Tzitzit: Strings and Knots

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.

forasmuch as a surpassing spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and declaring of riddles, and loosing of knots, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation.’

Seeing that there is to be found in Daniel (whom the king called Belteshazzar) extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, to explain riddles and solve problems, let Daniel now be called to tell the meaning [of the writing].”

or a tier of [magical] tying-knots, or a seeker of ghosts or all-knowing ones, or an inquirer of the dead.

seeing that a superflux of spirit, and knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and unravel the hidden, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation.

I have heard about you, that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known its meaning to me, you shall be clothed in purple and wear a golden chain on your neck and rule as one of three in the kingdom.”

But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and loose knots; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt rule as one of three in the kingdom.’

Tzitzit – our Rabbis taught: Eight strings that are drawn and five knots, two above and three below, that is six hundred and thirteen.

And furthermore: the tzitzit is a throne. Tephilin is the blessed Holy One Who descends upon the throne, when they call upon Him in the recitation of the Shm’a. Then the blessed Holy One sits upon the throne! They must then rise because of Him in the ‘standing’ prayer. Then Her three hosts arrive, in hymns, songs and praises.

teach a mystery – for there are 8 strings on each side, corresponding to the four faces and four wings of each ḥayah, and in the ‘small counting’ of the name of Enoch, az is equals SHaDaY. (Ex. 15:1) ‘Then’ shall he sing – in every place. And the Masters of the Mishnah have said: ‘one who lessens the ‘windings’ of the tzitzit, should not make less than seven, and one who adds, should not add beyond 13.’

And they are 7, corresponding to the 7 days of Creation, which allude to ‘the 7 Names of A-V-G-Y-T-Tz’ etc. And upon them it is stated: (Is. 6:2) Seraphs standing above it, six wings, six wings to each one, through which prayer flies upwards.

And the ‘wings of precept’ tzitzit fringes

The Gemara rejects this proof: Perhaps the sons of Rabbi Ḥiyya were referring to a case where one tied knots between the sets of windings even though there is no obligation to do so.

And Rabba says: Learn from it that the uppermost knot in the ritual fringes is required by Torah law. As, if it enters your mind to say that it is by rabbinic law, whereas by Torah law it is sufficient to merely insert the strings into the hole without tying any knots, for what reason was it necessary for the Torah to permit placing wool ritual fringes on a linen cloak? It is obvious that it is permitted, since if one attaches a swatch of wool and a swatch of linen with a single connection, it is not considered a connection with regard to the prohibition against wearing a garment that includes both wool and linen. Rather, learn from it that the uppermost knot is required by Torah law.

§ Rabba sat in the study hall and said in the name of Rav: The string used for winding around the other strings is counted in the quota of ritual fringes, i.e., it is one of the eight strings on each corner, and there is no need to have an additional string for winding. Rav Yosef said to Rabba: Shmuel said it, and not Rav. This was also stated by another amora: Rabba bar bar Ḥana says: Rabbi Yoshiya of Usha told me that the string used for winding around the other strings is counted in the quota of ritual fringes.

The Gemara asks: And what is the measure of a set of windings? It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: It is such that one winds once and winds a second and third time, i.e., each set must contain at least three windings. It was taught: One who minimizes the sets of windings may not have fewer than seven sets, and one who adds to this number of sets may not have more than thirteen sets of windings.

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.

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.

There were thirteen curtains in the Second Temple: Seven over the seven gates to the Temple Courtyard, one over the opening of the Entrance Porch, one over the entrance to the Sanctuary, two to serve as the d'vir between it and the [most] holy chamber, and two corresponding to them in the upper storey.

The root of the commandment is revealed in the verse: It is in order that we always remember all of the commandments of God. And there is no better reminder in the world than carrying the seal of the Master on the clothes that one wears at all times, as a person is [always attentive] to his clothes. And this is what is stated in the verse (Numbers 15:39), “and you will recall all the commandments of the Lord.” And they, may their memory be blessed, said (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 12) that the word “tsitsit” alludes to the six hundred and thirteen commandments (in the numerical equivalent of the letters) when combined with the eight strings of the fringes and their five knots. And my heart also tells me that there is a reminder and allusion here that the soul and body of man all belong to God, blessed be He. As the white portion corresponds to the body which is from the land, which was made from the snow, which is white, as we find in Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer 3, “From where is the land from? From the snow that is under the Holy Throne.” And the threads [also] allude to the body, as the matter that they said, that the initial formation of a body is like threads. [It is] as they, may their memory be blessed, said (Niddah 25b), “Rabbi Amram said, ‘The two thighs are like two strands of crimson, the two forearms are like two strands of crimson.’” The blue (tekhelet), the appearance of which is like the appearance of the sky, hints to the soul which is from the upper beings. And they hinted to this in their saying (Menachot 47b), “What [makes] tekhelet different than all other colors? Because tekhelet is like the sea, and the sea is like the sky, and the sky is like the Throne of Glory, as it is stated (Exodus 24:10), ‘And they saw the God of Israel, etc.’ and it states (Ezekiel 1:26), ‘The Throne appeared as sapphire stone’” — and the souls of the righteous are stored underneath the Throne. And because of this, they said (Menachot 39a) that we wrap the string of tekhelet around the white, as the soul is above and the body below. They said that we make seven or thirteen windings [around the white strings] to allude to the heavens and the divisions between them. And it is as they said (Menachot 39a), “It is taught, ‘One who wishes to do fewer should not do fewer than seven, nor should he add more than thirteen, corresponding to the seven heavens and the six air-spaces between them.’”

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.

The holes that are made in the tallit to hang the threads are similar to eyes, and five knots correspond to the five senses, eight threads corresponding to the eighth day of circumcision. From this they said that anyone who is not circumcised does not merit resurrection of the dead. In each corner you will find five knots, which are twenty knots for four corners, like the count of hands and feet which have twenty fingers, and behold, this represents the entirety of the body.

And the fact that in each corner emerging from the tallit's holes, one-third is connected and wound together at the top, while two-thirds are spread out and separated from each other below, comes to hint that even though Israel is now scattered in exile among the nations and are in the lowest state, in the future time of redemption they will be on the top, as it is said [in Deuteronomy 26:19]: 'to set you high above all the nations of the earth.'