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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman י״ב · What makes the tsitsit pasoul (דברים הפוסלים בציצית)
דברים הפוסלים בציצית — cut strands, the שיעור כדי עניבה, and where it is measured from
סימן י״ב · ג׳ סעיפים
דברים הפוסלים בציצית
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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A first approach to the ג׳ סעיפים: vocalized Hebrew text, clear English translation and pedagogical explanations on strands cut at the corner and the שיעור כדי עניבה, the סימן on the ד׳ ראשים, the view of רבנו תם, thick strands measured by average ones (בינונים), and the machloket רש״י / ר״י on the כדי עניבה from the ענף or the גדיל — with a section of practical cases.
Topic: What makes the tsitsit pasoul — cut strands, the remaining measure (כדי עניבה), thick strands, and where one measures the כדי עניבה from
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן י״ב · ג׳ סעיפים
Compiled by: Rav Yossef Haim Samama
DAAT · daattorah.com
In the previous siman we learned how to make the strands and knot them. The Shulchan Aroukh here turns to the opposite question: once placed, what makes the tsitsit pasoul? Above all, cut strands. The principle is twofold. On one side, a strand entirely cut invalidates the tsitsit if not enough remains — the minimal measure being the כדי עניבה (enough to tie a knot); and since each strand is doubled in two (four strands = eight ends), one must know how to count how many strands were really cut, hence the סימן on the ד׳ ראשים (marking the four ends always on one side of the knot). On the other side, when the strands are thick and cannot be tied, we judge them by average strands (בינונים). Finally, a machloket רש״י / ר״י: from where do we measure the כדי עניבה — from the ענף (the loose part) or even from the גדיל (the twisted part)? We study here at the level of principle; to say of a given tsitsit whether it is kasher or pasoul, we refer to the ruling of the Rav.
📑 Study outline
A. Strands cut at the corner; כדי עניבה — if כדי עניבה remains → kasher, otherwise pasoul; the סימן on the ד׳ ראשים; the view of רבנו תם (ב׳ חוטין שלמים) (seif 1)
B. Thick strands — if too thick to tie whereas thin they could be → kasher; one measures with average strands (בינונים) (seif 2)
C. The machloket רש״י / ר״י — the כדי עניבה: from the ענף (רש״י) or even the גדיל (ר״י); מנהג העולם כרש״י (seif 3)
+ Practical cases and comprehension questions
A. Strands cut at the corner; the כדי עניבה (seif 1)
Original text (seif 1)
[א] אִם נִפְסְקוּ כָּל חוּטֵי הַכָּנָף וְנִשְׁתַּיֵּר בָּהֶם כְּדֵי עֲנִיבַת כָּל הַחוּטִין הַפְּסוּקִים בְּיַחַד — כָּשֵׁר, וְאִם לֹא נִשְׁאַר כְּדֵי עֲנִיבָה אֲפִלּוּ בְּחוּט אֶחָד שֶׁנִּפְסַק כֻּלּוֹ — פָּסוּל. הִלְכָּךְ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד כָּפוּל לִשְׁנַיִם, אִם נִפְסְקוּ שְׁנֵי רָאשִׁים פָּסוּל, שֶׁמָּא נִפְסַק חוּט אֶחָד. וּלְפִי מַה שֶּׁאָנוּ נוֹהֲגִים לְדַקְדֵּק בְּעֵת עֲשִׂיַּת הַצִּיצִית לָתֵת סִימָן בְּד׳ רָאשִׁים בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁלְּעוֹלָם הַד׳ רָאשִׁים הֵם מִצַּד אֶחָד שֶׁל הַקֶּשֶׁר — אִם נִפְסְקוּ שְׁנֵי רָאשִׁים מִצַּד אֶחָד כָּשֵׁר, דְּוַדַּאי שְׁנֵי חוּטִין הֵם. וּלְרַבֵּנוּ תָּם לֹא מַכְשִׁירִים אֶלָּא בְּנִשְׁתַּיְּרוּ ב׳ חוּטִין שְׁלֵמִים. אֲבָל אִם נִפְסְקוּ ג׳ חוּטִין — אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּיֵּר בָּהֶם כְּדֵי עֲנִיבָה — פְּסוּלִים. [הַגָּהּ: וְהִלְכְתָא כִּסְבָרָא רִאשׁוֹנָה, מִיהוּ הֵיכָא דְּאֶפְשָׁר טוֹב לָחוּשׁ לִסְבָרַת רַבֵּנוּ תָּם, וְנוֹהֲגִין כְּר״ת].
