Smag Aseh (Positive Mitzvah) 26

Absolutely — here is a more toned-down, Yeshivish-lite normal English version, still fairly literal and close to the original, but easier to read. It is based on your pasted text

The verse says: “Gedilim ta’aseh lecha al arba kanfos kesusecha asher techaseh bah” in Parshas Ki Seitzei, and in Parshas Shelach it says, “Ve’asu lahem tzitzis al kanfei vigdeihem ledorosam.”

It is taught in the Sifri, and brought in Perek HaTecheiles (Menachos 42), that tzitzis has no maximum size, but it does have a minimum size. What is that minimum? Rav Pappa says there (Menachos 41) that the halachah is: four strings placed within three fingerbreadths of the corner, positioned properly.

That means: four strings are put into the corner within three etzba’os. Two are white and two are techeiles, or three are white and one is techeiles, as the pasuk says, “Venosnu al tzitzis hakanaf pesil techeiles.” He then folds them over into eight ends, and the winding string counts as one of the strings. He makes knots and wraps them until there are four etzba’os of twisted section, and all these etzba’os are measured by the width of the thumb.

So the full length of the tzitzis comes out to twelve etzba’os, because the Gemara says there that the mitzvah of techeiles is one-third gedil and two-thirds anaf. The anaf means the hanging, separated strings, like the locks of hair on a person’s head, and that is why it is called tzitzis, as in the pasuk, “Vayikacheini betzitzis roshi.”

Before he begins tying and winding, he should cut the tops of the strings if they are still connected, as it says in Sukkah 11: if he hung them on but did not cut the ends, it is pasul. Because if he only cuts them after the tying and winding, then it comes out that the tzitzis was made in a pasul way, and afterward it looks like it “made itself,” which is pasul משום ta’aseh v’lo min he’asuy. It is best to cut them even before hanging them on at all. If he made the tzitzis longer than this minimum size, even one or two amos long, it is still kosher.

The Sifri also teaches: maybe one would think the entire thing should be loose hanging strings — therefore the Torah says gedilim, meaning something twisted together. But if it says gedilim, maybe the entire thing should be twisted — therefore the Torah says tzitzis. So how does it work? There must be a gedil coming out from the corner, and then tzitzis coming out from that gedil. The Gemara in Menachos says that techeiles whose רוב is wound and whose minority is hanging is kosher, and the ideal beauty of techeiles is one-third gedil and two-thirds hanging strings, like we explained.

It is also taught in the Sifri: “Pesil techeiles” means spun and twisted, like a wick. I only know that about techeiles; how do I know the white strings too? The Torah says to give techeiles and to give white. Just as techeiles must be spun and twisted, so too the white must be spun and twisted.

Someone putting tzitzis on a garment should not place it more than three etzba’os above the corner, because then it is no longer called the corner. He also should not place it lower than the width of a thumb-knot, as the Gemara says in Menachos 42, because the Torah says “al hakanaf.” If it were literally on the very edge, then it would be considered under the corner rather than on it.

He also should not place it right on the hem of the garment, where people double over the material to strengthen it, called in old French lיישיר״א, because the pasuk says “al kanfei vigdeihem,” and that folded hem is not considered the main garment itself. The Gemara there says that if he placed it on the hem or on the actual edge, Rabbi Eliezer b’Rabbi Yaakov posels in both cases.

If someone originally placed it the proper distance from the edge, and afterward threads of the fabric beneath it unraveled and fell away so that now the required space is no longer there, Ravina ruled that we are not concerned, since at the time it was attached, it was attached properly.

After putting in the four strings, one ties two knots, one on top of the other, because less than that is not called a real knot. The proof is from Shabbos 74, where the Gemara discusses sewing two stitches and asks how that can be considered a melachah if it will not last. Rabbi Yochanan answers: it is talking about where he tied them. And that discussion is speaking about one knot, because if it meant two knots, then even without the melachah of sewing, there would already be the melachah of tying. So we see that for Shabbos, for tzitzis, and for kilayim, a full knot is only considered such when it is two knots one on top of the other.

Rava says that the upper knot is מן התורה — meaning at least one knot in tzitzis is required by Torah law. The last knot near the hanging strings is called the “upper knot,” because when a person holds his tzitzis in his hand, that knot is the one uppermost. Someone who makes only one knot should make it at the end of the gedil, because that preserves the whole twisted section. So Rashi explains.

Because if you would say that no knot at all is required מן התורה, and all you need is winding without tying, then why did the Torah have to permit kilayim for tzitzis? הרי the Torah juxtaposes “Lo tilbash shaatnez” with “Gedilim ta’aseh lecha,” teaching that one may make tzitzis even out of wool and linen together — for example, wool strings on a linen garment or the reverse. But if there were no actual knot, then one stitch alone is not a halachic connection anyway, so there would have been no need for a special heter.

