Good morning, gentlemen. Sabah al-khair, Sabah al-noor. We will begin Siman Chet (Section 8), Mishnah Berurah (Clarified Mishnah), Siman Chet, Seif Zayin (Paragraph 7). Siman Chet, Hilchot Tzitzit (Laws of tzitzit), Seif Zayin: Tzarich lehafrid chutei tzitzit (fringes) zeh mi-zeh (from one another). Before you make the Beracha, you should separate the strings of the tzitzit one from the other. Untangle, basically untangle Al. Mishnah Berurah Yud Chet. Zeh mi-zeh, kol chut bifnei atzmo (each string by itself), shelo yiyu mesubachim echad be-chavero (so they should not be tangled one with another).
Ve-im nishtaheh lavo le-veit haknesset ve-al yedei zeh yitbatel milehitpallel be-tzibbur (if he delays coming to the synagogue and will miss praying with the congregation). Let’s say you got late, and if you tell me I have to do this to open my tzitzit, and it’s going to take me more time, I’m going to miss the Amida (Standing prayer), I’m going to miss tefillah be-tzibbur (prayer with a congregation). Katav ha-Magen Avraham de-ein tzarich ledakdek be-zeh (the Magen Avraham wrote that one need not be particular about this). Ayin Biur Halacha (Explanation of the Law). It means you don’t have to do it if that’s going to cause you to miss a Minyan (prayer quorum). The Biur Halacha brings down that others argue with the Magen Avraham (Shield of Abraham). The Magen Avraham holds that since today there’s no Techelet (blue dye), the Mitzvah is not as critical in that sense. But others, the Gaon Mi-Vilna, say yes. Katav ha-Arizal. Unbelievable, the Arizal (the Ari)—you’re going to love this one, Albert: Tzitzit rashei teivot: tzaddik yafrid tzitzitav tamid (a righteous person separates his fringes constantly). The word tzitzit hints at this Mitzvah. Tzaddik (righteous person)—you’re a tzaddik? Yes. Yafrid, you should always separate tzitzitav, your tzitzit, tamid, always.
There’s a big Shaila (question) they bring down on the side: could you do it on Shabbat? Would it be Metaken (repairing)? So some want to say this. Boys, listen very carefully. If the tzitzit are really bunched up one in the other, so that if you stick your hand in, it won’t come out easily, don’t do it on Shabbat. Don’t worry. Pasul (invalid). Don’t wear it, and don’t be Metaken on Shabbat; it’s not worth it. If you do it every day, then it’ll never happen. Right. So that’s what people say, exactly what they say, by the way: that when you put away your tzitzit in the morning when you finish praying, that’s when you should untangle them and make sure the knots are good, so the next morning you don’t have to wait and be delayed.
Seif Chet (Paragraph 8): Yichaven be-hitatfo she-tzivanu ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu lehit'atef (wrap ourselves) bo kedei she-nizkor kol mitzvotav ve-la'asotam (so that we remember all His commandments and perform them). Unbelievable, Rabotai (gentlemen): Kavanah (intention), which people do not know—most people do not know this. When you put on your tzitzit, you have to have in mind that Hashem commanded us to wrap ourselves in it in order to remember His Mitzvot. Like the Pasuk (verse) says: U-reitem oto u-zechartem et kol mitzvot Hashem va-asitem otam (You shall see it and remember all God's commandments and perform them). The whole reason for the tzitzit is to remember the Mitzvot of Hashem. Look at Mishnah Berurah Yud Tet: Yichaven be-hitatfo. Ve-zehu milvad ha-kavanah she-tzarich lechaven bi-levisha lekayem mitzvat tzitzit (this is besides the intention one needs when wearing it, to fulfill the commandment of tzitzit).
