Menachot 41a — the Talmud in English

And it was taught in a baraita: A tallit in which a minor can cover his head

and most of his body ![](pamud.bmp "

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and an adult can go out in it

the marketplace

occasionally

and is not embarrassed—this is the measure of the tallit that is

obligated in tzitzit. 57 .

But if

the minor cannot cover his head and most of his body in it,

then

even though an adult can go out in it occasionally, it is exempt

from the obligation of tzitzit,

and so

the law is

with regard to kilayim!

And we examine it:

What is “and so with regard to kilayim”?

To what matter did it compare tzitzit to kilayim?

If you say

that the intention of the baraita is to teach

that so

is the law

with regard to the prohibition of kilayim.

That a tallit that is smaller than the measure mentioned in the baraita may be made of wool and linen, and there is no prohibition of kilayim in this—it is impossible to say so, [for

we learned in the Mishna: “There is no occasional use with kilayim,”

and even a small garment with which one would be embarrassed to go out occasionally to the marketplace is forbidden on account of kilayim!]]

And Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said: “And so with regard to a linen sheet with tzitzit,”

meaning that the intention of the baraita is to compare the measure of tzitzit to kilayim: if he has a large linen garment that has the measure requiring tzitzit, it is permitted to place in it tekhelet of wool, and he need not be concerned about the prohibition of kilayim. But if the garment is small and does not have the measure requiring tzitzit, one may not place tekhelet in it, because he is wearing kilayim where there is no mitzva of tzitzit.

And if so, it is explicit in the baraita that it is forbidden to place wool and linen in a tallit that does not have the measure of tzitzit. And this is difficult for Rav Matana, who said that it is permitted to place tekhelet in a linen garment, even in a tallit exempt from tzitzit: what is that exempt tallit?

And we answer:

Rather, what is the meaning of “exempt”? He placed [additional tzitzit] on one already bearing [tzitzit].

If he placed additional tzitzit in a linen garment upon the first ones, and they contain tekhelet of wool, there is no prohibition of kilayim, even though with the additional tzitzit he is not fulfilling the mitzva of tzitzit, for kilayim was entirely permitted with tzitzit.

And we object:

But

already

did Rabbi Zeira say this once?

Above, that if he placed [tzitzit] on one already bearing [tzitzit], it is valid. And since it was newly taught there that he may remove whichever he wishes, the first or the latter, and it is valid, it is obvious that there is tzitzit on both of them, and there is no prohibition of kilayim.

And we answer:

One [teaching] was stated by implication of the other.

For in truth, the law that kilayim is “permitted” even in a tallit exempt from tzitzit was learned by Rav Zeira from the first law, that “if he placed [tzitzit] on one already bearing [tzitzit], it is valid.”

The Sages taught: A doubled tallit,

which was as long as two [tallitot] and he folded it,

is obligated in tzitzit.

And he places the tzitzit at the place of the fold—that is, on the four corners when it is folded.

And Rabbi Shimon exempts

from placing tzitzit in it, because if he places tzitzit at the place of the fold, it turns out that when he unfolds it, the tzitzit will be in its middle. 60 .

And Rabbi Shimon and the Rabbis agree

in this

that if he folded it and sewed it, it is obligated,

because through the sewing it will not unfold.

And we object: if

he sewed it

literally,

it is obvious

that it is obligated, for now this is its form?

And we answer:

No, it is necessary [to teach this] where he fastened it with pins,

for he joined it by means of pins, which is not permanent sewing.

Rabba bar Huna happened to come to the house of Rava bar Rav Nahman. He saw him covered in a doubled tallit

[which was not fastened with pins],

and he had placed threads over the fold

[and the tzitzit threads were at the place of the fold].

It unfolded

[the tallit unfolded]

and the thread came and stood opposite the head

[and its threads were found in the middle, beside the head of Rava bar Rav Nahman].

He said to him

Rabba bar Huna said to him: In such a manner, in which the threads stand in the middle of the tallit,

“This is not the corner of which the Merciful One wrote in the Torah!”

For a corner is the edge of the garment.

Rava bar Rav Nahman came

Rava bar Rav Nahman

threw it off

this garment,

and covered himself with another cloak.

He said to him

Rabba bar Huna

Do you think

tzitzit

is an obligation of the man,

so that through your actions you have accomplished the fulfillment of the mitzva of tzitzit in another tallit, and you do not care that the doubled tallit should remain as it was? No, tzitzit

is an obligation of the tallit!

Even when you are not wearing it, it is liable for tzitzit. Therefore

go, place it

tzitzit on this doubled tallit, since its fold has been undone.

And we say:

Let us say that this supports

Rabba bar Huna, who holds that tzitzit is an obligation of the tallit. For we learned:

The early pious ones, as soon as they wove into it

in the tallit a length of

three

fingerbreadths, which is the measure of a garment,

they would place tekhelet in it

immediately, at the time of weaving, even before the garment was completed and fit to be worn. And if the beginning of the obligation is with wearing, is this not still before the time of obligation? And it is proven that the mitzva is upon the tallit.

And we reject this.

