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ונראה לי בס”ד על פי מה שאמר רבינו האר”י ז”ל (בשער מאמרי רשב”י) דהסטרא אחרא יש לה אחיזה יותר בגוון שהוא כמראה תכלת אבל התכלת עצמו שהוא מדם חלזון שאנחנו מניחין בציצית הוא קדושה גדולה ולכן לא היה נוהג אלא בזמן בית המקדש כי הלבן והתכלת הם רומזים לבחינה עליונה עיין שם. ולכן הגוון שדומה למראה התכלת נקרא קלא אילן כי קלא [131] גימטריא ס”מ [סמא־ל=131].
ובזה מדויק המאמר באומרו שֶׁתּוֹלֶה קְלָא־אִילָן בְּבִגְדוֹ וְאוֹמֵר ‘תְּכֵלֶת הוּא’ הכונה בשביל שאמר תכלת הוא נמצא קרא שם תכלת שהוא בקדושה על קלא אילן שהוא סטרא אחרא והרי זה כקורא את הכלב בשם המלך.
English Translation
And regarding one who attaches kela ilan to his garment and says, “It is techeiles,” they ask: What is the great severity of this deception in this mitzvah of tzitzis over other deceits that are done in other mitzvos? For example, one who does not want to forgo the payment for writing the parshiyos of tefillin, so he places a piece of paper in the compartments and says, “It is a mezuzah.” Or one who takes white threads from the marketplace, places them on his garment, and says, “It is tzitzis,” and similar cases?
And it appears to me, b’siyata d’shmaya, based on what our master, the Arizal (in Shaar Maamarei Rashbi) said: The sitra achra has more of a grip on a color that resembles the appearance of techeiles. However, the techeiles itself, which comes from the blood of the chilazon that we place in tzitzis, is of great holiness. And for this reason, it was only practiced in the time of the Beis HaMikdash, for lavan and techeiles allude to lofty levels (see there).
And therefore, the color that resembles the appearance of techeiles is called kela ilan, because kela (קלא) has the gematria of Samech-Mem (סמ”א = 131).
And it is known that the sitra achra desires to imitate holiness, just as a monkey by nature mimics a human. And this is the way of the sitra achra. Therefore, since this person commits deception in this mitzvah by bringing kela ilan, which belongs to the sitra achra, in place of techeiles, which is holiness, he causes the sitra achra to enter in place of kedusha, thus fulfilling what is stated: “A maidservant shall inherit her mistress” (Mishlei 30:23).
For this grants power to the sitra achra to clothe itself in garments of honor, chas v’shalom. And therefore, his sin is greater than other types of deception done in other mitzvos, because this deceit involves kela ilan, which belongs to the Samech-Mem, as kela has the numerical value of Samech-Mem. And therefore, he is punished for this more than for other deceptions in other mitzvos.
And with this, the wording of the statement is precise in saying “one who attaches kela ilan to his garment and says: ‘It is techeiles'”—the intent is that because he says “It is techeiles,” he has essentially called the name techeiles, which is holy, upon kela ilan, which is of the sitra achra. And this is akin to calling a dog by the name of a king.
