http://www.tallit-shop.com/?post_type=post&p=4497To get an review or introduction to any place of halacha, the Rambam is invariably a very good area to start off. Underneath is a translation of the guidelines of tzitzit in the Rambam's magnum opus, Mishneh Torah.
Rambam: The Guidelines of Tzitzit
HALACHA OF TZITZIT - CHAPTER A single
Halacha one
The tassel that is manufactured on the fringes of a garment from the identical cloth as the garment is named
tzitzit, due to the fact it resembles the locks of the head, as is created, "And he took me by the locks of my head." (Ezekiel eight:three).
This tassel is named the white [stings], due to the fact we are not commanded to dye it. The Torah did not build a fixed range of strands for this tassel.
Halacha two
Then we just take a strand of wool that is dyed a sky-like shade and wind it all around this tassel. This strand is named
techelet. The Torah did not build a fixed need for the range of moments that this strand must be wound [all around the tassel].
Halacha three
Hence, this mitzvah is made up of two commandments: to make a tassel on the fringe [of a garment], and to wind a strand oftechelet all around the tassel. [Equally these measurements are indicated by Amounts fifteen:38, which] states: "And you shall make tassels... and you shall area on the tassels of the corner a strand of techelet."
Halacha four
The [absence of] techelet does not avert [the mitzvah from staying fulfilled with] the white strands, nor does the [absence of] the white strands avert [the mitzvah from staying fulfilled with] techelet.
What is implied? A man or woman who does not have techelet must make [tzitzit] from white strands by yourself. Equally, if [tzitzit] ended up manufactured from equally white strands and techelet, and afterwards, the white strands snapped and ended up diminished right up until [they did not prolong outside of] the corner [of the garment], and hence only the techelet remained, it is satisfactory.
Halacha five
Despite the fact that the [absence of] a single does not avert [the mitzvah from staying fulfilled with] the other, they are not regarded as two mitzvot. As a substitute, they are a simple mitzvah. No matter whether [the tzitzit] a man or woman wears on his garment are white, techelet or a mix of the two hues, he fulfills a simple mitzvah.
The Early Sages relevant: "And they shall be tzitzit for you" (Amounts fifteen:39). This teaches that they are equally a single mitzvah.
The [existence of every single of the] 4 tzitzit is needed [for the mitzvah to be fulfilled], due to the fact all 4 are [factors] of a simple mitzvah.
Halacha six
How are the tzitzit manufactured? A single commences from the corner of a garment, i.e., the conclude of its woven part. A single ascends upward no far more than several fingerbreadths from the edge, but no a lot less than the length from the knuckle of the thumb to its conclude.
[A hole is manufactured] and 4 strands inserted, [triggering them] to be folded in 50 %. Hence, there will be 8 strands hanging down from the corner. These 8 strands ought to be at the very least 4 fingerbreadths prolonged. If they are longer – even if they are a cubit or two prolonged – it is satisfactory. The expression "fingerbreadth" refers to a thumbbreadth.
A single of the 8 strands must be techelet the other 7 must be white.
Halacha seven
Afterwards, a single must just take a single of the white strands and wind it after all around the other strands shut to the edge of the garment and permit it go. Then a single normally requires the strand that was dyed techelet and winds it 2 times [all around the other strands], up coming to the coil manufactured by the white strand, and then ties the strands in a knot. These several coils are named a section.
Afterwards, a single must depart a minor place, and then make a 2nd section employing only the strand that was dyed techelet. Yet again, a single must depart a minor place, and then make a 3rd section [employing only the strand that was dyed techelet for this section as effectively]. A single must proceed in this fashion right up until the closing section, which is manufactured of two coils of techelet and a closing coil employing a white strand. Considering that a single commenced with a white strand, a single concludes with it, due to the fact a single must constantly ascend to a increased stage of holiness, but never ever descend.
Why must a single start off employing a white strand? So that [the coil that is] up coming to the corner of the garment must be equivalent to [the garment alone].
The identical routine is followed with regards to all 4 corners.
Halacha eight
How a lot of segments must be manufactured at every single corner? No much less than several and no far more than 13.
[The earlier mentioned] represents the most preferable way of doing the mitzvah. If, even so, a single wound only a single section all around the strands, it is satisfactory. Must a single wind the techelet all around the greater part of the [duration of the] tzitzit, it is satisfactory. For the techelet to be beautiful, [even so,] all the segments must be in the higher 3rd of the strands, and the [remaining] two thirds must hang free.