Besides the regular Kavanah of every Mitzvah, Mitzvot tzerichot kavanah (commandments require intention): every time you do a Mitzvah, you have to have in mind that you’re doing the Mitzvah le-shem mitzvah (for the sake of the mitzvah). That’s why they say le-shem yichud; we’re doing it le-shem mitzvah. Besides that Kavanah, tzitzit has an additional Kavanah: you’re doing it to remember the Mitzvot of Hashem. Hashem commanded us to do that. Ve-katav ha-Bach—there’s the famous Bach (Bayit Chadash)—she-ken ha-din bi-tefillin ve-sukkah (that the same law applies to tefillin and sukkah). Two other Mitzvot have this additional Kavanot (intentions) involved: Tefillin (phylacteries) and Sukkah (booth).
Af she-bi-shear mitzvot yotze (fulfills his obligation) af she-lo mechaven ba-davar (even if he does not have intention in the matter), ki im she-oseh ha-mitzvah le-shem Hashem she-tziva la'asotah (provided he does the Mitzvah for the sake of Hashem, who commanded him to do it). Hanei shnei, these three Mitzvot have a unique aspect to them. What is it? De-vi-tzitzit ketiv le-ma'an tizkeru (for in the passage about tzitzit it is written, “So that you may remember”). The word le-ma'an, according to the Bach, teaches an additional Kavanah is needed: I’m doing this so that you remember the Mitzvot. U-vi-tefillin le-ma'an tihyeh Torat Hashem be-picha (and about tefillin, “So that the Torah of God may be in your mouth”), so that the Torah should be on your lips. U-ve-sukkah le-ma'an yedu doroteichem (and about the sukkah, “So that your generations may know”). I always announce this by Sukkot (Feast of Booths), Rabotai: when a guy sits in the Sukkah, he has to have in mind that he’s sitting in the Sukkah to remember that Hashem took us out of Egypt, etc.
Mi-kol makom nira de-chol zeh lechatchila (in any case, it seems that all this is ideally), kedei lekayem ha-mitzvah bi-shlemutah (in order to fulfill the Mitzvah completely). All this is only Lechatchila (ideally); that’s the best thing to do. Aval bedieved (but after the fact), af im lo kiven be-chol elu rak lekayem ha-mitzvat aseh yotze (even if he did not have all these intentions, but only intended to fulfill the positive commandment, he has fulfilled it). But if you did not have these additional Kavanah, as long as you had the main Kavanah, lekayem mitzvat aseh, you’re good; that’s good. Ve-achar kach matzati ba-Pri Megadim (Fruit of the Finest) she-katav ken. He brings this down.
Come to Seif Tes (Paragraph 9), Rabotai, upstairs. Kodem sheyivareich ye'ayein bechutei hatzitzit im hem kesherim kedei shelo yivareich levatala (before he recites the blessing, he should examine the tzitzit strings to make sure they are fit, so that he does not recite a blessing in vain). Before you make the Beracha lehit'atef ba-tzitzit, check the strings to make sure you’re not making a Beracha levatala (blessing in vain). Because if the strings are no good and you make the Beracha, it’s no good—you make a Beracha levatala.
Mishnah Berurah Chaf: Ye'ayein, mashma mi-divrei ha-Bach ve-Eliyah Rabbah (The Great Elijah) de-gam be-Shabbat yesh livdok ha-tallit (it is implied from the Bach and Eliyah Rabbah that one should check the tallit even on Shabbat). Even on Shabbat. If it’s Shabbat, you can’t do anything about it. I can’t make a knot. Ayin siman taf reish mem ba-Mishnah Berurah u-Biur Halacha. There it says that people are not so careful about this. It says the right way is to do it before Shabbat. Before Shabbat comes, Eli, take your Shabbat tallit before—or Motza’ei Shabbat of the week before, the week before maybe. Bechutei hatzitzit chaf aleph, gam tzarich livdok lemala bimkom nekev ha-tallit ad ha-keshirah (with the tzitzit strings, one must also check above, where they pass through the hole in the tallit, up to the knot). You have to look not only at the strings themselves, but also further up on the tzitzit, where they’re tied to the garment. De-sham pasul afilu nifsak chut echad (there it is invalid even if one string is severed). It’s pasul if it’s ripped—the string is ripped where it’s connected to the garment. Even one string is pasul. We’re going to learn later how many strings have to be ripped for it to be a problem, but if it’s ripped at the point where it’s attached to the garment, even one string is a problem. Ayin Biur Halacha.
