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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman י״ג · Tsitsit on Shabbat (דיני ציצית בשבת)

דיני ציצית בשבת — going out with the talit, the valid talit even without תכלת, and כבוד הבריות

סימן י״ג · ג׳ סעיפים

דיני ציצית בשבת

🌱 Introductory level · Beginners

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A first approach to the ג׳ סעיפים: vocalized Hebrew text, clear English translation and pedagogical explanations on the ד׳ ציציות that are mutually מעכבות — so that going out with such a talit in רשות הרבים on Shabbat renders one חייב —, going out with a talit that is מצוייץ כהלכתה (טלית קטן or גדול) even today without תכלת, the talit merely placed on the shoulders (מונח על כתפיו), and the great principle גדול כבוד הבריות when one finds on Shabbat that a talit is pasoul — with a section of practical cases.

Topic: The laws of tsitsit on Shabbat — the ד׳ ציציות מעכבות, going out in רשות הרבים with a valid talit, and כבוד הבריות when one finds a pasoul talit
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן י״ג · ג׳ סעיפים

Compiled by: Rav Yossef Haim Samama
DAAT · daattorah.com

In the previous simanim we learned how to make the tsitsit and what renders it pasoul. The Shulchan Aroukh here turns to a point where two worlds meet: the tsitsit and Shabbat. The central question is that of carrying on Shabbat, in a place where one may not carry (רשות הרבים). The principle is threefold. First, the ד׳ ציציות (the four tsitsit of the talit) are mutually מעכבות: as long as all four are not there כהלכתה, the talit is not a "tsitsit-garment" but a mere cloth burdened with strands that, on Shabbat, become a burden (משוי) — so that going out with it in רשות הרבים renders one חייב. Second, if the talit is מצוייץ כהלכתה, one may go out with it, קטן or גדול, even today without תכלת — provided one wears it as a garment and it is not merely placed on the shoulders. Third, if one finds on Shabbat that a talit already worn is pasoul, one does not remove it in the middle of the street: גדול כבוד הבריות — great is human dignity. We study here at the level of principle; for concrete conduct (measuring the place, érouv), we refer to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

A. The ד׳ ציציות מעכבות — as long as all four are not there כהלכתה, going out in רשות הרבים on Shabbat → חייב חטאת (seif 1)

B. A talit מצוייץ כהלכתה — one may go out with it in רשות הרבים, קטן or גדול, even without תכלת; provided it is not מונח על כתפיו (seif 2)

C. גדול כבוד הבריות — if it turns out pasoul in a כרמלית, one does not remove it before reaching home; even a talit katan under the clothes (Rama) (seif 3)

+ Practical cases and comprehension questions

A. The ד׳ ציציות מעכבות; going out in רשות הרבים (seif 1)

Original text (seif 1)

[א] דִּינֵי צִיצִית בְּשַׁבָּת. אַרְבַּע צִיצִיּוֹת מְעַכְּבִין זֶה אֶת זֶה, שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ כָּל הָאַרְבַּע אֵינָהּ מְצוּיֶּצֶת כְּהִלְכָתָהּ ; וְהַיּוֹצֵא בָּהּ לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים בְּשַׁבָּת חַיָּב חַטָּאת (עַיֵּן לְקַמָּן סִימָן ש״א סְעִיף ל״ח).

[1] Laws of tsitsit on Shabbat. The four tsitsit are mutually מעכבות (each one prevents [the validity of] the other): for as long as all four are not [present] on [the talit], it is not מצוייץ כהלכתה (fitted with tsitsit according to the law). And one who goes out with [such a talit] into רשות הרבים (the public domain) on Shabbat is חייב חטאת (liable to a sin-offering) [see further on, siman ש״א seif ל״ח].

מְעַכְּבִין זֶה אֶת זֶה (meakvin ze et ze) — "they are mutually מעכבות" — the four tsitsit of a talit are not four independent mitsvot: they form a single mitsva. As long as the four are not placed כהלכתה, the mitsva is not fulfilled at all — the talit is not a "tsitsit-garment." The strands already placed therefore do not "count" on their own.

Three ideas in this seif:

ד׳ ציציות מעכבות: the four tsitsit form one whole; if one is missing (or a corner is pasoul), the talit is not מצוייץ כהלכתה.
The strands are then a burden: since the talit is not a "tsitsit-garment," the invalid strands are not an ornament (נוי) of the garment, but a burden (משוי) that one carries.
On Shabbat → חייב: going out with it in רשות הרבים thus amounts to carrying (הוצאה) — one of the forbidden labors — hence the חיוב חטאת.

רְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים (rechout ha-rabim) — "the public domain" — one of the domains defined by the halakha of Shabbat, where it is forbidden by Torah law to carry an object (הוצאה). It differs from the כרמלית (an intermediate domain, where the prohibition is only דרבנן). Whether a given place is רשות הרבים, כרמלית, or covered by an érouv, is a delicate practical question — one refers to the ruling of the Rav.

Seif 1 in one sentence: the ד׳ ציציות מעכבות — if one is missing, the talit is not מצוייץ כהלכתה, and on Shabbat its invalid strands are a burden (משוי) and not an ornament; going out with it in רשות הרבים therefore renders one חייב חטאת.

B. A talit מצוייץ כהלכתה: מותר לצאת (seif 2)

Original text (seif 2)

[ב] אִם הִיא מְצוּיֶּצֶת כְּהִלְכָתָהּ, מֻתָּר לָצֵאת בָּהּ לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, בֵּין טַלִּית קָטָן בֵּין טַלִּית גָּדוֹל, אֲפִלּוּ בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁאֵין לָנוּ תְּכֵלֶת ; רַק שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא מֻנָּח לוֹ עַל כְּתֵפָיו. וּמוֹקְמִינַן לְטַלִּית אַחֶזְקָתֵיהּ שֶׁהוּא מְצוּיָּץ כְּהִלְכָתוֹ, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לְבָדְקוֹ קֹדֶם שֶׁיֵּצֵא בּוֹ.

[2] If [the talit] is מצוייץ כהלכתה (fitted with tsitsit according to the law), it is permitted to go out with it in רשות הרבים, whether a טלית קטן or a טלית גדול, even in our times when we have no תכלת (the blue thread); only that it not be [merely] placed on his shoulders (מונח על כתפיו). And we establish the talit upon its presumption (חזקה) that it is מצוייץ כהלכתו, and there is no need to inspect it before going out with it.

מֻנָּח עַל כְּתֵפָיו (mounah al ketefav) — "placed on his shoulders" — the talit must be worn as a garment (דרך לבישה), enveloping the body. If it is merely thrown / placed on the shoulders without being donned, it is no longer "wearing a garment" but carrying a cloth — which, on Shabbat in רשות הרבים, falls under the prohibition of הוצאה.

What this seif permits:

מותר לצאת: a talit that is מצוייץ כהלכתה may be worn in רשות הרבים on Shabbat — the valid tsitsit are an ornament (נוי) of the garment, not a burden.
קטן or גדול, even without תכלת: this holds for the talit katan as for the talit gadol, and today when we have no תכלת thread.
The condition: one must wear it as a garment (דרך לבישה) — not merely placed on the shoulders (מונח על כתפיו).
חזקה: the talit is presumed valid (מוקמינן אחזקתיה) — no need to inspect it before going out.

To remember: a talit that is מצוייץ כהלכתה, קטן or גדול, may be worn on Shabbat in רשות הרבים even בזמן הזה without תכלת — provided one wears it as a garment and not מונח על כתפיו; and one relies on its חזקה of validity without inspecting it.

C. גדול כבוד הבריות: the pasoul talit found on Shabbat (seif 3)

Original text (seif 3)

[ג] אִם נוֹדַע לוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת כְּשֶׁהוּא בְּכַרְמְלִית שֶׁהַטַּלִּית שֶׁעָלָיו פָּסוּל, לֹא יְסִירֶנּוּ מֵעָלָיו עַד שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לְבֵיתוֹ, דְּגָדוֹל כְּבוֹד הַבְּרִיּוֹת. הַגָּהּ: אֲפִלּוּ טַלִּית קָטָן שֶׁתַּחַת בְּגָדָיו אֵין צָרִיךְ לִפְשֹׁט, וְהוּא הַדִּין אִם נִפְסַק אֶחָד מִן הַצִּיצִיּוֹת וּמִתְבַּיֵּשׁ לֵישֵׁב בְּלֹא טַלִּית — יָכוֹל לְלָבְשׁוֹ בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה מִכֹּחַ כְּבוֹד הַבְּרִיּוֹת ; וְדַוְקָא בְּשַׁבָּת דְּאָסוּר לַעֲשׂוֹת צִיצִית, אֲבָל בְּחֹל כְּהַאי גַוְנָא אָסוּר.

[3] If one finds out on Shabbat, while in a כרמלית (an intermediate domain), that the talit he is wearing is pasoul — he does not remove it from himself before reaching his home, for "גדול כבוד הבריות" (great is human dignity). Glose (Rama): even a טלית קטן that is under his clothes, he need not take off; and likewise if one of the tsitsit was cut and he is ashamed to sit without a talit — he may wear it without a blessing, by force of כבוד הבריות. And this [applies] specifically on Shabbat, when it is forbidden to make a tsitsit; but on a weekday, in such a case, it is forbidden.

