Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email

Can tzitzis be worn on Friday night?

A person may wear a tallis gadol or katon in a reshus harabim on Shabbos. Since the tzitzis strings are a necessary component of the garment, they are considered part of the garment and one is not carrying by wearing it. Even if the garment is only required to have tzitzis mid’rabonon, a person can still wear it in the reshus harabim. Although there is no obligation to wear tzitzis at night, they can be worn outside on Friday nights. When a tallis is worn outside, care must be taken to wear it properly. Otherwise, the garment is viewed as being carried and not worn.

[שו"ע יג, ב, ומשנ"ב ד ו־ו; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 6 ,7 ו־9 ;וראה שו"ע ט, א]

Can a person wear ripped tzitzis outside on Shabbos?

If there are too few tzitzis strings on a garment to fulfill the requirement for the mitzvah, it is forbidden to wear the garment. There is an additional prohibition against wearing it in a reshus harabim on Shabbos. Since the strings do not serve any purpose in this case, they are not considered part of the garment and a person would therefore be carrying them. Furthermore, since the strings will eventually be mended and rectified, they have a significance and are not nullified to the garment. However, if all the strings are ripped and they will never be fixed, they have no significance and are nullified to the garment. Wearing such a garment is not considered carrying.

[שו"ע יג, א, ומשנ"ב ב ו־ג; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 3]

Can a child wear his tzitzis outside on Shabbos?

Shulchon Aruch rules that it is forbidden to wear a garment outside on Shabbos in cases when the tzitzis are worn only out of uncertainty. Since one might be exempt from wearing them, the tzitzis strings may be superfluous and therefore not viewed as part of the garment. Other Achronim question this ruling, since the garment can only be worn if there are tzitzis on it. Some explain that Shulchon Aruch is only referring to cases where the owner plans to improve the garment to the extent that it will be clearly obligated to have tzitzis. The poskim disagree about whether one can wear a garment with tzitzis outside if it does not have the minimal dimensions for tzitzis. Some say that since it is exempt, wearing it is forbidden. Others say that the tzitzis still serve as an ornament for the garment and are therefore part of the garment. All opinions agree that a child can wear a garment with tzitzis outside even if it does not meet the minimal requirements for tzitzis.

[משנ"ב יג, ב ו־ד; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 1 ו־7 ;וראה שו"ע טז, א]

Rabbeinu Tam has a different opinion than the Rosh regarding torn tzitzis strings. He holds that for tzitzis to be kosher, two of the original strings must be whole and two must be at least the length of kdei anivah. Since, as we have learned, it is impossible to ascertain which half-string is connected to the half-string on the other side of the knot, six of the eight half-strings must remain complete for the tzitzis to be kosher.

The Rosh holds that all the strings may be torn if the equivalent of kdei anivah remains on each string. Shulchon Aruch rules according to this view. He qualifies, though, that a person should try to procure tzitzis which are compatible with the view of Rabbeinu Tam.

Some Rishonim hold that for torn tzitzis to be kosher, a kdei anivah must remain from the free-hanging part of the string. Others are lenient and say that a string is kosher even if a kdei anivah remains from the gdil (the knots and krichos of the tzitzis).

When can the need to preserve human dignity override a prohibition?

Is one obligated to remove his invalid tallis gadol while he is in shul?

When does one have to remove his garment on Shabbos?

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.