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P r e c r p t ~ sad Cllstonzs - No. 5

TZITZITH
;\ Brief 'L'reatise 011 the

Sigtiificance of this Mitzvah

BY

RABBI JACOB IMMANUEL SCHOCHET

INTRODUCTION

Said Rabbi Shzmolt bar l'ochai: " W h e n a person

rises zn t h e nzorning 'tnd dorzr ihe Tefillin and
Tzitzith . . . the Shechina dwells upon this person and
procla~ms: 'Thou rrrt M y serl.~r?rt,I~ruel, in zrhom
I ~ ~ be1 glorified.""
1
Zuhar Chadash, Terumah ( 4 1 d )

Each sovereign's army is garbed in its own distinctive

ilniform. This uniform is a symbol of the allegiance which
the wearer owes to his sovereign.
T h e people of Israel, the "hosts of the L-rd," also
have their special insignia, which identify them as the
servants of G-d. Oia: of these markings are the Tzitzith.
in the pages following we shall discuss the significance
and symbolism of the Tzitzith in the light of traditional
Jewish thought.
May this booklet inspire us to bring to fruition the
ideals mentioned rherein.
J. I. S.
6 Teveth 5727

THE PURPOSE
The Mitzvah of Tzitzith is mentioned twice in the
Torah :

'. . .they are t o make for themselves, throughout

their generations, Tzitzith @on the corners of their
garments, and to put with the Tzitzith of each corner
a thread of blue. And it rhall be m t o you for
Tzitzith, and you shall look upon it and remember
all the c-ommandments of the L-rd, and do them,
and you will not follow your heart and your
eyes, after which you go astray; so that you will
remember and do all My commandments and be
holy unto your G-d'.. .
Numbers XV: 38ff.
" Y o u shall make for yourself twisted cords @on
the foar corners of yoar covering, wherewith you
cover yourself."
Deuteronomy XXII : 12
The Torah itself thus explains the purpose of this
Mitzvah. In the first passage quoted we find both immediate and long-term aims. The immediate aims consist of one positive and one negative principle:

a ) The term "Tzitzith";

b) Tzitzith are attached to human attire;

C ) only a four-cornered garment requires Tzitzith;'
d ) Tzitzith require one thread colored by a uniquely
processed blue dye (presently extinct).

The term Tzitzith recalls the tzitz, the golden plate,

worn by the high priest, upon which were engraved
the words "Holy unto G - d (Exodus 28:36). Just as
tzitz is derived f ~ o m Y1Y ( t o gaze; cf. Song 2:9),
because it was worn on the forehead, a place visible to
all (Rashbarn), - Tzitzith, too, is derived from the
same root."zitzith
also refers to the hairs, or "fringes"
on the forehead (cf. Ezek. 8 : 3 ) . This word thus denotes
that the fringes are to be seen, to be looked upon, and
its best translation is, therefore, "S~OUJ-fringes"
(i.e. the
fringes attached to the garment in order to be seen).
Our further discussion will show that the tzitz-Tzitzith
relationship is more than etymological, and that the
everyman's Tzitzith is in fact a model of the high priest's
tzitz."
See footnotc on p. 16.
2. Ser Slfrr, Shldrh.
3. Cf. Z o h ~ r ,111: 174b f.

1.

Because blue resembles the color of the sea, and the

sea resembles the color of the heaven, and the heaven
resembles the 'color' of G-d'sThrone of Gl~y!"~
The sight of the Tzitzith thus induces a mental vision,
an awareness of the Shechinah (Divine Presence)! In
whichever of the four directions of east, west, south and
north we turn (alluded to by the specification of a fewcornered garment), the Tzitzith make us conscious d
the omnipresent Creator and L-rd of the Universe?
Today we no longer have a blue thread because the
chiLozon,!'+ from which the blue dye is extracted, is presently concealed and unknown. But its significance is still
retained when we read the precept of t'cbeleth and contemplate on this Mitzvah, and wen more so when
we consider the etymological meaning of t'cheleth: "What
is the meaning of t'cheleth ( n s 3 n ) ? It means tachlith
(n933n),'' the absolute and ultimate end and object of
everything (viz. the Shechin&) . l o
7. [bid. Cf. Y e r u r h ~ l m i ,Berachoth 1:2, and Z o h ~ III:226b
,
ff.
8. With this same thought our Sages explain the Scriptural
phrase "that you may look upon lnlH (it; lit.: him, mar.
gender)," while i t should say ;InlH (fern. gender) if referring
to the Tzitzith or the t'cheleth; therefore, say the Sages, tntn
alludes to an awareness of the Divine. (Yerwsbdmi, ad lor.; s u
also Medrdshim on this verse, and 6.Menachoth, ad lor.)
9. Zobrr. III:175b; Baal Haturim, ad lor. cit.

9*. A conchifrr~i~rc
animal.

