The Siman — Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim siman 14 (5 seifim)
דִּינֵי צִיצִית שֶׁעֲשָׂאָן עַכּוּ״ם וְנָשִׁים וְטַלִּית שְׁאוּלָה. צִיצִית שֶׁעֲשָׂאוֹ עַכּוּ״ם — פָּסוּל, דִּכְתִיב דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל — לְאַפּוּקֵי עַכּוּ״ם ; הָאִשָּׁה כְּשֵׁרָה לַעֲשׂוֹתָן. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ מַחְמִירִין לְהַצְרִיךְ אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ אוֹתָן, וְטוֹב לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן לְכַתְּחִלָּה. (סעיף א) · הֵטִיל יִשְׂרָאֵל צִיצִיּוֹת בְּבֶגֶד בְּלֹא כַּוָּנָה — אִם אֵין צִיצִיּוֹת אֲחֵרִים מְצוּיִים לְהַכְשִׁירוֹ, יֵשׁ לִסְמֹךְ עַל הָרַמְבָּ״ם שֶׁמַּכְשִׁיר, אֲבָל לֹא יְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו. (סעיף ב) · הַשּׁוֹאֵל מֵחֲבֵרוֹ טַלִּית שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְצֻיֶּצֶת, פָּטוּר מִלְּהָטִיל בָּהּ צִיצִית כָּל שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם, דִּכְתִיב כְּסוּתְךָ — וְלֹא שֶׁל אֲחֵרִים ; אֲבָל אַחַר שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם חַיָּב מִדְּרַבָּנָן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּרְאֵית כְּשֶׁלּוֹ. הַגָּה: וְאִם הֶחֱזִירוֹ תּוֹךְ שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם וְחָזַר וּלְקָחוֹ, אֵינוֹ מִצְטָרֵף, רַק בָּעִינָן שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם רְצוּפִים. שְׁאָלָהּ כְּשֶׁהִיא מְצֻיֶּצֶת — מְבָרֵךְ עָלֶיהָ מִיָּד. (סעיף ג) · מֻתָּר לִטֹּל טַלִּית חֲבֵרוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ עָלֶיהָ, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּקַפֵּל אוֹתָהּ אִם מְצָאָהּ מְקֻפֶּלֶת. הַגָּה: וְהוּא הַדִּין בִּתְפִלִּין ; אֲבָל אָסוּר לִלְמֹד מִסְּפָרִים שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ בְּלֹא דַּעְתּוֹ, דְּחָיְשִׁינַן שֶׁמָּא יִקְרַע אוֹתָם בְּלִמּוּדוֹ. (סעיף ד) · טַלִּית שֶׁל שֻׁתָּפִין חַיֶּבֶת בְּצִיצִית, דִּכְתִיב עַל כַּנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם. (סעיף ה)
The laws of tzitzit made by a non-Jew or by women, and of the borrowed talit — and it contains 5 seifim: (1) Tzitzit made by a non-Jew (עכו״ם) are פסול, for it is written דבר אל בני ישראל — to exclude the non-Jew; a woman is כשרה to make them. (Rama: some are stringent — יש מחמירין — and require that men make them, and it is good to do so לכתחילה.) (2) If a Jew attached tzitzit to a garment בלא כוונה (without the intention לשמה): if no other tzitzit are available to make it valid, one relies on the Rambam who validates — but one does not bless on it. (3) One who borrows from his fellow a talit without tzitzit is exempt from attaching them for 30 days, for it is written כסותך — and not that of others; but after 30 days he is חייב מדרבנן, for it appears his own (נראית כשלו). (Rama: if he returned it within the 30 days and took it again, it does not combine — 30 consecutive days are required. If he borrowed it already fitted with tzitzit, he blesses on it at once.) (4) It is מותר to take one's fellow's talit and bless on it, provided one folds it back if he found it folded. (Rama: likewise for tefillin; but it is forbidden to study from one's fellow's books without his consent, lest he tear them while studying.) (5) A talit owned by partners is obligated in tzitzit, for it is written על כנפי בגדיהם.
The 4 levels of study — Siman י״ד, 5 seifim
01
Available
רמת המתחיל
Level 1 — Beginner & Intermediate
Vocalized Hebrew text of the 5 seifim with a fluent English translation. Pedagogical, sober explanation: tzitzit made by a non-Jew are פסול (דבר אל בני ישראל) and a woman is כשרה (Rama: יש מחמירין); the kavana לשמה and the הטיל בלא כוונה (Rambam — but בלא ברכה); the borrowed talit exempt for 30 days (כסותך ולא של אחרים) then חייב מדרבנן; taking a fellow's talit and blessing on it (folding it back); and the talit of partners. Modern practical cases: certified tzitzit when buying, the synagogue talit, taking a friend's talit without asking, and the loan of more than 30 days.