גָּדוֹל כְּבוֹד הַבְּרִיּוֹת (gadol kevod ha-briyot) — "great is human dignity" — a great principle of the Torah: the dignity of the person is so weighty that it can, in certain cases, push aside a rabbinic prohibition (איסור דרבנן). Here: removing in the middle of a כרמלית a talit that turns out pasoul would expose the person to remaining unclad in public — the halakha exempts him from removing it until he reaches home.

Three points in this seif:

Do not remove it in a כרמלית: if one finds out on Shabbat, in a כרמלית, that the talit worn is pasoul, one does not take it off until reaching home — גדול כבוד הבריות.
The talit katan under the clothes (Rama): even a טלית קטן hidden under the garments, one need not remove (no one sees it, yet the dignity applies here too).
The limit (weekday): this permission holds on Shabbat, when one cannot repair / remake the tsitsit; on a weekday, when one can remedy it, it would be forbidden.

כַּרְמְלִית (karmelit) — an intermediate domain, neither fully רשות הרבים nor רשות היחיד (private domain). Carrying there is forbidden only מדרבנן (rabbinically). It is precisely because the prohibition there is דרבנן that כבוד הבריות can push it aside in our seif.

To remember: if a worn talit turns out pasoul on Shabbat in a כרמלית, one does not remove it before reaching home — גדול כבוד הבריות — and the Rama extends this even to the talit katan under the clothes. On a weekday, however, this does not apply.

Practical cases

Case 1 — Going out on Shabbat with the talit in a place without an érouv

Situation: on Shabbat, one wishes to go to the synagogue with one's talit (gadol or katan), in a neighborhood not enclosed by an érouv.

Conduct: the decisive point is that the talit be מצוייץ כהלכתה (seif 2) — the four tsitsit valid — and that it be worn as a garment, not merely placed on the shoulders (מונח על כתפיו). If a tsitsit is missing or a corner is pasoul (seif 1), the strands become a burden (משוי) and going out in רשות הרבים is grave. Whether the place is רשות הרבים, כרמלית, or covered by an érouv, depends on the local measurement: one refers to the ruling of the Rav.

Case 2 — One finds at the synagogue that the talit is pasoul

Situation: on Shabbat, at the synagogue (or on the way), one notices that the talit being worn is pasoul (a tsitsit was cut, a corner is invalid).

Conduct: if one is in a כרמלית, one does not remove it in public — גדול כבוד הבריות (seif 3) — until reaching home. Should one keep wearing it, part with it discreetly, or borrow another? This depends on the nature of the place (רשות הרבים / כרמלית) and the exact defect: these distinctions are delicate, one refers to the ruling of the Rav.

Case 3 — The talit katan under the clothes; the ruling of the Rama

Situation: one wears a talit katan under one's garments and finds out on Shabbat that it is pasoul, or that a tsitsit was cut.

Conduct: according to the Rama (seif 3), one need not remove it immediately — כבוד הבריות applies even to the talit katan worn under the clothes. Moreover, if one of the tsitsit was cut and one is ashamed to remain without, one may wear it without a ברכה, by force of כבוד הבריות — and this specifically on Shabbat, when one cannot remake the tsitsit; on a weekday it would be forbidden. How far this permission extends is a delicate point: one refers to the ruling of the Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:

What does it mean that the ד׳ ציציות מעכבות (seif 1)? Why do the invalid strands become a משוי on Shabbat?
Why does going out in רשות הרבים with such a talit render one חייב חטאת (seif 1)?
When may one go out with the talit on Shabbat (seif 2)? What does מונח על כתפיו mean, and why does it change everything?
May one go out even without תכלת? Must one inspect the talit before going out (seif 2)?
Explain גדול כבוד הבריות (seif 3): what does one do with a talit found pasoul in a כרמלית? What does the Rama say for the talit katan?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:

📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: for the pilpoul — the din of the מעכב (מנחות כ״ח) and why invalid strands are משוי and not נוי הבגד; the tsitsit as נוי / תכשיט or משוי; the מונח על כתפיו (דרך לבישה / דרך משוי); and the great principle גדול כבוד הבריות (ברכות י״ט ע״ב) and its limits
✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and quick memorization
👑 Level 4 — Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe): the shitah of the Shulchan Aroukh HaRav — the ד׳ ציציות מעכבות, going out in רשות הרבים / כרמלית with a valid or pasoul talit, the din of גדול כבוד הבריות, and the talit katan under the clothes

Back to the previous siman← Siman 12

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