[1] If all the strands of the corner were cut but there remains in them enough to tie a knot (kedei aniva) with all the cut strands together — [the tsitsit is] kasher; and if there does not remain enough to tie, even in a single strand cut entirely — [it is] pasoul. Therefore, since each [strand] is doubled in two, if two ends were cut it is pasoul, for perhaps it is one [single] strand that was cut [on both sides]. And according to what we have the custom to be careful about, when making the tsitsit, to place a signe (siman) on the four ends so that the four ends are always on one side of the knot — if two ends were cut on one side, it is kasher, for they are surely two [different] strands. And for Rabbeinou Tam we validate only if two whole strands remain. But if three strands were cut — even if enough to tie remains in them — they are pasoul. [Glose (Rama): and the law is like the first opinion, however where it is possible it is good to take into account the opinion of Rabbeinou Tam, and the custom is like Rabbeinou Tam].
כְּדֵי עֲנִיבָה (kedei aniva) — "enough to tie a knot" — this is the minimal measure of strand that must remain after a cut: enough length to form a small tied loop. As long as כדי עניבה remains (with all the cut strands taken together), the tsitsit stays valid; if not even that remains, it is pasoul.
Three ideas in this seif:
- The measure כדי עניבה: even if the strands were cut, as long as there remains — with all of them together — enough to tie (כדי עניבה), it is kasher; otherwise pasoul.
- Count strands, not ends: since each strand is doubled in two, two cut "ends" may come from one strand cut on both sides — hence the doubt (שמא) and the pasoul.
- The סימן on the ד׳ ראשים: if one marked the four ends on one side of the knot, two ends cut on one side are surely two strands — so kasher (the doubt is resolved).
סִימָן בְּד׳ רָאשִׁים (siman on the four ends) — at the moment of knotting, one is careful to mark (with a sign) the four ends so as always to know which ends belong to the same side of the knot. This mark allows, in case of a cut, to count the strands actually affected and to resolve the doubt "שמא חוט אחד נפסק" (perhaps only one strand was cut).
The view of רבנו תם:
- More stringent: for ר״ת, one validates (with כדי עניבה) only if two whole strands remain (ב׳ חוטין שלמים).
- Three strands cut: if three strands were cut — even if כדי עניבה remains — it is pasoul.
- The psak (Rama): the law (עיקר הדין) is like the first opinion; but where possible it is good to take ר״ת into account, and the custom follows ר״ת.
Seif 1 in one sentence: a cut strand makes the tsitsit pasoul if no כדי עניבה remains; since each strand is doubled, we mark the ד׳ ראשים to know how many strands were really cut — and lechatehila we follow the stringency of רבנו תם (ב׳ חוטין שלמים) where possible.
B. Thick strands; the measure בינונים (seif 2)
Original text (seif 2)
[ב] הֵיכָא דְּצָרִיךְ כְּדֵי עֲנִיבָה, וּמִתּוֹךְ שֶׁהַחוּטִים עָבִים אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְעָנְבָם, וְאִלּוּ הָיוּ דַּקִּים הָיָה בָּהֶם כְּדֵי עֲנִיבָה — כָּשֵׁר. [הַגָּהּ: וּמְשַׁעֲרִין בְּחוּטִין בֵּינוֹנִים].
[2] Where one needs "enough to tie" (kedei aniva), and because the strands are thick one cannot tie them, whereas if they were thin there would be in them enough to tie — [the tsitsit is] kasher. [Glose (Rama): and one measures with average strands (beinonim)].
חוּטִין בֵּינוֹנִים (ḥoutin beinonim) — "average strands" — the standard of measure for the כדי עניבה is neither a very thick strand (which could not be tied even if long) nor a very thin one; one judges by a strand of average thickness (בינוני). Thus the measure does not depend on the mere thickness of the strand before us.
Thickness does not disqualify:
- The case: enough strand remains for the שיעור, but because the strands are thick, in practice one cannot tie them.
- The ruling: if, thin, these same strands would have allowed a knot, it is kasher — thickness is not what counts.
- The measure (Rama): one measures with average strands (בינונים), not by the actual thickness of the strand.
To remember: when strands are too thick to be tied whereas, thin, there would be כדי עניבה — it is kasher; for one measures the שיעור by average strands (בינונים).
C. From where do we measure the כדי עניבה? רש״י / ר״י (seif 3)
Original text (seif 3)
[ג] כְּדֵי עֲנִיבָה — לְרַשִׁ״י מִן הֶעָנָף, וּלְר״י אֲפִלּוּ נֶחְתַּךְ כָּל הֶעָנָף וְלֹא נִשְׁאַר כְּדֵי עֲנִיבָה אֶלָּא מִן הַגְּדִיל — כָּשֵׁר. וּמִנְהַג הָעוֹלָם כְּרַשִׁ״י, וְהֵיכָא דְּלָא אֶפְשָׁר יֵשׁ לִסְמֹךְ עַל ר״י.
