- How Do Tzitzit remind us to keep the mitzvot? Why this specific method?
- The four-cornered cloth is a metaphor for our actions.
- The Tzitzit represent the spine, and how our actions must stem from the mind.
- Similarly, the four-cornered cloth is a metaphor for our earth.
- The tzitzit represent how this world is driven by the Cosmic Mind.
- The techelet represents relating to God as surrounding us, but not with us.
- The white represent how God is with us, inside us.
- Sin comes from focusing on the present and the self.
- Virtue comes from focusing on the long-run implications and larger community.
- Tzitzit thwart sin by reminding us of the unbreakable bond between our actions in the moment, and our eternal legacy.
The below Zohar shows how clothing is a metaphor for our actions and their lasting impression.
(זכריה ג׳:א׳) וַיַּרְאֵנִי אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל, מַאי קָא חָמָא, דְּהֲוָה קָאִים קָמֵי מַלְאָכָא, וּמִתְלְבַּשׁ בִּלְבוּשִׁין מְלוּכְלָכִין, עַד דְּכָרוֹזָא נָפִיק, וְאָמַר הָסִירוּ הַבְּגָדִים הַצּוֹאִים מֵעָלָיו. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, כְּתִיב הָכָא וְעוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ, מַאי לִפְנֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ. דְּהֲוָה דָּאִין דִּינוֹי, הַהוּא דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ, (קהלת ה׳:ה׳) וְאַל תֹּאמַר לִפְנֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ כִּי שְׁגָגָה הִיא. מַאי קָא מַשְׁמַע לָן. דְּכָל בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא זָכֵי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, לְאִתְעַטְּפָא בְּעִטּוּפָא דְּמִצְוָה, וּלְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּמִצְוָה. כַּד עָיֵיל בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, קָאִים בִּלְבוּשָׁא טִנּוּפָא, דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ, וְקָאִים בְּדִינָא עָלֵיהּ.
321. "And He showed me Joshua the High Priest..." (Zecharyah 3:1). HE ASKS: What did he see? HE RESPONDS that he was standing in the presence of the angel dressed in filthy clothes until the proclamation came forth and said, "Remove the soiled clothes from him" (Ibid. 4). Rabbi Yitzchak said that it is written here: "And he stood in the presence of the angel" (Ibid 3). What is the meaning of: "In the presence of the angel?'' It means that he was judging him, he about whom it is written: "Nor say before the angel, that it was an error" (Kohelet 5:5). What is this telling us? That whoever did not merit in this world to be wrapped with a spiritual covering, and dressed with a spiritual garment, has a soiled garment that must not be SO, and is judged for it.
Notice how these two Zohars are juxtaposed. Together, they show the symbolism of clothing as our actions.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָה לְבוּשִׁין מִזְדַּמְּנִין בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא זָכֵי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא בִּלְבוּשִׁין דְּמִצְוָה, כַּד עָיֵיל לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, מְלָבְּשִׁין לֵיהּ בְּחַד לְבוּשָׁא דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהוֹן דְּגֵיהִנָּם, וְהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא, וַוי לְמַאן דְּאִתְלְבָּשׁ בֵּיהּ. דְּהָא כַּמָּה גַּרְדִּינֵי נִמוּסִין, זְמִינִין לְאַחֲדָא בֵּיהּ, וְעַיְילֵי לֵיהּ לַגֵּיהִנָם. וּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא צָוַוח וְאָמַר (קהלת ט׳:ח׳) בְּכָל עֵת יִהְיוּ בְגָדֶיךָ לְבָנִים.
322. Come and see the variety of garments available in that world. That person that did not merit in this world garments of mitzvah, when he enters that world, he is dressed with a certain dress that is known to the masters of Gehenom. Woe to him who is dressed in that garb, since many legal investigators will seize him and usher him into Gehenom. King Solomon cried out and said, "Let your garments be always white" (Kohelet 9:8).
- The significance of four parallels the four corners of the earth. The ancients imagined there being four pillars connecting the heavens to the earth. Each one paralleling a different element.
- Similarly, the modes of the body parallel the four elements, and different modes of behavior. In specific, Kindness/Water, Discipline/Fire, Intelligence/Air, and Faith/Earth.
כְּתִיב (ישעיהו כ״ד:ט״ז) מִכְּנַף הָאָרֶץ זְמִירוֹת שָׁמַעְנוּ צְּבִי לַצַּדִיק וָאוֹמַר רָזִי לִי וְגוֹ'. מִכְּנַף הָאָרֶץ, דָּא כָּנָף דְּצִּיצִּית, דְּאִיהוּ כָּנָף הָאָרֶץ.
