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8 â[1] Immediately after hand washing he should wrap himself in tzitzit while standing. The geonim explained the order of wrapping as being like that of the Ishmaelites, which is complete wrapping. The master of the Ittur wrote that we do not require such an extent, but rather like the way people who wear coverings and engage in their work; sometimes with a covered head and sometimes with an uncovered head. The manner of wrapping: its width is a manâs height. He places two tzitzit before him and two tzitzit behind him, so that he is surrounded with mitzvot, and he covers his head in order that he not be of uncovered head. He should recite the blessing âto be wrapped in tzitzit.â It is called a tzitzit on account of the threads which separate from it, as is written "He took me by the tzitzit on my head." Accordingly, he needs to separate them one from another. He should truly intend with his wrapping that God commanded him to wrap in order that he be reminded to perform all of His commandments. He should examine the tzitzit prior to this that they be complete, for if one of them had been ruined, it is a vain blessing. And should he wish to wrap himself immediately upon arising in order that he not walk four cubits without a tzitzit or where he has a tzitzit on his garment, he is able to don it immediately without a blessing and when he washes his hands he should clutch the tzitzit and recite the blessing âto wrap in a tzitzit.â Or, if he should wrap himself afterward in another tallit, he should recite the blessing over it and intend to also exempt that which he has already put on. If he has many garments of four corners, they are all subject to tzitzit. If he wears them simultaneously, one blessing is sufficient for them. If he makes a division between them, he needs to recite a blessing on every single one. Therefore, one who is accustomed to wrapping in the synagogue in a large tallit needs to recite a blessing over it, even though he recited a blessing over the smaller tallit which he had already put on. If he removed his tallit, and did not have it in mind to put it on immediately, when he goes back and puts it on he needs to recite a blessing. But if he had it in mind to put it on immediately, such as where he removed it in order to go into the bathroom, in such a case I am in doubt as to whether he needs to recite a blessing, for there is a basis for interpreting either way, for it is possible to say that since we have derived all of the instruction (concerning tzitzit) from tefillin, and for tefillin, every time that one handles them, he recites a blessing, meaning if they moved from their position and he handles them to return them to their position, if so, all the more so here should he recite a blessing. However it is possible to say that it is different there (in the case of tefillin), for they moved from their position and he did not know that they were not in their position. But if he moved them from their position knowingly to return them immediately, there too he would not need to recite a blessing; my opinion inclines to this. One who sleeps in his tallit at night does not need to recite a blessing on it in the morning.
9 â[1] 9. All types of garments are under the obligation of tzitzit, and tzitzit of wool or flax fulfill (the obligation) for all types. But the rest of the types (of garments,) such as those of silk or cotton, do not fulfill the obligation unless the tzitzit will be of the tallitâs type. The Rambam wrote that it is required to make the tzitzit the color of the wool: if it is red, the tzitzit should be made red, and if it is green, the tzitzit should be made green. And Rashi explained similarly, but Ri explained that it is not required. In The Small Book of Mitzvot, he wrote, âHowever it is correct to take care not to make flaxen tzitzit with that of silk. Even though the Geonim and Rabbeinu Tam forbid making even tzitzit of flax on a tallit of flax, Rabbeinu Shlomo and Rav Alfas permitted, and with this did my master, my father the Rosh, his memory be pious and a blessing, agreed.
10 â[1] A tallit which does not have four corners is exempt (from tzitzit). One which has more than four corners is obligated and one makes four tzitzit for it on four of its corners. If it has four and he cut one diagonally, making it two, or lifts its corners and sews them in such a way that no corner remains on it, it is not thereby exempted. That of a cloth whose corners are of hide is obligated. That of a hide whose corners are of cloth is exempt. If it had three corners and he made them three tzitzit, and then went back and made it a fourth corner, and also made it a tzitzit, it is invalid. If it was square and he folded it: The Rambam, may his memory be a blessing, wrote: One does not place its tzitzit on its corners when folded, unless he sewed it all, even from one direction. But from the language of my teacher, my father the Rosh, his memory be a blessing, it seems that it is obligated even if he did not sew it at all. If it had four tzitzit on its four corners and he made it another later and cut the former, the latter are kosher. The Rambam, his memory be a blessing, wrote: Placing tzitzit on tzitzit: if it was intended to nullify the former, he cuts the former and it is kosher, but if it was intended to add, even if he cut one of the two of them, it is disqualified. And my teacher, my father, the Rosh, his memory be a blessing, did not differ.