The minhag of the world is to make five knots, and between each knot there is spacing of about a thumb-width, with the total gedil amounting to four etzba’os. After making the first knot, one takes a white string and wraps it around the others. He repeats this three times, and a set of three wrappings is called a chulyah. Then he takes a techeiles string and makes another chulyah, and then white again. He starts with white because it is min kanaf, and he finishes with white because ma’alin bakodesh v’ein moridin.

The Gemara says that one should not make fewer than seven chulyos, corresponding to the seven heavens, and not more than thirteen — seven corresponding to the heavens, and six corresponding to the spaces between them.

I received from my rabbeim בשם ר”י that this was specifically when techeiles was available, because then they would make the techeiles chulyos corresponding to the sky, which techeiles resembles, and the white ones corresponding to the air between them. But now, since we do not have techeiles, there is no need to be particular about the number of chulyos. Rather, one should wrap until the total of the knots and wrapping comes to four etzba’os of gedil. And כך נוהגים all our rabbeim.

The techeiles spoken about everywhere is wool dyed with the blood of the chilazon, a sea creature whose appearance resembles the sea, whose blood is black like ink, and which is found in the Yam HaMelach. They put its blood into a pot with various dye materials, as dyers do, boil it up, and put the wool into it, and it takes on a color similar to the sea.

The Gemara in Yevamos says that shesh means linen, and techeiles means wool. Menachos 42 says that the tzitzis strings must be spun lishmah, for the sake of the mitzvah of tzitzis, and the dyeing of the techeiles also must be done lishmah.

Techeiles does not hold back the white, and white does not hold back techeiles. So if someone does not have techeiles, he makes all the strings white. The Gemara also says that if the white was cut off and only the techeiles remained, or the techeiles was cut off and only the white remained, it is still kosher. From there it is clear that geradumin — leftover string remnants — can still be kosher, provided enough remains to tie around the other strings, or perhaps even around just one of them; the Gemara is unsure about that point. But if the string was cut right near the corner itself, it is pasul.

We do not require that the remaining piece in the actual hanging strand be enough to tie, because if enough remains in the gedil to tie, that is enough.

This is also proven in Perek HaTecheiles regarding the question whether one must tie at every chulyah. Because if there were only one knot at the end of the gedil, then how could the Gemara say that geradumei techeiles are kosher? If the gedil got cut, the knot would be gone and the whole thing would fall apart. So it is clear that even within the gedil itself, certain cut remnants can still be kosher. So too the Sifri says, regarding the size of the gedil: this minimum is only at the beginning, but at the end, leftover remnants of any amount can still count. That implies that even within the body of the gedil, remnants can still be kosher. כך קיבלתי בשם Rabbeinu Yitzchak.

I also heard בשם Rabbeinu Yitzchak that nowadays, if three strings of our tzitzis get cut, even if enough remains to tie, they are pasul. Because remnants are only kosher when one full type remains intact, which is considered significant — as when either the white remains or the techeiles remains. But now, since we do not have techeiles, nothing significant remains unless at least half the strings remain whole. And when three strings are cut, אולי the majority has been cut.

Even though there are two commands in this mitzvah — one, that there should be a hanging branch-like strand coming from the corner, and two, that a thread of techeiles should be wound onto it, as it says “Ve’asu lahem tzitzis” and “Venosnu al tzitzis hakanaf pesil techeiles” — still, it is all considered one mitzvas aseh, as it says “Vehayah lachem letzitzis,” teaching that both parts are one mitzvah. The Mishnah in Menachos also says that the four tzitzis on the four corners hold back each other, teaching that all four together are one mitzvah.

Rava asks in Menachos: the pasuk says hakanaf, meaning the strings should be of the same type as the garment — so if one has a silk garment, maybe he should make silk tzitzis. But another pasuk says “tzemer u’pishtim yachdav,” and right next to it says “Gedilim ta’aseh lecha,” from which we learn wool and linen. So how does it work? Wool and linen exempt whether in their own kind or not their own kind; other materials only exempt in their own kind.

Even though Rav Nachman argues there and says that מן התורה only wool and linen garments are obligated in tzitzis, and he darshens “Gedilim ta’aseh lecha” specifically on those, still the halachah follows Rava, because he is the later authority.