זְמִירוֹת שָׁמַעְנוּ, אִלֵּין שְׁאַר חוּטִין, דְּנָפְקִין וְתַּלְיָין מֵאֲתָר עִלָּאָה, גּוֹ אִינּוּן שְׁבִילִין עִלָּאִין, דְּנָפְקִין מֵחָכְמָה עִלָּאָה.
צְּבִי לַצַּדִּיק, דָּא צַּדִּיק חַי הָעוֹלָמִים, דְּאִינּוּן חוּטִין אִינּוּן שְׁפִּירוּ דִּילֵיהּ, דְּהָא מִנֵּיהּ נָפְקִין, וְכָל חוּטָא כְּלִילָא בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין.
333. It is written: "From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, glory to the righteous. But I said, 'my leanness (also: 'secret')...'" (Yeshayah 24:16). "From the uttermost part of the earth" refers to the corner of the Tzitzit, which is the edge of the earth,
"Have we heard songs:'' These are all the threads that come out and hang from a high place, within those lofty paths that emerge from supernal Chochmah.
"Glory to the righteous:'' That is the Righteous that lives forever, WHICH IS YESOD, since the threads of the Tzitzit are His beauty. From Him, they emanate AND ARE GIVEN TO MALCHUT, and each thread is comprised of two aspects
- The Talmud notes that the symbolism of the Techelet is threefold: the sea, the sky, and the trhone of glory.
- What is special about these three things?
תניא היה ר' מאיר אומר מה נשתנה תכלת מכל מיני צבעונין מפני שהתכלת דומה לים וים דומה לרקיע ורקיע לכסא הכבוד שנאמר (שמות כד, י) ותחת רגליו כמעשה לבנת הספיר וכעצם השמים לטהר וכתיב (יחזקאל א, כו) כמראה אבן ספיר דמות כסא
It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: What is different about tekhelet from all other types of colors such that it was chosen for the mitzva of ritual fringes? It is because tekhelet is similar in its color to the sea, and the sea is similar to the sky, and the sky is similar to the Throne of Glory, as it is stated: “And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under His feet the like of a paved work of sapphire stone, and the like of the very heaven for clearness” (Exodus 24:10), indicating that the sky is like a sapphire brickwork. And it is written: “The likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone” (Ezekiel 1:26).
הפוחת לא יפחות משבע כנגד שבעה רקיעים והמוסיף לא יוסיף על שלש עשרה כנגד שבעה רקיעין וששה אוירין שביניהם
The Gemara provides explanations for these guidelines: One who minimizes the sets of windings may not wind fewer than seven sets, corresponding to the seven firmaments. And one who adds to this number of sets may not wind more than thirteen sets of windings, corresponding to the seven firmaments and the six air spaces between them.
- We see above that the Tzitzit are a model of the Galgalim, the havenly spheres that connect us with the Divine Intelligence.
- The Zohar notes that the structure of Solomon's throne was a model of the cosmos.
- This had seven steps, whith six verticle faces between each step.
כְּתִיב וְנָתְנוּ עַל צִּיצִּית הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת. וְנָתְנוּ עַל הַכָּנָף לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא וְנָתְנוּ עַל צִּיצִּית. דְּדָא אִיהוּ דְּחָפֵי עַל שְׁאַר חוּטִין.
329. It is written: "And that they put upon the fringe of each corner a thread of blue" (Ibid. 38). It is not written: 'They shall put upon the corner,' but rather "They put upon the fringe," since it covers over the rest of the threads,
- The main significance of the blue is in the wraps, not in the hanging threads.
- That they surround and cover the rest
- This represents a way we relate to God as surrounding us
- The blue represent the Galgalim, the Heavenly spheres with the planets, through wich God runs the world.
וְלֹא תָתוּרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם, יִמְנַע מִנְּכוֹן בִּישִׁין אֹרְחִין אַחֲרָנִין, וַדַּאי, לֹא תָתוּרוּ, וְלָא תַעֲבְדוּ בִּישִׁין. וְעַל דָּא סַלְּקָא גּוָֹון תְּכֵלָא.
