(יב) גְּדִלִ֖ים תַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֑ךְ עַל־אַרְבַּ֛ע כַּנְפ֥וֹת כְּסוּתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּכַסֶּה־בָּֽהּ׃ (ס)
(12) You shall make tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.
Tzizit must have tassels on the four corners of the garment
#1 Rashi
גדלים תעשה לך. אף מן הכלאים לכך סמכן הכתוב:גדלים תעשה לך
THOU SHALT MAKE THEE TASSELS [UPON THE FOUR CORNERS OF THY VESTURE] — be they even from a mixture of wool and linen; for this reason Scripture puts them (the prohibition of שעטנז and the command of צצית) in juxtaposition (Yevamot 4a).
The prohibition of שעטנז is mentioned in connection with Tzizit because tzizit needs to be made of wool and linen, but usually wool and linen can't be wooven together, For clothing of Kohanim and Tzizit, this is an exception.
Rashi #2
וזכרתם את כל מצות ה׳: וזכרתם את כל מצות ה'. שֶׁמִּנְיַן גֵּמַטְרִיָּא שֶׁל צִיצִית שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת, וּשְׁמוֹנָה חֻטִּין וַחֲמִשָּׁה קְשָׁרִים הֲרֵי תרי"ג (תנחומא):
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 for tzizit is 613 representing the 613 mitzvot
- When a boy/man looks at tzizit they should be reminded of the mitzvot they must do
Rabbenu Bahya- Mefaresh
Kilayim means Shaatnez, which means wool and linen together. The mitzvah of tzizit is mentioned together with Kilayim because it wants to tell us that for tzizit we could have a mixture of wool and linen.
Kilayim means Shaatnez, which means wool and linen together. The mitzvah of tzizit is mentioned together with Kilayim because it wants to tell us that for tzizit we could have a mixture of wool and linen.
Midrash Sefrei Devarim 234
1. גדילים תעשה לך. למה נאמר? לפי שנאמר
(במדבר טו) ועשו להם ציצית, שומע אני יעשה חוט אחד בפני עצמו, תלמוד לומר גדילים.
2. (מנחות מא וש"נ) כמה גדילים נעשים? אין פחות משלשה חוטים, כדברי בית הלל. ובית שמאי אומרים, מארבעה חוטים של תכלת, וארבעה חוטים של לבן של ארבע ארבע אצבעות.
3. [ד"א, גדילים תעשה לך, זה לבן. מנין לרבות (את ה) [חוט אחת של] תכלת? תלמוד לומר (במדבר שם) ונתנו על ציצית הכנף פתיל תכלת]. "
4. והלכה כדברי בית שמאי. במה דברים אמורים – בתחלה; אבל בשיריה ובגרדומיה, כל שהוא
.
5. (על ארבע. יצאו בעלי ג' ובעלי ה' ובעלי ו' ובעלי ז' ובעלי ח'). (ד"א, גדילים תעשה לך, זה לבן. מנין לרבות את התכלת? תלמוד לומר ונתנו על ציצית הכנף פתיל תכלת).
7. רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר, מנין שלא יתן על אמצע בגד, אלא על שפתו? שנאמר
על ארבע כנפות כסותך.
9. בה. פרט למעפורת, שלא מכסה בה ראשו ורובו.
1. (Devarim 22:12) "Fringes shall you make for yourself": What is the intent of this? Because it is written (Bamidbar 15:38) "and they shall make for themselves tzitzith," I might think that one strand by itself suffices;
it is, therefore, written "gedilim" (fringes).
2. How many fringes? Not fewer than three, three fingers long, as per Beth Hilell. Beth Shammai say: Three strands of white and a fourth of tcheleth (purple-blue), four fingers long.
3. gedilim" are white. Whence do I derive that I add a fourth of tcheleth? From (Ibid.) "and they shall put on the tzitzith of the corner a thread of tcheleth."
4. The halachah is in accordance with Beth Shammai. When is this so? (that a length of three or four fingers is required)? Ab initio (i.e., when the tzitzith are first inserted), but its remnants and lopped off (threads) may be of any (length).
5. ("on the four corners of your garment": to exclude a garment of three, five, six, seven, or eight corners. Variantly: "gedilim" are white. Whence do I derive that I add a fourth of tcheleth? From (Ibid.) "and they shall put on the tzitzith of the corner a thread of tcheleth.")
6. (Devarim, Ibid.) "shall you make": and not from what is already made. He may not take threads from the garment and make tzitzith of them. "on the fourcorners of your garment": to exclude a garment of three, five, six, seven, or eight corners. "corners" to exclude yaga, tichla, tavletikim, takarkim, sadasim, and laburdisim, which are not squared.
7. R. Elliezer b. Yaakov says: Whence is it derived that one should not place tzitzith in the middle of the garment, but on the edge? From "on the four corners of your garment."
- Tzizit should have fringes, which are called gedilim
- There should be more than three fringes in each corner of the garmet and gedilim are typically white and a fourth of techelet, which is a blue shade.
-
קשר לעשרת הדברות:
אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים: לֹא-יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, עַל-פָּנָי.
Connection to the 10 Commandments:
1. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
My comment: I connected the mitzvah of tzizit to the first commandment because I learned that tzizit has the numerical value of 613 representing the 613 mitzvot. When we look at the tzizit we remember Hashem, our God who took us out of Mitzrayim and we remember the mitzvot we have to do out of love for Hashem. The techelet on the tzizit reminds us of Hashem in the sky because the sky is blue.
:Previously mentioned
(לח) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וְעָשׂ֨וּ לָהֶ֥ם צִיצִ֛ת עַל־כַּנְפֵ֥י בִגְדֵיהֶ֖ם לְדֹרֹתָ֑ם וְנָֽתְנ֛וּ עַל־צִיצִ֥ת הַכָּנָ֖ף פְּתִ֥יל תְּכֵֽלֶת׃ (לט) וְהָיָ֣ה לָכֶם֮ לְצִיצִת֒ וּרְאִיתֶ֣ם אֹת֗וֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תָתֻ֜רוּ אַחֲרֵ֤י לְבַבְכֶם֙ וְאַחֲרֵ֣י עֵֽינֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃ (מ) לְמַ֣עַן תִּזְכְּר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺתָ֑י וִהְיִיתֶ֥ם קְדֹשִׁ֖ים לֵֽאלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
(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 the LORD 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.
The mitzvah of tzizit was mentioned previously in Sefer Bamidbar after the Jews left Egypt and when they were in the midbar. Hashem told Moshe to tell the Jews the mitzvot they wil have to do when they enter the land and he also told Moshe to tell them to wear tzizit and when they do, it will remind them of th mitzvot.
- Tzizit must have four corners and each corner must have tassels
- The age for earing Tzizit is around 6 years old and up
- The garmet must be made out of wool or linen, but not silk, camel etc. (exempt from torah)
- Must be made out of wool, sheep or linen
Sefer HaMitzvot LaRambam, Mitzvot Ase 14:1
My comment: This teaches us that tzizit isn't two separate mitzvot, it is one mitzvah. The techelet isn't a separate mitzvah for tzizit. We also learn that tzizit isn't obligated for women like it is mentioned in previous sources.
Dvar Torah and Picture