11 â[1] 11. The mitzvah of tzitzit in the time when teheilet existed: Its mitzvah was to take two doubled threads of dyed wool and two doubled threads of white wool or of flax, which would be spun for the purpose of tzitzit; had they not been spun for that purpose, they are unusable. And it is required that they be interwoven. Their length, doubled, should be three hand breadths of four fingers, with the thumb in each hand breadth. And if he wishes to add to its length he may add. One of the threads should be of longer length in order that he may wrap the fringe in it. Had he made it from thorns, meaning from the threads which are hanging on a sheet like a kind of thorn, which one customarily cuts off, or from threads, meaning the threads which extrude from the garment to sew, or from the threads which extrude from the edge of the garment, it is unusable. Had he made it from stolen wool, it is unusable. One who bows down to a beast, its wool is unusable for tzitzit, but one who bows down to planted flax, it is fit for tzitzit. He should make a perforation in the tallit within three fingers of the corner, lengthwise, and a distance from the corner in the measure from the thumb knuckle to the end of the nail. That which fills and above, up to three fingers from the corner, is the place for tzitzit. And had the distance from the corner been the space occupied by the thumb knuckle, and he severed it from the woof threads to the point where there did not remain the measure from the corner, it is fit for use. In any case, it is well to make a hem on the edge of the cloth so that he not sever it. Within the width of the garment there is no set measure, only that he should not put it on the threads that one makes on the edge of the garment. Baâal haItur wrote that there is no upward measure; if he desires he may add as he wishes. The Ri explained that he may add up to eight doubled, which are sixteen, but no more. He should cut off the ends of the threads and insert them into the corner piece and double them over, at which point their length should be twelve fingers, which is the set length of tzitzit. He should take four threads from one side and four from the other side and tie two times one atop the other. Next, he should wrap the long thread around the seven. In the time when the teheilet existed, he was required to take great care with the wrapping, making seven sections as they are described in the gemara. At the present, when we do not have teheilet, one does not make it of mixed species, but rather of wool and wool, or flax and flax. There is also no need to take great care concerning the sections. Rambam, may his memory be a blessing, wrote: Our practice is to wrap the sections in it in the same manner which one wraps in teheilet. My master, my father, the Rosh, may his memory be a blessing, would not take such great care. The Baâal haItur wrote that nowadays one does not need to take such great care concerning wrapping, and even if he wrapped the majority of it or only wrapped one section in it, it is fit for use; rather, the essence of its mitzvah is that he should wrap until the wrapping with the knot the width of a thumb. He ties two times and goes back and wraps; thus should he do until he completes five knots with four wrappings between them. The entire wrapping should be a hand breadth in width and the remainder two hand breadths. Further, there are other customs concerning its making, but that which I have written is the essence. He should be careful to cut the ends of the threads, making them eight prior to wrapping, for if he wrapped them and afterward cut the ends of the threads, it is unusable. But if he inserted them into the corner and subsequently cut them, it is usable; it is only that he should cut them before wrapping.
12 â[1] 12. If he cut short all of its threads, yet there remains enough of them for looping, it is fit for use, provided that he leave enough that he can loop them all together, for this is more than enough looping for each one alone. Rashi explained that we require enough for looping from the corner piece. The Ri explained even if the entire corner piece is cut off and only enough remains for looping from the fringe, it is fit for use. If there does not remain enough of them for looping even one thread, where it was cut entirely, it is unusable. Therefore, when every one is doubled in two, if he cut short the ends of two, it is unusable, lest one thread be cut. But if the end of one was cut, it is fit for use. There are those who says that if three threads were cut short, it is unusable, even if there remained enough of them for looping, but if two were cut short, it is fit for use if there remains enough for looping. Accordingly, even if two ends were cut short, it is fit for use if they have enough for looping, up to the point where they cut three. My teacher, my father, the Rosh, may his memory be a blessing, agreed with the first line of reasoning.
13 â[1] 13. The four tzitzit impede one another, so that the entire time that all four are not present, it is not fringed according to its legal prescription, and one who goes out into the public domain on Shabbat is liable for a sin offering. But if it has all four, it is permissible to go out into the public domain in it, even though nowadays we do not have the teheilet.
