Today’s daf TB
Shabbat 27 continues a very intricate and complicated discussion about which
type of material and how large the material has to be to be susceptible to
ritual impurity. Although most of the discussion doesn’t have any practicality
in today’s world, one discussion initiated by Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak impacts
everybody who makes a tallit.
“Rav Naḥman bar
Yitzḥak also said that those statements of the tanna
of the school of Rabbi Yishmael do not refer to the halakhot of ritual
impurity. They refer to another topic. In his opinion, the tanna of the
school of Rabbi Yishmael came to say that just as the halakhot of
leprosy are limited to garments made from wool or linen, so too, all garments
mentioned in the Torah are made from wool and linen. This comes to include
the law of ritual fringes; the obligation of ritual fringes applies only
to those materials. The Gemara asks: Why is that derivation necessary? With
regard to ritual fringes it is written explicitly: “You shall not wear
diverse kinds, wool and linen together” (Deuteronomy 22:11); and juxtaposed to
it, it is written: “You shall make for you twisted fringes upon the four
corners of your covering, with which you cover yourself” (Deuteronomy 22:12).
From the juxtaposition of these two verses it is derived that the mitzva of
ritual fringes applies only to garments to which the laws of diverse kinds
apply. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak responded that the matter is not so clear, as it
could have entered your mind to say in accordance with the statement of Rava.
As Rava raised a contradiction: On the one hand, it is written: “And
that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of sky blue” (Numbers 15:39); apparently,
the threads of the ritual fringes must be of the same type of fabric as
the corner of the garment. However, in Deuteronomy, in the laws
of ritual fringes, it is written in juxtaposition to the laws of diverse
kinds: Wool and linen together. The ritual fringes may only be made of
those materials. How can that contradiction be resolved? Rather,
Rava says: Ritual fringes made of wool and linen exempt the garment and
fulfill the obligation of ritual fringes whether the garment is of
their own type, wool or linen, whether it is not of their own type.
Whereas with regard to other types, a garment of their own type,
they exempt; a garment not of their own type, they do not
exempt. It would have entered your mind to explain this in accordance
with the approach of Rava. Therefore, the tanna taught us
that the obligation of ritual fringes applies only to wool and linen and not to
other materials.” (Srfaia.org translation)
According to Rav
Nahman bar Yitzhak only four cornered garments made out of wool or linen
require tzitziot from the Torah. Rava disagrees and teaches that all four
cornered garments need tzitziot from the Torah. Wool and linen thread can be
used as tziziot for any garment made of any material. If the garment is made of
any other material other than wool or linen, only tzitziot of that material is
kosher for tzitziot for that specific garment.
Poskim from the
Geonim on have disagreed on the question whether non wool or linen four
cornered clothing are obligate from the Torah to have tzitziot. There are those
who agree with Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak including the Shulchan Aruch (Orech
Hayyim 9:1). There are those who agree with Rava including the Rema who wrote a
gloss on the Shulchan Aruch for the Ashkenazi world. The Rema also decides in favor
of Rava writing that wool and linen thread can be used as tziziot for any
garment made of any material. (ibid, ibid.2)
My wife Judy has
taught many women how to make their own talitot (plural for tallit). These
talitot are quite beautiful and unique. She is available to teach other women
how to make their own talitot and enhance their prayer experience once the
pandemic is over. By the way, she follows the opinion of Rava as codified by
the Rama.
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