It is taught: “Al arba kanfos kesusecha” — four, not three. Maybe four and not five? The pasuk says “Asher techaseh bah,” which includes even garments of three or five corners. It makes sense to include a five-cornered garment, because within five there are four. And although there is a beraisa in Zevachim that exempts a five-cornered garment, the beraisa that obligates it is the main one, because the Gemara in Menachos seems to hold that way when it says that if someone cut one of the four corners of his garment in order to exempt it from tzitzis, he accomplished nothing, because he simply made it into a five-cornered garment, which is still chayav in tzitzis.

Someone who has a five-cornered or six-cornered garment only places tzitzis on the four corners furthest from each other, as the pasuk says, “al arba kanfos kesusecha.”

The Gemara in Menachos says that a garment that a child can cover his head and most of his body with, and that an adult sometimes goes out wearing casually, is chayav in tzitzis. If the child cannot cover his head and most of his body with it, even though an adult sometimes wears it, it is patur. Rabbeinu Moshe explains that this means a child who can go out in the marketplace wearing it on his own and does not need someone else to watch him.

It is also taught in Sukkah that a child who knows how to wrap himself properly is obligated in tzitzis.

The Gemara teaches that regarding a linen sheet with tzitzis, Beis Shammai exempt and Beis Hillel obligate. Rabbi Yonasan says: if so, why did they prohibit putting techeiles and tzitzis in a sheet? Because of kala ilan, a dye that resembles techeiles. A person might use wool dyed with kala ilan together with white wool strings and think he has proper techeiles, when really it is kilayim not in the place of a mitzvah.

The Gemara asks: let it be no worse than plain white strings. What is the concern if he puts white wool together with colored wool strings in a linen sheet? The Gemara answers: since there is no real techeiles there, which is the main part of the mitzvah, there is no permission to use wool white strings in a linen sheet, because one can fulfill the white strings with linen strings instead. And whenever you have an aseh and a lo sa’aseh, if both can be fulfilled together, that is better; only if not does the aseh override the lo sa’aseh.

The Gemara gives another reason: kesus laylah, a nighttime garment, and that reason is the main one, because the Stam Gemara uses that reason in Shabbos.

From here one can also learn that if someone puts colored tzitzis on a white garment, there is no concern. Because the Gemara asks, “Let it be no worse than white,” meaning color itself is not the issue. And Menachos 35 says, “Midi tzeva garim?” Does color matter? The pasuk says min kanaf, not min tzeva kanaf. Rabbeinu Shlomo, who explained that a garment is only exempted by strings of its exact color, was not precise there.

The Seder Rav Amram paskens like Beis Shammai, that they exempt. Rabbeinu Yaakov explains that this means a sheet is entirely exempt from tzitzis, even linen tzitzis, because the language says “they exempt,” not merely “they prohibit.” The reason is that we make a gezeirah on linen tzitzis because of techeiles tzitzis, and techeiles tzitzis was itself prohibited because of the concern of kesus laylah — meaning, a sheet designated only for nighttime, which is exempt from tzitzis, because “U’re’isem oso” excludes a nighttime garment. If someone were to put techeiles into such a garment, it would come out kilayim שלא במקום מצוה.

So too the Gemara in Shabbos says that the תלמידים held back from putting tzitzis on a sheet because of the gezeirah of kesus laylah.

In Menachos 41, an angel found Rav Ketina wearing a sheet without tzitzis and said to him: “Ketina, Ketina — a sheet in the summer, a coat in the winter — what will be with tzitzis?” Rav Ketina answered: “Do they punish a person for not doing an aseh?” The angel answered: “At a time of anger, they do punish.”

Rabbeinu Yitzchak explains that in those days, everyone commonly wore four-cornered garments even not for the mitzvah, so they were more deserving of punishment for ignoring tzitzis. But nowadays, nobody normally wears such garments unless it is specifically for the mitzvah.

He also explains that this is a special kind of aseh, where a person only becomes obligated when he chooses to wear a four-cornered garment. Even according to the opinion that tzitzis is a chovas gavra, once the Torah obligated him when he wears such a garment, did the Torah obligate him to go wear one in the first place? But for other asehs, it is obvious that punishment applies — even Beis Din below can compel him, as it says in Kesubos: if they tell him to make a sukkah and he refuses, they beat him until he complies.

Rabbeinu Shlomo explained that sugya differently, but our rabbeim considered this explanation the main one.

Rabbeinu Yitzchak further explained that Beis Shammai did not say “they prohibit,” because they held that klei kupsa are obligated in tzitzis, and there there would be no issue of issur since the person is not wearing them. But this does not seem right, because Seder Rav Amram rules like Beis Shammai in six matters and this is one of them, while we hold that tzitzis is a chovas gavra, as seen from the berachah lehis’atef b’tzitzis.