Levatala chaf beis. Now he’s going to have a bomb question. Af al gav de-vilo hachi yesh chashash issur she-yilbash beged daled kanfot beli tzitzit (even so, there is a concern that he will wear a four-cornered garment without tzitzit). Why does Maran say that you have to check it? You know why, Al? Because if you make the Beracha, it might be a Beracha levatala. Why doesn’t he say, “Because otherwise I’m wearing a four-cornered garment without tzitzit”? It’s a big Avon (sin), in a sense. It’s the Avon of tzitzit, not the Avon of a Beracha. I’m not saying big or small, but I mean, what happened to the main Avon of wearing tzitzit incorrectly, so you’re wearing a four-cornered garment without tzitzit? Eli, Eli, tzitzit. How are you allowed to do that?
Mi-kol makom mokminan lah a-chazakata she-hayah kasher (in any case, we place it under the presumption that it was fit). For that law, I could rely on Chazakah (presumption). Chazakah is the status quo. It was kasher yesterday; it’s kasher today. Rak mishum chumra de-lo tisa (only because of the stringency of “You shall not take”), of the sin of lo tisa, saying Hashem’s name in vain, Beracha levatala, she-yesh al birkat ha-beracha he-chmiru levodko (because of the concern about the blessing, they were stringent and required checking it). That’s how they answer Maran. Maran was saying: if you want to tell me that the tzitzit is no good, maybe it’s no good, so how can I wear it without checking it? For that I’m not worried. I would rely on the fact that it was good yesterday; the status quo is that it’s good today. Chazakah. But I want to make a Beracha. A Beracha is more strict: lo tisa, one of the Ten Commandments. There I would need to check it again. That’s one answer.
U-lefi zeh (and according to this), it’s going to be like this: Mi she-lovesh kamah begadim shel tzitzit ein tzarich livdok ela echad me-hem (someone who wears several tzitzit garments need check only one of them). Let’s say, like Rabbi Scheinberg—whoosh! I told you. He wears many tzitziyot, right? He wears many tzitziyot. So according to this, if it’s for a Beracha, all I have to make sure is that one is good. As long as you check one pair of tzitzit, now I know it’s good; my Beracha is good. I’m wearing other garments that may be no good, and I’m wearing a four-cornered garment without tzitzit; I rely on Chazakah, right?
This could have been the answer if a guy is putting on his tallit and it’s Shabbat, but he’s already wearing tzitzit. Because we don’t make a Beracha— I know. But usually we say we have Kavanah to be yotze (fulfill our obligation) with both. Only on the Beracha? Right. So it’s not going to help me on that. No, that would help the other way around.
Aval Acharonim (Later authorities) katvu de-tzarich livdok kulam (wrote that one must check them all). Acharonim say that even if you’re wearing a lot of tzitzit, you have to check them all. Why? Aleph, lo samchinan aya chazakah (we do not rely on a presumption) bimkom she-yecholim levarer (where it is possible to verify). Number one, you can’t rely on Chazakah where you could check it. Here it’s easy to check. Ve-gam de-chazakah geru'ah hi (and also, it is a weak presumption). It’s a Chazakah that’s not so strong. De-asuyin chutin lehipasek (for strings are liable to break): strings normally rip after a certain while. Lachen tzarich livdok be-chol yom ba-boker she-lovshan (therefore, one must check them every morning when he wears them). Therefore, you should check it every morning when you wear it.
