Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email

Are tzitzis still kosher if the hole rips?

As we have learned, there are very specific areas of the garment where the holes for the tzitzis strings must be located. The hole must be on the area defined as the corner, but not too close to the edge. If the hole was made properly when the tzitzis were hung but it later ripped or widened to an area close to the edge of the garment, the tzitzis are still kosher. The halacha only demands that the tzitzis should be made properly at the outset, not that the hole must remain in that spot.

[שו"ע יא, י, ומשנ"ב נ]

Why is there a border sewn around the hole on the garment?

There is a concern that if people were to see a person wearing tzitzis with a ripped hole, they might come to think that the tzitzis were made l’chatchilah in that fashion. To prevent this misunderstanding, Rema quotes the custom of sewing a border around the hole so that it should not rip. There is also a minhag to sew a border at the edge of the garment to prevent the garment from ripping. In light of this concern, it is certainly forbidden to deliberately lower the tzitzis strings by ripping the hole. Some say that if one does, the tzitzis will be pasul.

[שו"ע יא, י, ומשנ"ב נא; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 66]

Is an extension of a garment considered part of the garment?

If a garment has an extension which is not woven properly, it is not considered a part of the garment. Therefore, the tzitzis should only be hung from the actual garment and not the extension. The extension does, however, count towards the three fingers’ width distance to the hole. Regarding the minimum distance from the edge of the garment to the hole, there is a disagreement about whether it should be measured from the edge of the garment or the edge of the extension. To avoid any questions, it is best not to add any extensions to a garment.

[שו"ע יא, יא, ומשנ"ב נד ו־נז; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 70]

The hole from which the tzitzis hang must be on the kanaf (corner) of the garment. There cannot be a space of more than three fingers’ width from the hole to the edge of the garment. There are various opinions on how to define a finger’s width.

The hole may not be placed squarely on the edge of the garment; it should be made slightly above the edge. The distance from the edge of the garment to the hole must be at least equivalent to the distance from the upper joint of the thumb to the top of the average thumbnail.

For many, it is customary to make only one hole on each corner of the garment. Some have a custom to tighten the knot of the tzitzis so that the corner scrunches together. This ensures that the tzitzis hang from the corner of the garment. Others do not tighten the knot and allow the tzitzis to hang freely so as not to not scrunch the garment.

How many tzitzis strings hang in each corner?

How many knots do tzitzis have?

What is a segulah to prevent toothaches?

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this email is for learning purposes only. Please review the Mishna Berura and Biurim U'Musafim before making a halachic decision. Hebrew words are occasionally transliterated to enable a smoother reading of the text. Common Ashkenazi pronunciation is generally used in these cases.