14 â[1] 14. If a nonâJew made it, it is unusable. But a woman is fit to make it. One who borrows a tallit from his associate is exempt from affixing tzitzit to the entire thirty days; after thirty days, he is obligated. It is a question he is obligated to recite a blessing over itâs tzitzit immediately. There are those who say that he does not recite a blessing over it until after thirty days; it is unclear to my teacher, my father, the Rosh, may his memory be a blessing. Making use of his associateâs tallit without his knowledge and reciting a blessing over it: There are those who say that it is permissible, for it does well for a person to fulfill a mitzvah with his property; it is only that he should fold it if he found it folded. A jointly held tallit is liable for tzitzit.
15 â[1] 15. It is permissible to remove tzitzit from one tallit and place them on another, but he cannot take the corner piece as is, with the tzitzit, and sew it onto another garment. Had he hung the threads between two corner pieces and tied one corner piece according to its legal prescription, and the other corner piece according to its legal prescription, and subsequently cut it in the middle and separated one from the other, it is unusable. Had the tallit been torn within three fingers of the corner piece, he does not have the authority to sew it; outside three fingers, he can sew it.
16 â[1] 16. The measurement by which a tallit is made liable for tzitzit: Any in which a minor of nine years of age is able to cover his head and the majority (of his body) in it, and an adult is not ashamed to go out and about in it in the market place. But if the minorâs head and the majority (of his body) is not covered in it, even though an adult goes out and about in it in the market place, it is exempt.
17 â[1] 17. A blind man is obligated for tzitzit, but women and slaves are exempt. Hermaphrodites and androgynous persons are obligated out of doubt. Rambam wrote: âThey wrap themselves without a blessing.â He goes on, according to his method, explaining that women cannot recite a blessing over something for which they are exempt. But Rabbenu Tam wrote that they may recite a blessing, even though they are exempt, but it is better that they not recite a blessing. A minor who knows how to wrap himself: His father is required to buy tzitzit for him, to teach him.
18 â[1] 18. Night is not the time for tzitzit. There are those who say that anything which he wears at night is exempt, even if it is particular to the day, and what he wears during the day is liable even if it is particular to the night. And so wrote Rambam: It is permissible to wear tzitzit at night; it is only that he should not recite a blessing. So from what time does he recite a blessing over it in the morning? From (the time) when he can recognize (the difference) between the teheilet which is in it and the white which is in it. And my teacher, my father, may his memory be a blessing, explained that this limits only that covering particular to the night, for it is exempt even if he wears it during the day, whereas covering particular to the day or to (both) day and night is liable even if he wears it at night, and should recite a blessing over it. Sheets: Even though a person sleeps in them in the morning, the essence of their use is at night, and night covering is out of dignity.
19 â[1] 19. The obligation of tzitzit is only for a tallit which he desires to wear, but what he does not wish to wear is exempt. Therefore, he does not recite a blessing over its making âwho sanctified us with his mitzvot and commanded us to make tzitzit,â for the only mitzvah for its making is that of its wearing.
20 â[1] 20. One who purchases a fringed tallit from a Jew or from a nonâJewish trader, it is fit for use, but if he purchased it from a nonâJew who is not a trader, it is unusable. One does not sell a fringed tallit to a nonâJew.
21 â[1] 21. Tzitzit do not have inherent sanctity, for their mitzvah is in their use, and it is possible to throw them away or enter the bathroom in them. And it seems that even if he is currently engaged with their mitzvah it is permissible to have sexual relations in them. But in the Sheiltot, in the section (entitled) Shelah Lecha, he wrote that: "It is prohibited for Jews to use things that were made to fulfill the obligation of a mitzvah, such as the threads affixed to a tallit to tie some trifle. Alternatively, a hoshana for its scent, or to eat an etrog, whose mitzvah is to eat it, which we derive from blood, for the scripture stated "Pour out...and cover:" With the thing you used to pour you shall cover it. For one should not cover with his feet, in order that mitzvot not be thereby degraded. For it is specifically the use of the mitzvah; for after we have used them we may dispose of them.â Yet it is possible to differ, as it is not akin to blood, for it is different in that case, when he covers with the foot he performs the mitzvah in a degrading fashion, which is not the case here. So too did the Rambam, may his memory be a blessing, wrote: "It is permissible to enter a bathroom in tzitzit, or a bath house; should his tzitzit be rent, he may throw them into the trash heap if he wishes. But it is well to be strict.
22 â[1] 22. One who makes tzitzit for himself recites the âshehekhianuâ blessing. Upon wrapping himself in it, he recites the blessing âto wrap oneself in tzitzit.