Ve-az af she-peshtan ve-hesiach da'ato me-hem (then, even if he took them off and diverted his attention from them), ein tzarich lachzor ve-livdok (he need not check them again). Even though you may need a new Beracha when you wear it, be-lav hachi ein tzarich lachzor ve-livdok. De-vizman mu'at kaze ein ragil lehipasek ve-samchinan a-chazakah (during such a short time, they do not normally break, and we rely on the presumption). Let’s say you took it off for a minute, to go to the bathroom, and your mind’s off it. For that short amount of time, you’re putting it back on, okay; we can rely on a Chazakah. We’re not worried.
Afilu ba-boker im al yedei ha-bedikah yitbatel mi-tefillah be-tzibbur (even in the morning, if checking would cause him to miss prayer with a congregation), o she-kara'u lo la'alot la-Torah (or if they called him to go up to the Torah). Let’s say in the morning, by checking all these strings, I’m going to miss tefillah be-tzibbur, or they call you to go up to the Torah. You say, “Wait, I need a tallit.” Let’s say you’re in the room, you’re the only Levi (Levite). They call you, “Here’s the—” “Wait, I can’t. I have to sit there and check the strings in order to wear it.” Yachol lilbosh tallit zo bli bedikah (he may wear this tallit without checking it). No, wear it without checking. Ve-hu she-yodea she-etmol hayu ha-chutin shelemim (provided he knows that the strings were intact yesterday), as long as you know that yesterday it was good. Mi-kol makom nachon le-ayein ketzat mah de-efshar (in any case, it is proper to examine it as much as possible). It’s better to look as much as you can.
Ve-im sha'al tallit me-acher la-alot la-Torah (if he borrowed a tallit from someone else to go up to the Torah), de-minhagenu she-lo le-varech alav (since our custom is not to recite a blessing over it), ein tzarich livdok klal (he need not check it at all). But let’s say today the guy had to borrow a tallit in order to go up to the Torah. Or let’s say an Ashkenaz Kohen (Ashkenazi priest)—I have this a lot of times. There’s an Ashkenaz Kohen in the room. My son’s yeshiva is in Israel. In Israel they do Kohanim (priests) every day, like Sephardim (Sephardic Jews), but the Ashkenazim don’t wear a tallit. So the Ashkenazim are always borrowing a tallit from guys in order to make— So if you borrow a tallit, you don’t have to check the strings.
Ve-im badak ha-tallit keshe-mesir oto me-alav ve-hinicho be-kiso shelo ein tzarich lachzor ve-livdok le-machar keshe-mitatef bo (if he checked the tallit when taking it off and placed it in his own bag, he need not check it again the next day when wrapping himself in it). That’s the best thing. When you take off the tzitzit the day before, check it when you put it into your kiso (pocket), into the bag, just so the next morning you won’t have to check it because it was checked already; nothing could happen in the bag.
Good. Next Halacha (Jewish law), Seif Yud: Im lovesh tallit katan (small tallit) be-od she-ein yadav nekiyot (if he wears a small tallit while his hands are not clean), yilbashenu belo Beracha (he should wear it without a blessing). Let’s say in the morning you didn’t get a chance to wash. Don’t forget, those days they didn’t have sinks next to them; they had to go outside, they had to go where... That guy wants to get dressed; he puts on tzitzit, a tallit katan, without a Beracha. U-cheshe-yitol yadav (and when he washes his hands), ve-yemashmesh ba-tzitzit (he should handle the tzitzit). While the tzitzit is on you, I don’t have to take it off again. Take hold of the tzitzit, touch the tzitzit; you can make the Beracha on the tzitzit without putting it on. O... this is what we do: Keshe-yilbash tallit acher yivarech alav (when he puts on another tallit, he recites the blessing over it). When you wear a tallit gadol (large tallit). We don’t... When we put on tzitzit in the morning, I don’t make a Beracha. I have in mind that the tallit gadol in shul (synagogue) covers it. Ve-yichaven liftor gam et zeh ve-ein tzarich lemashmesh be-tzitziyot shel rishon (he should intend to exempt this one too, and need not handle the tzitzit of the first one). In that case, I’m putting... Let’s say I make the Beracha on my... put on the second tzitzit. I don’t have to have Mishmush (touching) on the first one.
