Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email

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

In some instances, the preservation of kavod habrios (human dignity) can override certain prohibitions. When serious degradation is at stake, one may even disregard a Torah prohibition by way of shev v’al ta’aseh (in a passive way, without actively transgressing the averiah). In cases of minor disgrace, only an issur mid’rabonon may be transgressed. Evaluating the degree of degradation is subjective; it is based on the experience of the individual. Therefore, one who would not feel embarrassed or degraded in a given circumstance is not permitted to transgress any prohibitions.

[שו"ע יג, ג, ומשנ"ב ט, יב, טו ו־טז]

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

A person who wears a four-cornered garment without tzitzis transgresses a mitzvah min haTorah to wear tzitzis. If a person is among a large group of people and notices that his tallis katon has become invalid, he is not obligated to remove his clothing immediately to take off his tzitzis. He should instead make his way to a private area and remove his tallis katon there. Since it would be very embarrassing to disrobe in public, he is permitted to transgress the mitzvah min haTorah in this passive way. In contrast, removing a tallis gadol in public is not embarrassing, and he must take it off immediately if it becomes invalid. The poskim disagree about whether removing a tallis gadol in shul is considered an embarrassment. If one finds himself in this situation, he should render his tallis ownerless to absolve himself of his obligation of tzitzis.

[שו"ע יג, ג, ומשנ"ב טו ו־טז; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 20 ;וראה שם, 22]

When does one have to remove his garment on Shabbos?

Wearing a four-cornered garment on Shabbos without tzitzis is not a transgression of the mitzvah of tzitzis. Since it is forbidden to knot tzitzis on Shabbos, one is not ignoring the mitzvah by refraining from doing so. If one realizes that his tzitzis are ripped while standing in a reshus harabim so that by continuing to walk he would desecrate Shabbos, he must immediately take off his garment so as not to actively transgress by carrying on Shabbos. If he is walking in a karmelis and taking off his tallis would be embarrassing, he may continue walking until he reaches a secluded area. The poskim disagree about whether this only applies to a tallis katon or also a tallis gadol.

[שו"ע יג, ג, ומשנ"ב ט; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 17]

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.

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, they are not considered part of the garment and a person would therefore be carrying them.

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.

Who may tie tzitzis to a garment?

What must a person think when he knots his tzitzis?

What should one say before preparing his tzitzis?

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.