02
Available
רמת הלמדן
Lamdan — Advanced Pilpul
In-depth pilpul: the drasha דבר אל בני ישראל — לאפוקי עכו״ם (Menachot 42a) and the comparison with tefillin (קשירה) and the sefer Torah (כתיבה) — why the woman is כשרה here, and the Rama's יש מחמירין (Maharam); the machloket Rambam / Rosh-Tosafot on תעשה — לשמה and the Mechaber's compromise (בשעת הדחק, בלא ברכה — ספק ברכות להקל); the exemption of the borrowed talit (Chulin 136a — כסותך ולא של אחרים) and the 30 days (נראית כשלו — מדרבנן); the ניחא ליה דליעביד מצוה בממוניה and its limits (Nimoukei Yossef — tefillin yes, sefarim no, Bava Metzia 29b); and the בגדיהם of the partners. Beit Yossef, Tur, Mg״A, Taz, Mishna Berura and Beour Halakha.
03
Available
חזרה וסיכום
Master Synthesis
Structured summary for review and memorization: who may make the tzitzit (non-Jew פסול, woman כשרה — Rama יש מחמירין), the הטיל בלא כוונה (Rambam, בלא ברכה), the borrowed talit (exempt 30 days, then חייב מדרבנן — and if already fitted with tzitzit: one blesses at once), the talit and tefillin of one's fellow (מותר, folding it back — but not the sefarim), and the talit of partners. Conduct le-maaseh in everyday life, with a referral to the Rav for borderline cases (long loan, communal talit) and cf. siman 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 25.
04
Available
דעת הרב
Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe)
The Choulhan Aroukh HaRav of the Admour HaZaken on Orach Chaim siman 14 (where the Rav develops ט״ו seifim): full text and the force of the psak relative to the Mechaber — the פסול of the non-Jew (עשייה לשמה) and the woman כשרה (with the יש מחמירין), the attaching בלא כוונה (Rambam / Rosh — without a beracha), the borrowed talit (30 days — כסותך ולא של אחרים, נראית כשלו), taking a fellow's talit to pray (ניחא ליה, folding it back), a fellow's tefillin and sefarim, and the talit of partners (בגדיהם). For in-depth study, a referral to a Chabad Rav.
05
Personalized
לימוד אישי
Study according to my Poskim
Rebuild this siman according to the Rabbanim YOU follow. Choose your Poskim (Rav Ovadia, the Admour HaZaken, the Rebbe, Ben Ish Chai, Mishna Berura, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu…) — Daat AI rebuilds the siman with their opinions, their reasoning, and their disagreements. If your Poskim do not address a point, the AI asks you before expanding.
The main themes of the Siman
צִיצִית שֶׁעֲשָׂאוֹ עַכּוּ״ם
Tzitzit made by a non-Jew
Tzitzit made by a non-Jew are פסול: it is written דבר אל בני ישראל — the Torah entrusts the making of tzitzit to Israel, to exclude the non-Jew (לאפוקי עכו״ם).
הָאִשָּׁה כְּשֵׁרָה
The woman is כשרה
A woman is כשרה to make the tzitzit. The Rama: some are stringent (יש מחמירין) and require men — וטוב לעשות כן לכתחילה.
תַּעֲשֶׂה — לִשְׁמָהּ
The kavana לשמה
Tzitzit attached בלא כוונה: if no other tzitzit are available, one relies on the Rambam who validates — but בלא ברכה (the Rosh invalidates: תעשה לך — לשמה).
כְּסוּתְךָ — וְלֹא שֶׁל אֲחֵרִים
The borrowed talit
A borrowed talit without tzitzit is exempt for 30 days — כסותך, and not that of others; after 30 days, חייב מדרבנן, for it appears his own (נראית כשלו).
נִיחָא לֵיהּ דְּלֶעֱבֵיד מִצְוָה בְּמָמוֹנֵיהּ
A fellow's talit
It is permitted to take a fellow's talit and bless on it — it pleases him that a mitzva be done with his property — provided one folds it back. Likewise the tefillin; but not the sefarim.
טַלִּית שֶׁל שֻׁתָּפִין
The talit of partners
A jointly owned talit is obligated in tzitzit: it is written על כנפי בגדיהם — in the plural, to include a garment belonging to several partners.