[3] "Enough to tie" (kedei aniva) — for Rachi [we measure it] from the ענף (the loose part, not twisted), and for Rabbeinou Yits'hak (R"i) even if the whole ענף was cut and enough to tie remains only from the גדיל (the twisted part) — [it is] kasher. And the custom of the world is like Rachi, and where it is not possible one may rely on R"i.
גְּדִיל / עָנָף (guedil / anaf) — the strand of the tsitsit has two parts: the גדיל is the twisted / wound part (near the corner), and the ענף is the loose part that hangs below (the dangling strands). The question of the seif: is the שיעור כדי עניבה measured only in the ענף, or also in the גדיל?
Two opinions on the place of measure:
- רש״י: we measure the כדי עניבה from the ענף (the loose part); if the ענף is entirely cut, that is not enough.
- ר״י: even if the whole ענף is cut, as long as כדי עניבה remains from the גדיל (the twisted part) — it is kasher.
- The conduct: מנהג העולם כרש״י (the custom follows Rachi, the more stringent); where it is not possible (דלא אפשר) one may rely on ר״י.
To remember: for רש״י, we measure the כדי עניבה in the ענף; for ר״י, even from the גדיל it suffices. The custom follows רש״י — and bediavad, when one cannot do otherwise, one relies on ר״י.
Practical cases
Case 1 — A strand of the tsitsit was cut
Situation: putting on one's talit, one notices that a strand of the tsitsit was cut (one "end" hangs shorter than the others).
Conduct: the decisive point is the שיעור כדי עניבה (seif 1): does there remain, with what is left of the cut strands, enough to tie a knot? If so, the tsitsit is in principle kasher; if not, it is pasoul. Since each strand is doubled, a single cut "end" may be only one side of a strand; the exact appraisal of the כדי עניבה is delicate: one shows the tsitsit and refers to the ruling of the Rav.
Case 2 — Several strands cut: count and on which side
Situation: two ends (or more) appear cut; one wants to know whether the tsitsit is still valid.
Conduct: one must count how many strands (not ends) were really cut, and on which side of the knot (thanks to the סימן on the ד׳ ראשים, seif 1). Two ends cut on one side are surely two strands → kasher; otherwise we fear (שמא) that one strand was cut on both sides → pasoul. Three strands cut → pasoul even with כדי עניבה (the view of רבנו תם, followed lechatehila). These distinctions are delicate: one refers to the ruling of the Rav.
Case 3 — The custom to follow Rachi; when to rely on R"i
Situation: no strand remains in the loose part (the ענף), but some remains in the twisted part (the גדיל).
Conduct: the custom (מנהג העולם) follows רש״י: we measure the כדי עניבה in the ענף (seif 3). Where one cannot do otherwise (bediavad / דלא אפשר), one may rely on ר״י and measure from the גדיל. Whether one is in a case of "דלא אפשר", and how to decide between רש״י and ר״י, are delicate points: one refers to the ruling of the Rav.
Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What is the כדי עניבה (seif 1)? When does a cut strand make the tsitsit pasoul?
- Why can two cut "ends" raise a doubt? What is the purpose of the סימן on the ד׳ ראשים?
- What is the stringency of רבנו תם (ב׳ חוטין שלמים)? What does the הלכה (Rama) say?
- Why do thick strands not disqualify (seif 2)? With which strands does one measure?
- Explain the machloket רש״י / ר״י (seif 3): do we measure from the ענף or the גדיל? What does the מנהג העולם say?
Going further
If you wish to deepen this siman:
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: for the pilpoul — the שיעור כדי עניבה (Menahot ל״ח–ל״ט) and where we measure it from (מן הענף / מן הגדיל); the ספק שמא חוט אחד נפסק and the סימן בד׳ ראשים; the שיטת רבנו תם (ב׳ חוטין שלמים); the חוטים עבים ובינונים; and the relation דאורייתא / דרבנן בפסולי הציצית
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and quick memorization
- 👑 Level 4 — Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe): the shitah of the Shulchan Aroukh HaRav — the כדי עניבה, the סימן בד׳ ראשים מצד אחד של הקשר, the concern שמא חוט אחד נפסק לגמרי, and the case of thick strands
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה
Talmid Chacham · Teacher of shiurim in halakha and Chassidut
סימן י״ב · ג׳ סעיפים · Level 1 — Introduction
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה
Talmid Chacham · Teacher of shiurim in halakha and Chassidut
סימן י״ב · ג׳ סעיפים · Level 1 — Introduction
♥ Support DAAT