Tzitzit — Rambam

Tzitzit

Tzitzit — Rambam en Bet HaMidrash: el texto hebreo y su traducción al español, con Rashi y los grandes comentaristas. Gratis, en línea.

עָנָף שֶׁעוֹשִׂין עַל כְּנַף הַבֶּגֶד מִמִּין הַבֶּגֶד הוּא הַנִּקְרָא צִיצִית מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא דּוֹמֶה לְצִיצִית שֶׁל רֹאשׁ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל ח ג) ״וַיִּקָּחֵנִי בְּצִיצִת רָאשִׁי״. וְזֶה הֶעָנָף הוּא הַנִּקְרָא לָבָן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ מְצֻוִּין לְצָבְעוֹ. וְאֵין לְחוּטֵי הֶעָנָף מִנְיָן מִן הַתּוֹרָה:The tassel that is made on the fringes of a garment, translated as "tassel," literally means "branch." Just as a branch is an extension of the tree, the tzitzit are extensions of the fringes. from the same fabric as the garment is called tzitzit, (braids). because it resembles the locks of the head, as [Ezekiel 8:3] relates, "And he took me by the locks of my head."This tassel is called the white [strands], because we are not commanded to dye it. The Torah did not establish a fixed number of strands for this tassel. 88b concludes that the essence of the mitzvah of tzitzit is a Torah obligation; its explanation, however, is Rabbinic in origin.Significantly, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 11:12) rules that if one includes more than eight strands in tzitzit, they are unacceptable. Shulchan Aruch HaRav 11:1 goes further and states that by doing so, one violates the prohibition forbidding adding to a Torah commandment. Note the Mishnah Berurah 11:60, which quotes other opinions that differ.

וְלוֹקְחִין חוּט צֶמֶר שֶׁנִּצְבַּע כְּעֵין הָרָקִיעַ וְכוֹרְכִין אוֹתוֹ עַל הֶעָנָף וְחוּט זֶה הוּא הַנִּקְרָא תְּכֵלֶת. וְאֵין לְמִנְיַן הַכְּרִיכוֹת שֶׁכּוֹרֵךְ חוּט זֶה שִׁעוּר מִן הַתּוֹרָה:Then we take a strand of wool that is dyed a sky-like color 43b relates that this color is also reminiscent of God's throne. and wind it around this tassel. This strand is called techelet. The Torah did not establish a fixed requirement for the number of times that this strand should be wound [around the tassel]. 39a requires that the strand of techelet be wound at least seven times around the tassel, as explained in Halachah 8. This is a Rabbinic ordinance.

נִמְצְאוּ בְּמִצְוָה זוֹ שְׁנֵי צַוִּים. שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה עַל הַכָּנָף עָנָף יוֹצֵא מִמֶּנָּה. וְשֶׁיִּכְרֹךְ עַל הֶעָנָף חוּט תְּכֵלֶת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טו לח) ״וְעָשׂוּ לָהֶם צִיצִת״ (במדבר טו לח) ״וְנָתְנוּ עַל צִיצִת הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת״:Thus, this mitzvah contains two commandments: to make a tassel on the fringe [of a garment], and to wind a strand of techelet around the tassel. [Both these dimensions are indicated by Numbers 15:38, which] states: "And you shall make tassels... and you shall place on the tassels of the corner a strand of techelet."

וְהַתְּכֵלֶת אֵינוֹ מְעַכֵּב אֶת הַלָּבָן וְהַלָּבָן אֵינוֹ מְעַכֵּב אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת. כֵּיצַד. הֲרֵי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ תְּכֵלֶת עוֹשֶׂה לָבָן לְבַדּוֹ. וְכֵן אִם עָשָׂה לָבָן וּתְכֵלֶת וְנִפְסַק הַלָּבָן וְנִתְמַעֵט עַד הַכָּנָף וְנִשְׁאַר הַתְּכֵלֶת לְבַדּוֹ כָּשֵׁר:The [absence of] techelet does not prevent [the mitzvah from being fulfilled with] the white strands, nor does the [absence of] the white strands prevent [the mitzvah from being fulfilled with] techelet. 4:4.) As explained in the following halachah, however, unlike tefillin, they are counted as one mitzvah and not two.What is implied? A person who does not have techelet should make [tzitzit] from white strands alone.. Even in Talmudic times, when techelet was available, it was very expensive, and many of the common people made their tzitzit without it. Similarly, if [tzitzit] were made from both white strands and techelet, and afterwards, the white strands snapped and were reduced until [they did not extend beyond] the corner [of the garment], 4:1. and thus only the techelet remained, it is acceptable. emphasizes that the Rambam does not accept tzitzit that were made from techelet without any white strands. Since the verse states, "and you shall place on the tassels of the corner a strand of techelet," there must be tassels of white strands around which to wind the techelet. Once this has been done, however, if the white strands are severed, one can still fulfill the mitzvah with the techelet alone.

אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין אֶחָד מֵהֶן מְעַכֵּב אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ אֵינָן שְׁתֵּי מִצְוֹת אֶלָּא מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה אַחַת. אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים (במדבר טו לט) ״וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִית״ מְלַמֵּד שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם מִצְוָה אַחַת. וְאַרְבַּע צִיצִיּוֹת מְעַכְּבוֹת זוֹ אֶת זוֹ שֶׁאַרְבַּעְתָּן מִצְוָה אַחַת. וְהַלּוֹבֵשׁ טַלִּית שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ לָבָן אוֹ תְּכֵלֶת אוֹ שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד הֲרֵי קִיֵּם מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה אַחַת:Although the [absence of] one does not prevent [the mitzvah from being fulfilled with] the other, they are not considered as two mitzvot., the Rambam writes:One might think that since neither is dependent on the other, they would be counted as two mitzvot.... [Nevertheless,] they are a single mitzvah... because they have a single objective, "that you remember all the mitzvot...." All the elements that bring about this remembrance are counted as a single mitzvah. Instead, they are a single mitzvah. (Positive Commandment 14) and Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 386). Whether [the tzitzit] a person wears on his garment are white, techelet, or a combination of the two colors, he fulfills a single mitzvah. The Sages of the early generations related: [Numbers 15:39 states:] "And they shall be tzitzit for you." This teaches that they are both one mitzvah. The [presence of each of the] four tzitzit is necessary [for the mitzvah to be fulfilled], because all four are [elements] of a single mitzvah.

Mishneh Torah, Fringes.1