Zohar, ibid., and 226b; Ramban, Numbers ad lor. (see his

words here and cf. with his comments on Gen. 24:l).
10.

of which he was not aware before, when his spiritual

self was absolutely predominant In his presently contam~nated m ~ n d ,good was no longer purely good. H e
saw that certain parts of the body were more directly
associated w ~ t hthe sense of physical pleasure. T h e exposure of those parts of the body now brought forth
in him a feeling of shame on two counts: first of all,
because these parts of the body were a reminder of the
humiliating downfall of man into thc power of lust, and
secondly, because they were a source of temptation.
For these reasons. man felt ashamed of his nakedness
and wished to cover his body.
After their sin, Adam and Eve had a sense and awareness of nakedness and prepared themselves clothes to
cover their bodies.':' Clothes thus remind man of his fall
from a state of absolute purity into one of susceptibility
to temptation and an inner struggle between the aspirations of the Divine soul and the passions of the physical
body.'.' But we have grown su, accustamed to our clothing
that we regard it as a mere means of protection against
adverse climatic conditions or as a means for decorative
13. Genesis i:?: "and they knew that they were n a k e d . . .and
they made themselvc-.; loinclothes." See Sforno, ad [or. - Cf.
Aforeh Neburhirn. 1 2 , and references cited in note 12.
1 4 . Indeed. the Hebrew word for garment, 713, is akin t o
the verh 722 (ro rrbcl, be faithless). V. Zohar, llI:226a; see also
bid.. 175a, (cf. Sanhedrin 37a).

the generations, when the Israelites are no longer sccustomed to wearing ( four-cornered ) garments, they
should still make some four-cornered garments and attach
Tzi tzi th. Hence is clearly seen the misconception of those
that would argue that if one does not wish to wear a
four-cornered garment then he is not obligated by the
Mitzvah of Tzitzith."Iu

"YOUR HEART A N D YOUR EYES"

The Torah-passage dealing with the precept of Tzitzith
contrasts the remembrance and observance of the "commandments of G-d" against the going "after your own
heart and your own eyes, after which you go astray."
This counterpoise suggests more than the apparent literal
sense. For the Torah does not specify a going after
sinful inclinations, but pronounces a general, all-inclusive
warning not to follow "your own heart and your own
eyes" - regardless of what the intentions may be. When
dwelling upon this contrast, its latent meaning becomes
obvious:
The heart is the seat of man's emotions, mads personal
feelings. The eyes, in Torah-terminology, are an epithet
16. Cf. Or Harhayim, Numbers ad lor. - See Tur (and
Shulrhan Arwrh), Orach Cltayim:24, and commentaries ad lor.

CONCLUSION
Our sages refer to the precept of Tzitzith as a simple
and easy Mitzvah. I t is indeed one of the most easily
observed commandments. But as simple and easy as it is,
so rich is this Mitzvah in symbolism, and so potent in
effectiveness, that it is equivalent to all the other precepts
of the Torah. For surely a consistent observance of this
Mitzvah of Tzitzith must lead to a proper and complete
observance of all the commandments.
W h e n thrown into the tumultuous waters of the temptations of every-day life, the Tzitzith are our life-line, the
rope to which we can cling to prevent us from drowning,'"
and as our Sages su) graphically relate (Menachoth 4 4 a )
how the sight of the Tzitzith stopped a man on the
vergc of c o m m i t ~ n ga grave sin and helped him to regain
control over h ~ sbody and to restore his spiritual equilibrium.
T h e Tzitzith are everyman's tzztz, upon which is engraved "Holy unto G-d!" They are the Jew's insignia as
a member of G-d's "kingdom of priests and holy nation."
They not on1y confer "additional sanctity upon Israel"
(Sifrd: Shlach) but help one realize the ultimate aim of
"ye shall be holy, for I the I,-rd your G-d am holy!"
(Levit. 1 9 : 2 ) , as the Torah affirms in relation to the
19. W. Burnidbm Rahba, end of Shii2rh.

- I5 -

5. The obligation of Tzitzith applies only to daytime;

therefore the blessing must not be proaounced before
daybreak or after sundown.

6. Though the obligation applies to daytime only, it is

customary to wear a T d i t b Kdun even when sleeping at
night so that when sleeping into daytime one will not
be devoid of Mitzvoth Also, according to the esoteric
teachings it is meritorious to wear Tzitzith at night too.
In the morning, however, one should recite the blessing
over another garment while also keeping in mind the
garment slept in.

7. Four threads are drawn through a hole in the comer

of the garment, thus giving us eight threads in two rows
of four each. This hole must be between 4 and 6 cm.
(one and eleven-sixteenths, and two and three-eights
inches) from both edges of the corner. (See diagrams
I1 and 111).
8. The two rows are then tied together with double
knots. One thread, which is purposely longer than the
others, is then wound around the remaining seven threads,
and once again a double knot is tied. This is repeated
until there are in all five double knots and four intervening
spaces.
9. On the intervening spaces the longer thread is wound
round, in the first one 7 times, in the second one 8 times,
in the third one 11 times, and in the fourth one 13 times.
(See diagram 111). One should see to make these four
spaces of equal size.

- 17 -

TALITH KATAN
(The small Talith worn as a garment)
15. The width of a Talith Katan should be at least 1
amah ( 4 8 cm.; app. 19 in.), and the length at least 2
m o t h (exclusive of the neck-opening, so that there is one
a d square in the front, and one amah square in the
back). (See diagram I )

16. For boys between the ages of six and thirteen years
one may rely on the opinions which permit smaller
sizes for a Talith Katan.
17. In a Talith Katan it is customary to make 2 holes
(both within the limits mentioned in par. 7),* slightly
distanced from each other and preferably at a slant (see
diagram 11). The threads are drawn through both holes
and the two rows are then tied together (as in par. 7 ff.)
on the external side of the garment.
18. When donning the Talith Katrln one first puts it
over the head and recites the blessing:

Some people follow the custom to make a single hole only.

21.

Before donning the Talith one recites the blessing:

After the blessing one covers the head with the

Talith and dons it (for a short while) in the fashion of
Arab garbs by taking the two ends of the right side
and swinging them over the left shoulder to the back.
While standing garbed thus, one recites the following
verses:
22.

( Psalms

3 6:8-11)

(1

CM.= 0.3937 in.)