דָּא תְּכֵלֶת, דַּמְיָא לְכִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד, מַה כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד, עָבִיד לְבַר נָשׁ לְמֵהַךְ לְאָרְחָא דְּמֵישָׁר, לְדַכְּאָה לֵיהּ. אוּף הַאי תְּכֵלֶת, עָבִיד לְבַּר נָשׁ לְמֵהַךְ בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר, וַדַּאי דְּכֹלָּא אִית לְדַחֲלָא מֵהַאי אֲתָר, לְמֵיהַךְ בְּמֵישָׁר.
332. "And that you seek not after your own heart" (Bemidbar 15:39). ONCE YOU SAW THE BLUE, it prevented you from other evil ways. Assuredly, "you seek not" and commit no evil. Therefore, blue is seen over THE TZITZIT.
This blue is similar to the Throne of Glory. Just as the Throne of Glory causes a person to follow the upright path to purify him, so too this blue causes him to walk the straight path. Certainly every person should have fear of this place, thus walking in the straight path.
- The Blue represents the throne of Glory, and parallels a way of thinking of God as transcendent as the heavens, vast as the sky, and as distant as the ends of the sea. Just like in the Talmud.
- The white paralels the kindness and closeness God has with us through our minds, virtuous behavior and always.
פִּקּוּדָא דָּא מִצְוַת צִיצִית, כָּלִיל תְּכֵלֶת וְלָבָן, דִּינָא וְרַחֲמֵי בְּנוּרָא. אֶשָּׁא חִוָּורָא לָא אָכִיל, תְּכֵלָא אָכִיל וְשָׁצֵי. (דברי הימים ב ז׳:א׳) וַתֹּאכַל הָעוֹלָה, חִוָּור מִימִינָא, תְּכֵלֶת מִשְּׂמָאלָא.
335. This commandant is the precept of Tzitzit, which is comprised of blue and white, that are Judgment and Mercy in fire. White fire does not consume, but the blue consumes and destroys everything. "And consumed the burnt offering" (II Divrei Hayamim 7:1), the white on the right and the blue from the left.
לֵית נְהוֹרָא יָכִיל לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, דְּלָא אִתְחַשְּׁכַת. אֲפִילּוּ כֶּתֶר עֶלְיוֹן, דְּאִיהוּ נְהוֹרֵיהּ תַּקִּיף עַל כָּל דַּרְגִּין, וְעַל כָּל חֵילֵי שְׁמַיָא, עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין,
אִתְּמַר עָלֵיהּ, (תהילים י״ח:י״ב) יָשֶׁת חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ. וְעַל חָכְמָה וּבִינָה, (תהילים צ״ז:ב׳) עָנָן וַעֲרָפֶל סְבִיבָיו. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן שְׁאַר סְפִירָאן. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן חֵיוָן. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן יְסוֹדִין, דְּאִינּוּן מֵתִים.
אִיהוּ סוֹבֵב עַל כָּל עָלְמִין, וְלֵית סוֹבֵב לוֹן לְכָל סִטְרָא, עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, וּלְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין, בַּר מִנֵיהּ. וְלֵית מַאן דְּנָפִיק מֵרְשׁוּתֵיהּ לְבַר. אִיהוּ מְמַלֵא כָּל עָלְמִין. וְלֵית (ס"א אלהא וכו' לון בר מיניה) אוֹחֲרָא מְמַלֵא לוֹן.
226. And there is no light that can withstand His radiance without appearing dark, even upper Keter, whose light is stronger than all of the levels and all the hosts of the upper and lower heavens.
It is said about it: "He made darkness His secret place" (Tehilim 18:12). Concerning Chochmah and Binah, IT IS SAID, "cloud and mist are round about Him" (Tehilim 97:2). How much more is it so for the other Sfirot and for the celestial beings, and the elements that are dead, WITHOUT LIFE.
He surrounds all the worlds, and none but He surrounds them in any direction, up or down or to the four corners of the world, and no one has left His domain for the outside, for He fills all the worlds and there is no other that fills them.
- The white is considered more "holy" than the blue. Technically, this is because more mitzvot are done with it, as there are 7 white strands and only one blue one.
- But, I think this is also because the white symbolize a more intimate relationhsip that includes the blue.
- Just as the right hand includes the left.
- The wrap closest to the beged is white to highlight how wisdom permeates our actions when we perform mitzvot, and build our "clothes of light" that we will wear in the afterlife.
It was taught: When one begins to form the windings, he begins winding with a white string. This is because the verse indicates that one first inserts “the fringe of the corner” (Numbers 15:38), i.e., the white strings, which are of the same type as the corner of the garment. And when he concludes the windings, he concludes with a white string, in accordance with the principle: One elevates to a higher level in matters of sanctity and does not downgrade.