Shonah Halachos – Chazon Ish on Wearing Tzitzis

By R’ Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievski

Siman 24 — The Conduct of Wearing Tzitzis, and Its Reward and Punishment

1. If a person does not wear a tallis that has four corners, he is not chayav in tzitzis. Still, it is good and proper for every person to be careful to wear a tallis katan the whole day, so that he should remember the mitzvah every moment. (Se’if 1; and see above Siman 8, Din 1.)

2. It is proper to wear the tallis katan over one’s clothing. In the writings, however, it says to wear it under his clothing. In any case, the tzitzis should be outside. (Se’if 1 and se’if katan 2; and see above Siman 8, Din 32.)

3. It is proper to wear the tallis katan over one’s clothing. In the writings, however, it says to wear it under his clothing, but the tzitzis should be outside. (Se’if 1 and se’if katan 2; and see above Siman 8, Din 32.)

3. At the very least, every person should be careful to be wearing tzitzis during Krias Shema and tefillah. One who says Krias Shema without tzitzis is testifying falsely about himself. Therefore, the common people who daven on the road without a tallis gadol are not doing properly, since in most cases their tallis katan is not made according to halachah, and they also sleep in it at night, so they cannot make a berachah on it. (Se’if 1 and se’if katan 3.)

4. It is good to look at the tzitzis at the time of wrapping, when he makes the berachah. He should look at the two tzitzis in front of him, which have ten knots, as a remez to the Sefiros, which are tied and unified with one another. Also, the sixteen strings and ten knots together equal twenty-six, corresponding to the Shem Havayah. It is a nice minhag to look at the tzitzis when he reaches the words “U’re’isem oso” — “and you shall see it.” (Se’ifim 3, 4, 5 and se’if katan 8.)

5. Some have the minhag to kiss the tzitzis when they look at them. (Se’if 4.)

6. It is a mitzvah to hold the tzitzis in the left hand, between the ring finger and the small finger, opposite his heart, during Krias Shema. When he reaches Parshas Tzitzis, he should also take them in his right hand and look at them. They should remain in his hand until he reaches “Ne’emanim v’nechemadim la’ad”, and then he should kiss the tzitzis and remove them from his hand. (Se’if 2 and se’if katan 4.)

7. It is a nice minhag to pass the tzitzis over his eyes when he reaches “U’re’isem oso.” Whoever passes the tzitzis over his eyes when reading Parshas Tzitzis is guaranteed that he will not come to blindness of the eyes. (Se’if 4 and se’if katan 7.)

8. A blind person should hold the tzitzis in his hand during Krias Shema, but should not pass them over his eyes. (Ibid.)

9. It is a mitzvah to make a nice tallis and nice tzitzis. So too, all mitzvos should be done with hiddur, as much as possible. (Se’if katan 9.) Regarding making tzitzis or a tallis from an esnan (money/item that came from znus payment) or mechir (money/item received by trading away a dog), see Siman 153, Din 21, and see above Siman 147, Din 13; Siman 153, Din 20; and Siman 262, Din 4.

10. It is forbidden to embroider pesukim from the Torah on a tallis. Even on cloths, one should not embroider divrei Torah on them. However, if it was already embroidered, one may make a berachah on the tallis. (Ibid.; and see above Siman 40, Din 4.)

11. Great is the punishment of one who is mevatel the mitzvah of tzitzis. About him it says, “To grasp the corners of the earth,” etc. This mitzvah saves a person from sin more than all other mitzvos. Whoever is careful with the mitzvah of tzitzis merits and sees the face of the Shechinah. (Se’if 6 and se’if katan 5; and see above Siman 8, Din 33.)