kol Tuv,
YGB
ygb@aishdas.org
http://www.aishdas.org/rygb