The early pious ones were different,

the early ones,

for they were stringent upon themselves.

And we say: Rabba bar Huna, who holds that tzitzit is an obligation of the tallit,

disagrees with the angel

[in this he differs from the words of the angel].

For the angel

[an angel]

encountered Rav Ketina

who was covered

with a

linen sheet

that did not have tzitzit, because they decreed not to place tzitzit in it on account of a night garment.

He said to him

the angel said to him:

“Ketina, Ketina!”

Since you cover yourself with a

linen sheet

in which tzitzit are not placed

in the summer

[in summer],

and

with a

cloak

[which is a garment whose edges are rounded and which has only two corners below, and is exempt from tzitzit] you cover yourself

in the winter.

If so,

what will become of tzitzit?

When will you fulfill the mitzva of tzitzit?

Rav said to him

Rav Ketina said to the angel: Is it the case that in Heaven

you punish for a positive commandment ?

For a person is not obligated to purchase a tallit that is obligated in tzitzit in order to place tzitzit in it. Rather, only if he is wearing a garment that has four corners is he obligated to place tzitzit in it. Why, then, did you say to me, “What will become of tzitzit”?

He said to him

the angel said to him: Indeed, in ordinary times Heaven does not punish one who does not purchase a garment obligated in tzitzit, but

when there is wrath

in the world

we punish

even for failure to fulfill a positive commandment.

And the Gemara clarifies the angel’s words:

Granted, if you say that it is an obligation of the man,

it is understood:

this is why he is liable

for punishment in a time of wrath, because

he does not place

tzitzit upon himself.

But if you say that it is an obligation of the tallit,

it is difficult, for a linen sheet and a cloak

are not obligated

in tzitzit; why should he be punished for not having a garment that is obligated?

And we object:

Rather, what

do you say,

that it is an obligation of the man?

There is still a difficulty:

Granted that the Merciful One obligated

[him] in tzitzit, this is when

he covers himself

[when he has already covered himself] with a

tallit that is subject to obligation,

but

when he covers himself with a tallit that is not subject to obligation, did the Merciful One obligate him!?

Rather,

it must be that

this is what he said to him

the angel said to Ketina:

Stratagems

[devices] you are making

to exempt yourself from tzitzit!

And this he certainly is not permitted to do—to make stratagems in order to exempt himself from the mitzva. Hence, even if tzitzit is an obligation of the tallit, this is not proper, and therefore he is punished for it in a time of wrath. 62 .

Rav Tuvya bar Kisna said in the name of Shmuel: Garments in a chest,

that is, tallitot suitable for tzitzit, even though they are folded and placed in a chest, nevertheless, since they are intended to be covered with, they are considered your covering, “with which you cover yourself,” and

they are obligated

they are

in tzitzit.

And Shmuel concedes: in the case of an old man who made it

this tallit

for his honor,

so that it would be his shroud after he died,

it is exempt

from tzitzit.

What is the reason?

“With which you cover yourself,” the Merciful One said,

and

this one was not made for covering.

Nevertheless,

at that time

after he dies, when they cover him with shrouds,

we certainly place upon it

tzitzit on this tallit

because of

the verse

“He who mocks the poor blasphemes his Maker,”

for if tzitzit are not placed on them, it appears as though one is mocking the dead, as though saying to him: You are exempt from the mitzvot.

Rehava said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda: A tallit that was torn

if

outside three

fingerbreadths from the edge of the garment it was torn,

he may sew it.

And we did not fear that perhaps some remnant of the sewing thread would remain, and he would place it in the tallit and add another thread to it until there would be four threads for the sake of tzitzit [and if he did so, the tallit would not be valid, for this thread that remained from the sewing is not fit for tzitzit, since specifically “you shall make,” and not from what has already been made, is required; and this remaining thread has already been made]. And the reason that we did not fear this is that since he is sewing outside three fingerbreadths from the edge of the garment, this is not a place for placing tzitzit.

But if the tallit was torn

within three

fingerbreadths from the edge of the garment

he may not sew it,

since this is the place of the tzitzit, they were concerned that he might leave a thread from the sewing and make it tzitzit, and it would be invalid 64 .

It was taught likewise: A tallit that was torn beyond three

fingerbreadths—

he may sew it

Within three

fingerbreadths,

Rabbi Meir says: he may not sew it, and the Sages say: he may sew it.

And from the words of Rabbi Meir it is proved in accordance with what Rahava said in the name of Rabbi Judah 66 .

And the beraita continues:

And Rabbi Meir and the Sages agree

on this matter

that he may not bring

a piece of cloth

even

if it is large,

one cubit by one cubit, from another place [

another cloth]

and attach tekhelet to it,

because it is written, “And they shall make for themselves tzitzit on the corners of their garments,” meaning that at the time of attaching the tzitzit, its attachment must be onto the garment, whereas here this corner was not part of this garment at the time the tzitzit was made 68 .

And they agree,

Rabbi Meir and the Sages, also on this matter,

that he brings

and permits

tekhelet [

that is, tzitzit]

from another place

from another garment

and attaches it to it

to this garment,