To have Tzitzit on four-cornered garments

The mitzvah of tzitzit serves as a perpetual visual reminder to keep Hashem’s commandments. The Torah commands that every four-cornered garment worn must bear fringes, including a blue thread of techelet (wool dyed from the chilazon). The techelet thread was historically central, symbolizing both the sea and the heavens, leading one’s eyes and heart upward toward Hashem’s Throne of Glory (Menachot 43b). Rambam codifies tzitzit as a mitzvah dependent on wearing such garments, not an independent daily obligation; however, pious individuals ensure fulfillment by wearing a tallit katan. Sefer HaChinuch describes tzitzit as a tactile signpost binding Jews to constant mindfulness of mitzvot.

Commentary & Classical Explanation:

• Rambam (Hilchot Tzitzit 3:11–12): Tzitzit remind a Jew of all the mitzvot; the mitzvah applies whenever a four-cornered garment is worn.
• Talmud (Menachot 43b): Techelet resembles the sea, which resembles the heavens, which resembles the Throne of Glory — linking tzitzit to Divine awareness.
• Rashi (Num. 15:39): Tzitzit restrain the eyes and heart from straying after sinful desires.
• Ramban (Num. 15:38): The fringes bind the Jew to Hashem’s kingship; techelet represents eternal covenant.
• Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 386): Tzitzit cultivate constant mindfulness and spiritual discipline, drawing holiness into daily activity.
• Midrash Tanchuma (Shelach 15): Tzitzit are Hashem’s personal seal upon Israel, marking them as His servants.

Contrast with Mitzvah 79 (To wear Tefillin on the head)

• Both tefillin and tzitzit are visible mitzvot serving as signs (ot) between Israel and Hashem. Tefillin are bound upon the body, while tzitzit are woven into clothing. Rambam explains that tefillin sanctify thought and action, while tzitzit sanctify presence and appearance. Sefer HaChinuch emphasizes tzitzit as an “enveloping” reminder, complementing tefillin’s internal discipline.

Parallel with Mitzvah 6 (To sanctify His Name)

• Just as Kiddush Hashem requires public identification with faith, tzitzit visibly mark the Jew as Hashem’s servant. Rashi interprets tzitzit as protecting from sin through public display, paralleling Kiddush Hashem in that the garment testifies to covenantal loyalty.

Tekhelet in Torah and Tradition

The Torah (Numbers 15:38) commands not only that tzitzit be placed on the corners of garments, but that each set of fringes include a thread of tekhelet — a sky-blue wool. The Talmud (Menachot 43b) explains that tekhelet resembles the sea, which resembles the sky, which resembles the Throne of Glory — transforming a physical garment into a chain of reminders ascending toward Hashem’s majesty.

Halachically, the mitzvah has two independent components: white threads and a blue thread. When tekhelet is available, the mitzvah is fulfilled in full; when it is not, one still fulfills the mitzvah with white alone (Menachot 38a).

The Chilazon and Its Disappearance

The Torah specifies that tekhelet must come from a sea creature called the chilazon (Shabbat 26a). The dye was costly and rare; the Gemara (Menachot 44a) notes that its discovery was unpredictable, sometimes surfacing only rarely. By the Geonic period and certainly by the early Middle Ages, the chilazon’s identity was lost. The mitzvah of tekhelet effectively became dormant, with Jews wearing only white tzitzit.

Kabbalistic works (Zohar, Parashat Shelach 173a; writings of the Arizal) note that the absence of tekhelet reflects a diminished spiritual era — that the restoration of tekhelet would accompany the Messianic age.

Modern Rediscovery Efforts

From the 19th century onward, rabbis and scholars sought to re-identify the chilazon:

• Radziner Rebbe, R. Gershon Henoch Leiner (1839–1891): Argued the chilazon was the cuttlefish, producing dye from it and distributing tekhelet-dyed tzitzit. Many Chassidim followed him, though others (notably R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor) rejected his findings, pointing out the dye was chemically indistinguishable from synthetic blue.
• Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Herzog (1888–1959): In his doctoral research, he investigated multiple candidates, including mollusks. He leaned toward the Murex trunculus snail but concluded evidence was not yet decisive.
• Late 20th century onward: Chemical studies showed that dye from Murex trunculus can indeed produce the distinctive blue described by Hazal, especially when processed in sunlight. Groups such as Ptil Tekhelet in Israel now produce tzitzit strings dyed from the murex and distribute them widely.

Divergent Halachic Approaches

1. Mainstream Chassidic & Lithuanian Rulings: Many leading poskim (e.g. R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach) did not endorse the renewed tekhelet. Their concern: the identity of the chilazon is still not absolutely proven, and kabbalistic tradition suggests tekhelet will only return in the Messianic era. The fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe (R. Sholom DovBer Schneersohn) explicitly taught that tekhelet will be restored by Eliyahu in the time of redemption.
2. Modern Religious Zionist & Some Sephardic Opinions: Other authorities, such as R. Hershel Schachter (Yeshiva University), R. Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, and R. Ovadia Yosef (cautiously), acknowledged the credibility of the Murex trunculus identification. Many Religious Zionist communities now wear tzitzit with tekhelet strings, seeing it as a restoration of a Biblical commandment.
3. Halachic Middle Ground: Some poskim argue that since tekhelet is a safek (uncertain), one may add a blue string but cannot be criticized for not doing so. Others argue that uncertainty invalidates, preferring to maintain the ancient minhag of white-only until full clarity arrives.

Symbolism and Contemporary Reflection

• Identity & Nobility: Tekhelet was historically associated with kingship and the priesthood. By wearing it, the Jew is constantly reminded of being part of Hashem’s “kingdom of priests” (Exod. 19:6).
• Messianic Anticipation: The debate itself mirrors tzipita l’yeshuah — awaiting redemption. Some say every blue string today is a step toward restoration; others say its very absence reminds us to yearn for Moshiach.
• Unity and Diversity: White tzitzit alone remain fully valid; blue threads, where worn, carry centuries of yearning fulfilled in partial rediscovery. Both practices express fidelity to Torah, differing only in emphasis — one on mesorah (tradition), one on renewal.

Tekhelet is both a halachic thread and a symbolic one — binding sea, sky, and heaven; past, present, and future. Its reappearance in our day has reignited ancient debates, embodying the tension between tradition and discovery, and reminding every Jew who wears tzitzit — whether white or blue — that we stand daily before the Throne of Glory.

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