23 â[1] 23. One who walks in the cemetery needs to lift his tzitzit, in order that it not be dragged through the cemetery, as it is in (tractate) Brakhot: Rabbi Hiya and Rabbi Yonatan were walking among graves; Rabbi Yonatanâs blue wool alighted upon graves. He said to him âRaise it, lest they say âTomorrow they come among us, yet at present they revile us,â meaning that it appears that he reviles that they are not able to uphold the mitzvot. Learn from this that it is permissible to walk in the cemetery in clothing which contains tzitzit, provided that he take care to raise them.â And the master Rabbenu Yonah wrote: âSpecifically in their days, when there were four corners on all their clothing, where it is impossible that he remove his clothing when he walks to the cemetery. But we, who do not intend them as clothing, but rather as a mitzvah, it is prohibited on account of ârebuking the poor.â
24 â[1] 24. Even though a person is not obligated to purchase a four cornered tallit in order to obligate himself for tzitzit, precisely where he wishes to be covered with a tallit of four corners, he is liable to put tzitzit on it. In any case, it is well and right for every person to take care and hasten in regard to the mitzvah of tzitzit, that he will have a small fringed garment which he will wear all day, for the essence of its mitzvah is in remembering the mitzvot, and in every hour and in every moment he therefore requires a physical representation of the thing, like a person who cautions his fellow about one matter, where he ties a knot on his belt in order that he remember it. Accordingly, there are five knots, corresponding to the five books of the Torah, and four corner pieces, where for every side to which he turns, he will remember. And greater is the punishment at this time for one who nullifies than what the punishment was at the time when the teheilet was in existence, for at that time it was not so easy to find, and not every one was able to pursue it, which is not so now. Even one who is not able to wrap himself the entire day needs to take care with it at the time of prayer. The Baâal HaItur wrote: "As for those who gather up the tzitzit at the time of the recitation of the Shema and place (them) on the eyes, it is possible that they are accustomed to do so because of "You shall see them," on account of them being under his garments. Great is the mitzvah of tzitzit, for it is weighed against all of the mitzvot, as "You shall see it and you shall remember all the mitzvot of the Lord" is written. âTzitzitâ adds up to six hundred, and eight threads and five knots are thirteen, which is six hundred and thirteen. Even though it is written lacking a âyud,â he explains in the Tanhuma: "Three times âtzitzitâ is written in the section concerning tzitzit, yet one of them is âlâtzitzit,â whereby âlâ (thirty) is sufficient for all of them, and it fills out the counting." Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: Anyone who had taken care concerning the mitzvah of tzitzit is well accounted, and sees the face of the Shekhinah. Here "You shall see it" is written and elsewhere "(The face) of the Lord your God (shall be seen)," you shall see and Him shall you serve. Resh Lakish said: Anyone who had taken care concerning the mitzvah of tzitzit is well accounted, for two thousand eight hundred servants shall attend him, as "Ten men from nations of every tongue will take hold â they will take hold of every Jew by a corner of his cloak" is stated. And of anyone who nullifies the mitzvah of tzitzit is said "So that it seizes the corners of the earth, etc." "At every moment, let your clothes be white," this is the mitzvah of tzitzit; "and your head never lack ointment," this is the mitzvah of tefillin. Rabbi Eleazar ben Yakov says: One who has tefillin on his head and on his arm, and a mezuzah on his entrance and tzitzit on his garment is assured that he will not sin, as "A threefold cord is not readily broken" is stated. And it states: "The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear Him and rescues them."