A single ought to individual the strands like the locks of one's hair.
Halacha nine
A man or woman who can make [tzitzit employing only] white threads with no employing techelet must just take a single of the 8 strands and wind it all around the other folks, covering a single 3rd of [the duration of] the strands and leaving two thirds hanging free.
When winding [this strand all around the other folks], a single may possibly develop segments as a single does when winding the techelet, if a single wishes. This is our personalized. If, even so, a single wishes to wind [the strand all around the other folks] with no producing segments, a single may possibly.
The standard theory is that a single must intend that a single-3rd of the tzitzit be bound, and two-thirds hang free. There are people, even so, who are not specific about this make any difference when [producing tzitzit] with white threads [by yourself].
Must a single wind a white thread all around the greater part [of the duration] of the strands or must a single make only a simple section, [the tzitzit] are satisfactory.
Halacha ten
Equally the white strands and people dyed techelet may possibly be manufactured out of entwined strands. Even a strand that is manufactured from 8 threads entwined into a simple strand is regarded as only a simple strand in this context.
Halacha eleven
Equally the white strands of the tzitzit and people dyedtechelet ought to be spun for the sake of staying utilised for [the mitzvah of] tzitzit.
[Tzitzit] may possibly not be manufactured from wool which will become connected to thorns when sheep graze amid them, nor from hairs which are pulled off the bestial, and not from the leftover strands of the woof which the weaver leaves about when he completes a garment. Fairly, they ought to be manufactured from shorn wool or from flax.
[Tzitzit] may possibly not be manufactured from wool which was stolen, which arrived from an ir hanidachat, or which arrived from a consecrated bestial. If these wool was utilised, it is unacceptable. If a man or woman bows down to an bestial, its wool is not satisfactory for use for tzitzit. If, even so, a single bows down to flax which is planted, it is satisfactory, due to the fact it has been transformed.
Halacha twelve
Tzitzit that ended up manufactured by a gentile are not permitted, as [implied by Amounts fifteen:38, which] states: "Converse to the young children of Israel... and you shall make tzitzit for yourselves." If, even so, a Jew manufactured tzitzit with no the intention [that they be utilised for the mitzvah], they are satisfactory.
Tzitzit that are manufactured from people presently active are not satisfactory.
Halacha thirteen
What is implied? Must a man or woman provide the corner of a garment which has tzitzit connected to it and sew it onto one more garment, it is not satisfactory. [This applies] even if that corner of the garment is a square cubit in dimensions.
[This principle is derived from Amounts fifteen:38, which] states: "And you shall make tzitzit for yourselves,"В i.e., [you must make them] and not [use people] which ended up manufactured formerly, considering that this would be as if [the mitzvah] arrived about on its possess accord.
It is permissible to take away strands [of tzitzit] – no matter whether white or techelet – from a single garment and tie them on one more.
Halacha fourteen
Must a single suspend the strands amongst two corners of the garment and tie [tzitzit on] every single of the corners in the suitable fashion, and then individual them from every single other,twelve it is unacceptable.
[The rationale is] that, at the time they ended up tied, they ended up unacceptable, considering that the two corners ended up related with every single other by means of the strands. When the strands ended up minimize, two tzitzit ended up manufactured. This is regarded as producing tzitzit from people which presently exist.
Halacha fifteen
[The next policies implement when] a man or woman ties tzitzit about active tzitzit: Must [he tie the 2nd set] with the intention of nullifying the very first set, if he unties or cuts off the very first set, the tzitzit are satisfactory.
Must, even so, [he have tied the 2nd set] with the intention of incorporating [a 2nd tzitzit, the tzitzit] are not satisfactory even however he cuts a single of them off. When he extra the 2nd tzitzit, he disqualified equally sets, and when he unties or cuts off the added a single, the remaining a single is [disqualified due to the fact it includes] producing [tzitzit] from people which are presently active, considering that the fashion in which it existed formerly was not satisfactory.
Halacha sixteen
Equally, all the tzitzit of a garment are unacceptable18 [in the next instance]: A man or woman put tzitzit on a garment that had several corners.19 afterwards, he manufactured the garment a fourth corner and put tzitzit on it. [This is also excluded by the commandment to "make braids" (Deuteronomy 22:twelve), [which implies that a single may possibly not use people] which ended up manufactured formerly.
Halacha seventeen
A gar