Good. Let’s see Mishnah Berurah before we do the Daf (page). Three minutes. Mishnah Berurah Kaf-Gimmel: Yemashmesh ba-tzitzit. What does that help, yemashmesh? She-be-zeh yechashev ketzat ke-ilu lovsho az (through this, it is considered somewhat as if he were putting it on then). When you go like this, when you’re wearing tzitzit, let’s say it also applies to a guy who wears tzitzit very early in the morning, before it’s time for tzitzit, before you can see outside and it’s dark. So you take out the tzitzit, feel them, touch them; it’s like you’re wearing them anew, and then you make a Beracha.
Ve-af al gav de-kayma lan be-chol ha-mitzvot de-tzarich le-varech over la-asiyatan mamash (even though we hold that for all commandments one must recite the blessing immediately before performing them). We have a rule: you’re supposed to make a Beracha before you do the Mitzvah. How can I... I’m in the middle of the Mitzvah; I’m making the Beracha? Hacha shani mishum de-achati gavra lo chazi (here it is different because the person is not yet fit). In the case Maran discusses, the guy was not fit to wear it because his hands were dirty. So he couldn’t do it; it’s not his fault. It’s not up to him. He brings this down from the Shut Chacham Tzvi (Responsa of Chacham Tzvi). Same thing: a guy puts on the tzitzit in the bathroom. He can’t make a Beracha in the bathroom. So he puts it on, and then when he goes outside, he’s memashmesh and makes the Beracha. Same law.
Kaf-Dalet: Ve-yichaven liftor (he should intend to exempt). If he’s wearing another one, he has that one in mind. Hachi nahug bi-zmanenu (this is the custom in our times). That’s what the Mishnah Berurah says, Kaf-Dalet: this is the Minhag (custom): le-varech al tallit gadol ve-yichaven liftor ba-zeh tallit katan (recite the blessing over the large tallit and intend to exempt the small tallit with it). Make the Beracha on the big tallit, with the intention... Kach adif tefei mi-mah she-nohagim eizeh anashim she-mevarchim al tallit katan ve-terem she-mevarchim al tallit gadol she-gormim beracha she-einah tzerichah (this is preferable to what some people do, reciting a blessing over the small tallit before they recite one over the large tallit, thereby causing an unnecessary blessing).
That’s what we do: making the Beracha on the big tallit, which covers the small one, is better than what some people do. They make a Beracha on the small tzitzit and then, right after, put on the big tallit and make the same Beracha again—a Beracha she-einah tzerichah (unnecessary blessing). The Beracha is not necessary.
Ve-od, afilu im hifsik zman merubeh min ha-tallit katan le-gadol (and furthermore, even if a long time passed between the small tallit and the large one). Let’s say he says, “No, I’m wearing the tallit katan, and I’m going to learn for two hours, and then I’m going to wear the tallit gadol.” So I have, like, a big break; maybe that justifies it. Kamah pe'amim ein ra'ui le-varech alav de-katan me-ha-shiur ha-muva le-kaman o de-yashen bo ba-laylah (many times it is not proper to recite a blessing over it, because it is smaller than the measure mentioned later, or because he slept in it at night). He says there’s a lot of reasons why you could not make, you have not to say a Beracha on the small one. Number one, it might not be kasher (fit); it’s too small, or the slit on top has to be majority open. If it’s not majority open, it’s a problem. Or he slept with it at night. He slept with it at night; it can be a problem, because then you don’t make a Beracha the next day. Therefore, it’s better to make the Beracha on the morning one. We’ll stop over here, Baruch Hu.