A Closer Look at Tzitzit: Why the Extra Yod?

(37) יקוק said to Moses as follows: (38) Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner. (39) That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the commandments of יקוק and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge. (40) Thus you shall be reminded to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God. (41) I יקוק am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I, your God יקוק.

(3) The form of a hand stretched out, and took me by the hair of my head. A spirit lifted me up between heaven and earth and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the Penimith Gate that faces north; that was the site of the infuriating image that provokes fury.

(4) The wilted flowers—On the heads of those bloated with rich food—That are his glorious beauty.They shall be like an early figBefore the fruit harvest;Whoever sees it devours itWhile it is still in his hand.

(36) You shall make a frontlet of pure gold and engrave on it the seal inscription: “Holy to יקוק.”

(30) They made the frontlet for the holy diadem of pure gold, and incised upon it the seal inscription: “Holy to יקוק.”

(9) And he set the headdress on his head; and on the headdress, in front, he put the gold frontlet, the holy diadem—as יקוק had commanded Moses.

(23) The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Pact, and there the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had sprouted: it had brought forth sprouts, produced blossoms, and borne almonds.

ועשו להם ציצת THAT THEY MAKE THEM A FRINGE — It is called ציצת, because of the threads that hang down from it. Similar is, (Ezekiel 8:3) “and he caught me by the curls (ציצת) of my head’’. (The word denotes something twisted as threads or curls). — Another explanation is: it is called ציצת because of the command associated with it (v. 39) “and ye shall look at it”. Similar is, “looking (מציץ) from the lattice” (Song 2:9). (The word therefore denotes “something looked at”) (Sifrei Bamidbar 115).

ועשו להם ציצית, “they shall make fringes for themselves.” The word ציצית alludes to the four cords, threads, which are to be attached to each corner of the garment and which are suspended from it. We find that Ezekiel speaks of a vision (8,3) in which he was taken hold of by an angel בציצת ראשי, “by the lock of my head,” i.e. a fringe of his hair.The words: “they shall make for themselves cords,” means that they must not use threads which are already part of the garment, talit, and then make the fringes out of these threads (Menachot 41).

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וזכרתם את כל מצות יקוק AND YE SHALL REMEMBER ALL THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD — The ציצית will remind one of all the commandments because the numerical value of the letters of the word ציצית is six hundred, and there are eight threads and five knots in the fringes, so that you have six hundred and thirteen, which is also the number of the commandments of the Torah.

The numerical value of tzitzis is 600. Re’m writes: It appears to me that Rashi’s explanation is according to the opinion that one expounds a verse according to the way the words are read. Here one reads ציצית as if it was written in full with two yuds (rather than ציצת as it is actually written).

'וזכרתם את כל מצות ה, “so that you will remember all the commandments of the Lord;” Rashi explains this line by pointing out that the numerical value of the word ציצית is 600; when you add the eight fringes and the five knots required to attach them in the traditional manner you have 613, the number of the commandments of the Torah. Seeing that the last three times the word ציצ(י)ת appears in this paragraph the letter י is missing, each time that word appears it reminds us of the number 613.

ועשו להם ציצית, “they shall make fringes for themselves.”

...The reason that we make five knots when attaching the tzitzit to the talit is that we have been taught that the fulfillment of this commandment is equivalent to all the 613 commandments of the Torah. The word ציצית has a numerical value of 600. When you add the eight threads and the five knots you have the number 613, an allusion to all the commandments of the Torah. This is the mystical dimension of (15,39) “when you see it (the fringe) you will remember all the commandments of the Torah and remember to perform them, etc.Do not object that the word ציצת appears three times in this passage spelled without the letter י before the letter ת, so that the numerical value of the word is only 590 and not 600. The letter ל in the word לציצת in verse 38 makes up for the missing thirty through the absence of three times the letter י, so that the combined numerical value of each word ציצת, לציצת, ציצת is 1800, which divided by three still amounts to 600. The reason the word has been mentioned three times in our paragraph is to serve as an allusion that the statement that a single commandment is equivalent to all the 613 commandments is applicable to a total of three such commandments, i.e. the commandment of tzitzit, the commandment of observing the Sabbath, and the commandment not to engage in idolatry (Compare Chulin 5).

AFTER YOUR OWN HEART. Which lusts. The eye sees and the heart desires. The fringes thus serve as a sign and a mark that a person should not pursue the thoughts of his heart and all that his eyes desire.

AFTER WHICH YE USE TO GO ASTRAY. For one who follows his desires goes astray from the service of his God.

Scripture states, and that ye go not after your own heart, in order that one should take care concerning it and not err through it. It is for this reason that our Rabbis have interpreted: “After your own heart. This refers to scepticism. After which ye use to go astray. This refers to idolatry.” That is to say, through the t’cheileth he should not think [in his heart] of any scepticism or idolatry, but it shall all be unto you for ‘tzitzith’ — that ye may look upon it, and remember. The Rabbis have also said: “After your own eyes. This refers to immorality,” similar to that which is written, I am He that knoweth, and am witness, saith the Eternal. The student learned [in the mysteries of the Cabala] will understand.In the Midrash of Rabbi Nechunya the son of Hakanah it is stated with reference to the verse, and the profit of ‘eretz’ (earth) is ‘bakol’ (in all): “And what is the eretz? It is that from which the heavens were hewn, and it is the Throne of the Holy One, blessed be He, and it is ‘the precious stone,’ and ‘the sea of wisdom,’ and corresponding to it is the blue thread in a garment of Fringes, for Rabbi Meir has said: ‘Why was blue chosen? etc.’” [as quoted above].

THAT YE MAY REMEMBER. Scripture has previously stated, and remember all the commandments of the Lord (v. 39). The meaning of our verse is: if you remember the commandments of God, you will be holy and you will not defile yourselves with the lusts of the heart which defile the rational soul.