Still, as we said above, even according to the one who says tzitzis is a chovas gavra, a person is not obligated to go buy a four-cornered garment in order to become obligated. He is only obligated once he wears one. We, however, who are noheg to encourage people to buy a tallis in order to become obligated, have a basis from what Chazal say in Sotah: when Moshe Rabbeinu said, “E’ebra na ve’er’eh es ha’aretz hatovah…,” was he craving the fruits of Eretz Yisrael? Rather, he said: many mitzvos can only be kept in Eretz Yisrael; let me enter the land so those mitzvos can be fulfilled through me.

Rabbeinu Yitzchak rules that women are patur from tzitzis, like the plain beraisa in Kiddushin, because it is a mitzvas aseh shehazman gerama, since a nighttime garment is excluded from “U’re’isem oso.” Women are likewise patur from tefillin, since tefillin also depends on time — weekdays, not Shabbos. One cannot prove from matzah that women should be obligated, because matzah, simchah, and hakhel are three separate verses and therefore cannot be used to teach elsewhere.

A blind person, however, is chayav in tzitzis, even though he himself cannot see, because others can see him.

Rabbeinu Yaakov says that women do make a berachah on mitzvos aseh shehazman gerama, and his proofs are explained elsewhere regarding shofar. I also heard that Rabbeinu Yitzchak bar Rabbi Avraham ruled that one may make a berachah on tzitzis on the night of Yom Kippur, because he held that the Yerushalmi shows that a day garment is obligated even at night, and certainly a garment meant for both day and night is obligated, while a garment made specifically for night is patur even during the day.

The Gemara concludes in Menachos that for any mitzvah whose making is not the completion of the mitzvah — such as tzitzis — one does not make the berachah at the time of making, because the end of the mitzvah is when one wears it. The same applies to sukkah and tefillin. The Gemara also concludes that every time a person wraps himself in tzitzis, he makes the berachah.

A person may enter a bathroom wearing tzitzis. If his tzitzis became torn off, one may throw them away, because they are tashmishei mitzvah, not tashmishei kedushah.

In Menachos 42 it says that tzitzis made by a non-Jew are pasul, as the pasuk says, “Daber el Bnei Yisrael… ve’asu lahem tzitzis.” Rabbeinu Yitzchak is medayek from the fact that women are not excluded, that women may make tzitzis. So too my teacher Rabbeinu Yehudah instructed his wife to make tzitzis. And in Bava Basra it says that in the sea there is a hidden chest for the wife of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, into which techeiles is stored for tzaddikim לעתיד לבוא.

It is taught that if someone brought a corner of a garment that already had tzitzis attached and sewed that corner onto a garment, even if that corner was a full amah by an amah, it is pasul, because the Torah says “Ve’asu lahem tzitzis” — and not something already made. But the Gemara in Shabbos concludes that it is permitted to remove tzitzis from one garment and place them onto another, whether white or techeiles, like Shmuel, and that is how Rabbah practiced.

In Chullin it says that a borrowed garment is exempt from tzitzis for the first thirty days. My teacher wrote that Rabbeinu Yitzchak was unsure whether one may make a berachah on it. One who makes a berachah has what to rely on, and one who is lenient not to make it has not lost.

I regularly darshen in public in this way: there are three things that Hashem wanted to remind us of through the mitzvah of tzitzis — the Master of the world, the miracles of the Yam Suf, and the number of the mitzvos. Since techeiles resembles the sea, it reminds us of the Yam Suf. The sea resembles the sky, the sky resembles sapphire, and sapphire resembles the Kisei HaKavod, as the pasuk says, “Kemareh even sapir demus kisei.” As for the number of the mitzvos: the word tzitzis, spelled without the final yud, adds up in gematria to six hundred minus ten. And there are three times in Tanach where tzitzis is written missing the final yud, and the Midrash learns from “Vehayah lachem letzitzis” to complete the three yudin; together with the eight strings and five knots, this gives 613 mitzvos.

These three ideas are all included in the phrase “U’re’isem oso u’zechartem es kol mitzvos Hashem… Ani Hashem Elokeichem asher hotzeisi eschem me’eretz Mitzrayim.” Since the Torah weighed and attached all the mitzvos to this one mitzvah, a person should be very careful with it. And the Torah says “Ani Hashem Elokeichem” twice regarding it.

And not only in shul, but even in the marketplace and in the streets, where a person needs more warning not to stray after his heart and eyes. There was once a person who came to the point of sin, and at the moment of the aveirah he saw his four tzitzis, remembered, and held himself back — as told in Perek HaTecheiles.