Structure of the Siman — landmarks in the 5 seifim
| Seif | Subject | Theme | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| סעיף א | עכו״ם ואשה | פסול / כשרה | Tzitzit made by a non-Jew are פסול — דבר אל בני ישראל, לאפוקי עכו״ם; a woman is כשרה to make them. Rama: יש מחמירין — that men make them, וטוב לעשות כן לכתחילה. |
| סעיף ב | הטיל בלא כוונה | בלא ברכה | A Jew attached the tzitzit without kavana לשמה: if no other tzitzit are available, one relies on the Rambam who validates — אבל לא יברך עליו. |
| סעיף ג | טלית שאולה | פטור ל׳ יום | A borrowed talit without tzitzit: exempt for 30 days (כסותך — ולא של אחרים); after 30 days, חייב מדרבנן (נראית כשלו). Rama: 30 consecutive days are required; borrowed already fitted with tzitzit — מברך עליה מיד. |
| סעיף ד | טלית חבירו | מותר | Taking a fellow's talit and blessing on it — מותר, provided one folds it back if he found it folded. Rama: likewise the tefillin; but not the sefarim — lest he tear them while studying. |
| סעיף ה | טלית של שותפין | ✦ חייבת | The talit of partners is obligated in tzitzit — דכתיב על כנפי בגדיהם. For the communal talit and borderline cases, see Level 4 and the referral to the Rav. |
The talit that is not his own — borrowed, taken from a fellow, jointly owned
| Case | Register | Status | Central idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| שאולה תוך ל׳ יום | Gemara · Chulin 136a | פטור | A borrowed talit is exempt from tzitzit for 30 days: כסותך — ולא של אחרים, the exemption is deoraita. Rama: if he returned it and took it again, 30 consecutive days (רצופים) are required. |
| שאולה אחר ל׳ יום | Miderabbanan | חייב מדרבנן | After 30 days he is חייב מדרבנן, מפני שנראית כשלו — the talit appears to all as his own. And if he borrowed it already fitted with tzitzit, he blesses on it at once (Rama). |
| טלית ותפילין של חבירו | Nimoukei Yossef | מותר | ניחא ליה דליעביד מצוה בממוניה: one may take them without his knowledge and bless on them — provided one folds the talit back if it was folded; but the sefarim, אסור — for fear of damage (tearing). |
| טלית של שותפין | Le-maaseh | ✦ Le-maaseh | The jointly owned talit is חייבת בציצית — על כנפי בגדיהם. The precise conduct (synagogue talit, long loan, rental) — see Level 4 and the referral to the Rav. |
Frequently asked questions — Siman י״ד
Are tzitzit made by a non-Jew or by a woman valid, according to Siman 14?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 14:1, tzitzit made by a non-Jew (עכו״ם) are פסול, for it is written דבר אל בני ישראל — to exclude the non-Jew from the making of tzitzit. A woman, however, is כשרה to make them. The Rama adds that some are stringent (יש מחמירין) and require that men make them — and it is good to do so לכתחילה.
What if a Jew attached the tzitzit without kavana לשמה, according to Siman 14?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh (Orach Chaim 14:2), if a Jew attached tzitzit to a garment בלא כוונה (without the intention לשמה), and no other tzitzit are available to make it valid, one relies on the Rambam who validates — but one does not bless on it (אבל לא יברך עליו), for the Rosh and Tosafot invalidate (תעשה — לשמה) and ספק ברכות להקל.
Must a borrowed talit carry tzitzit, according to Siman 14?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh (Orach Chaim 14:3), one who borrows from his fellow a talit without tzitzit is exempt from attaching them for 30 days, for it is written כסותך — and not that of others. But after 30 days he is חייב מדרבנן, for the talit appears his own (נראית כשלו). The Rama specifies: if he returned it within the 30 days and took it again, it does not combine — 30 consecutive days are required; and if he borrowed it already fitted with tzitzit, he blesses on it at once.
May one take a fellow's talit without asking him and bless on it, according to Siman 14?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh (Orach Chaim 14:4), it is מותר to take a fellow's talit and bless on it — for it pleases him that a mitzva be accomplished with his property (ניחא ליה דליעביד מצוה בממוניה) — provided one folds it back if he found it folded. The Rama adds that the same applies to tefillin; but it is forbidden to study from a fellow's books without his consent, lest he tear them while studying. And the talit of partners is obligated in tzitzit — על כנפי בגדיהם (seif 5).