, למען תזכרו ועשיתם את כל מצותי, “so that you will remember and carry out all My commandments, and not violate them.” This paragraph has been inserted next to the paragraph that dealt with the person collecting kindling on the Sabbath, so that you will remember what happened to that person for violating My commandment. After having witnessed this, the people might have thought: “how can we ever observe the laws of the Sabbath after having witnessed that this man was executed for a minor infraction?” At least when it comes to the observance of the festivals there are symbols on that day that remind us of the nature of it, but what distinguishes the Sabbath from the weekdays so that it could serve as a reminder? Therefore the Torah gave us the commandment of fringes as a symbol of clothing that would be worn on the Sabbath, although it would be inconvenient to wear such garment on weekdays when we have to go about our work. Our sages have formulated it thus: “anyone who does not wear a Tallit with fringes on the Sabbath is comparable to the person who collected kindling on the Sabbath." [This is a quote from Tossaphot, sages who were contemporaries of our author. Ed.]

He placed next to this section the subject of the man who gathered sticks [on the Sabbath day] because it happened at this time, after the incident of the spies — this in accordance with the plain meaning of Scripture. And this is the meaning of [the phrase], and while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, for it was because the people tarried there on account of the above-mentioned decree, that this event happened. Afterwards He commanded the precept of Tzitzith (Fringes) in order that they would remember through it all the commandments, and not forget the Sabbath [as did the man who gathered the sticks], or any of the other Commandments.

Now the reason why Tzitzith have this [power of] reminding one of all the commandments is, as Rashi wrote, because the total numerical value of the letters of the [Scriptural] word tzitzith is six hundred, and together with the eighth threads and five knots, you have six hundred and thirteen [corresponding to taryag, the six hundred and thirteen commandments]. But I have not understood this, for the word tzitzith in the Torah is written without a [second] yod, so the total numerical value is only five hundred and ninety! Moreover, the number of threads [to be used for each of the Fringes] in the opinion of the school of Hillel is only three [which, when passed through the hole at the corner form six threads — not eight, as Rashi mentioned], and the knots by law of the Torah [need only] be two; as the Rabbis have said: “You must deduce from this that the upper knots in the Fringes are required by Scriptural law. For if you should think that they are not obligatory by Scriptural law, why then did the Torah have to state a [special] permission to use mingled stuff [of wool and linen] in Fringes! Do we not accept as the established law that if one joins two pieces together with only one stitch, it is not considered joined?”Rather, the remembrance [of the commandments] is through the blue thread, which alludes to the all-inclusive attribute, which is bakol and which is the aim of All. Therefore He said, that ye may look upon it, and remember ‘kol’ (all), which is the commandments of the Eternal. This is why the Rabbis said: “[Why was blue chosen rather than any other color?] Because blue resembles the sea, the sea resembles heaven, and heaven resembles the Throne of Glory, etc.” The likeness is in the name, as also in the shade of the color which is the termination of all colors [and which leads one from the blue in the Fringes to the blue of the sea etc., and finally to think of Him Who is on high], for in the distance all colors appear to be that shade. That is why it is called t’cheileth [which is also suggestive of the word tachlith (termination) since this is the end of all colors].

(1) יקוק spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you to settle in, (3) and would present an offering by fire to יקוק from the herd or from the flock, be it burnt offering or sacrifice, in fulfillment of a vow explicitly uttered, or as a freewill offering, or at your fixed occasions, producing an odor pleasing to יקוק: (4) The person who presents the offering to יקוק shall bring as a meal offering: a tenth of a measure of choice flour with a quarter of a hin of oil mixed in.

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(18) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land to which I am taking you (19) and you eat of the bread of the land, you shall set some aside as a gift to יקוק: (20) as the first yield of your baking, you shall set aside a loaf as a gift; you shall set it aside as a gift like the gift from the threshing floor. (21) You shall make a gift to יקוק from the first yield of your baking, throughout the ages. (22) If you unwittingly fail to observe any one of the commandments that יקוק has declared to Moses— (23) anything that יקוק has enjoined upon you through Moses—from the day that יקוק gave the commandment and on through the ages:

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(24) If this was done unwittingly, through the inadvertence of the community, the community leaders shall present one bull of the herd as a burnt offering of pleasing odor to יקוק, with its proper meal offering and libation, and one he-goat as a sin offering. (25) The priest shall make expiation for the whole Israelite community and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and for their error they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to יקוק and their sin offering before יקוק. (26) The whole Israelite community and the stranger residing among them shall be forgiven, for it happened to the entire people through error.

(27) In case it is an individual who has sinned unwittingly, that person shall offer a she-goat in its first year as a sin offering. (28) The priest shall make expiation before יקוק on behalf of the person who erred, for having sinned unwittingly, making such expiation that the person may be forgiven. (29) For the citizen among the Israelites and for the stranger who resides among them—you shall have one ritual for anyone who acts in error.

(30) But the person, whether citizen or stranger, who acts defiantly reviles יקוק; that person shall be cut off from among the people. (31) Because it was the word of יקוק that was spurned and [God’s] commandment that was violated, that person shall be cut off—and bears the guilt.

(32) Once, when the Israelites were in the wilderness, they came upon a man gathering wood on the sabbath day. (33) Those who found him as he was gathering wood brought him before Moses, Aaron, and the community leadership. (34) He was placed in custody, for it had not been specified what should be done to him. (35) Then יקוק said to Moses, “The party in question shall be put to death: the community leadership shall pelt him with stones outside the camp.” (36) So the community leadership took him outside the camp and stoned him to death—as יקוק had commanded Moses.

(18) You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that your God יקוק is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice. (19) You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. (20) Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that your God יקוק is giving you.