25 â[1] 25. After he has wrapped himself in tzitzit, he immediately puts on tefillin in order that they be present for him at the time of the recitation of the Shema and tefillah, for Rabbi Yohanan said: âOne who wishes to accept the yoke of Godâs sovereignty upon himself in toto should relieve himself, rinse his hands, put on tefillin and engage in the recitation of the Shema and tefillah.â And Ulla said: âAnyone who engages in the recitation of the Shema without tefillin is as if he is giving false testimony against himself.â Rabbi Hiya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: âIt is as if he brought a burnt offering without a meal offering; a sacrifice without libation.â But if he relieved himself, rinsed his hands, put on tefillin and engaged in the recitation of the Shema and tefillah, it is as if he built an altar and brought all the sacrifices onto it, as "I wash my hands in cleanness and walk about your altar, Lord" is stated. And I observed of my lord, my father the Rosh, may his memory be for a blessing, that he would be punctilious about putting them on when going through the blessings, and would recite them one after the other until âWho crowns Israel in glory,â and thereafter would put them on and recite the blessing âWho crowns Israel in glory,â since the tefillin are called âglory,â as "Put on your headdress" is stated, and are called tefillin, the terminology of pelilah, for they are a sign and witnesses for all we see, for the shekhinah alights upon us, as "And all the peoples of the earth will see that the Lordâs name is proclaimed over you" is written. We have expounded these are the head tefillin. He should have the intention when putting them on that God commanded us to insert these four sections (of the Torah) in which there are the unification of Your name and the Exodus from Egypt on the arm facing the heart, and on his head facing the brain, in order that he be reminded of the Exodus from Egypt on account of miracles and wonders which He performed on our behalf, for they instruct about His unity, that He is alone in His universe and is in possession of the power and the governance on high and below, to do with them according to His will. He should put on that of the hand first and recite the blessing âWho sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to put on tefillin,â and afterward that of the head, reciting the blessing âWho sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us concerning the mitzvah of tefillin.â Even though Rav Alfas ruled that one recites only one blessing over them both, namely âto put on,â lest he should make a verbal interruption between them when he recites the blessing for the head, âconcerning the mitzvah of tefillin.â So too did Rashi and many of the commentators write. And my lord, my father the Rosh, may his memory be for a blessing, agreed that it is acceptable to recite two blessings, even with no interruption. But if he interrupted verbally, he goes back and recites the blessing over that of the head, âto put on,â and also âconcerning the mitzvah of tefillin.â He recites the blessing over them from the moment that he begins to put them on until the moment that he fastens them on his head and on his arm. He should not interrupt between them to speak, even to answer âAmen, may His exalted name be sanctified,â or the kedushah. If he spoke, it is a transgression accounted to him, and he needs to go back and recite the blessing as explained. I observed my lord, my father the Rosh, may his memory be for a blessing, that immediately after he tied that of the hand on his arm, he would situate that of the head before he would wrap the strap around his arm, for he would say âSince the second blessing is also effective for that of the hand.â And from this reason - one does not interrupt between them - it is advisable to diminish the interruption in any way possible. But the wrapping around the arm is not based on the mitzvah. Therefore, it is best to delay until after he puts on that of the head. And any time that he puts them on during the day, he recites a blessing. Even if they loosen from their place and he handles them to return them to their place, he needs to recite a blessing.
26 â[1] 26. If he has only the one, whether that of the head or that of the hand, he puts it on and recites the blessing over it, for every single mitzvah is for its own sake. And he recites a blessing on that of the hand alone, one, and on that of the head alone, two. Even if he has two, yet has any sort of thing preventing, where he is not able to put both of them on, such as where he needs to go out on the road and is not able to do them in tandem, he may put one of them on, for neither prevents the other.
27 â[1] 27. The area of placement of that of the hand is on the left arm on the thickest part of the flesh, which is in the section between the forearm and the shoulder. He should incline it slightly to the right side, in order that when he bends his arm it will be facing his heart. There should not be anything interposed between them and his flesh. A left handed man: his ârightâ hand places on his âleft,â which is everyoneâs right. The master Rabbi Yehiel of Paris explained it is specifically where he does all of his work with his left, but if he writes with his right, even though the rest of his work with his left, its ruling is like every person. One who is ambidextrous places on the left (like) every person. He should wrap the strap around his arm until he reaches the middle finger and wrap it around it three times. The area of the head tefillin is from the beginning of the roots of his forehead hair until the end of the area where the brain of an infant pulsates, which is the entire height of the head. It is required that the knot be behind the head above the lower edge of the skull, but not below the neck, for it should be truly facing the neck, aligned with the middle of the head, and should not incline toward the side of the face in this direction or that. And it is required that it be his ornament, that the place where it appears is the form of a dalet, on the exterior side and not on the âheadâ side. He should also take care that the straps which wind around his head, that they not become reversed, in order that they be ornamental on the exterior, meaning the white is toward the hair, which is smoother, and the black color recognizable on the exterior. He should drape the straps so that they hang before him, reaching, on the right, until the navel and on the left until the breast. Some say that of the right side until the (site of the) circumcision and that of the left until the navel. The measure of their width is the length of a hair, but if he lessened or added, it does not abrogate.
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