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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman ט״ז · The minimum size of the talit (שיעור טלית)
שיעור טלית — the dimension from which a garment is subject to tsitsit
סימן ט״ז · סעיף אחד
שיעור טלית
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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A first approach to the single seif: vocalized Hebrew text, clear English translation and pedagogical explanations on the שיעור of the talit — covering, in length and in width, the head and the majority of the body (ראשו ורובו) of a child who walks alone in the marketplace without needing someone to watch over him —, and the Rama's condition: the garment is subject to tsitsit only if an adult sometimes wears it in עראי and goes out with it to the marketplace — with a section of practical cases (the size of the modern talit katan).
Topic: The minimum size of the talit — covering ראשו ורובו of a child who walks alone in the marketplace, and the Rama's condition: that an adult sometimes wears it in עראי
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן ט״ז · סעיף אחד
Compiled by: Rav Yossef Haim Samama
DAAT · daattorah.com
In the previous simanim we learned who is subject to tsitsit and how to attach the strands. Here the Shulchan Aroukh asks a question of halakhic precision: from what size is a four-cornered garment a "talit" subject to tsitsit? A four-cornered handkerchief is obviously not a בגד that one "wears" — but where does the line pass? The Mehaber gives the measure: the talit must be able to cover, in length and in width, the head and the majority of the body (ראשו ורובו) of a child who walks alone in the marketplace and does not need another to watch over him. The Rama adds a second, decisive condition: this "child-size" suffices only if the adult himself sometimes wears it in עראי (occasionally) and goes out with it to the marketplace — for a garment no adult would ever wear is not a בגד for the adult. This little siman of a single seif carries a very concrete stake: the size of the talit katan we wear every day, and the validity of its berakha. We study here at the level of principle; for the exact measurements in centimeters, we refer to the ruling of the Rav.
📑 Study outline
A. The Mehaber's שיעור — covering, in length and in width, ראשו ורובו of a child who walks alone in the marketplace (seif 1)
B. The Rama's condition — it is subject to tsitsit only if an adult sometimes wears it in עראי and goes out with it to the marketplace (seif 1, gloss)
+ Practical cases and comprehension questions
A. The Mehaber's שיעור: ראשו ורובו של קטן (seif 1)
Original text (seif 1)
[א] שִׁעוּר טַלִּית שֶׁחַיָּב בְּצִיצִית — שֶׁיִּתְכַּסֶּה בּוֹ בְּאֹרֶךְ וּבְרֹחַב רֹאשׁוֹ וְרֻבּוֹ שֶׁל קָטָן הַמִּתְהַלֵּךְ לְבַדּוֹ בַּשּׁוּק, וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ אַחֵר לְשָׁמְרוֹ. הַגָּהּ: וְאָז חַיָּב בְּצִיצִית, וְדַוְקָא שֶׁהַגָּדוֹל לוֹבְשׁוֹ פְּעָמִים עֲרַאי וְיוֹצֵא בּוֹ לַשּׁוּק [ב״י בשם בן חביב ובשם מהרי״א].
[1] The measure of a talit subject to tsitsit: that it can cover — in length and in width — the head and the majority of the body (ראשו ורובו) of a child who walks alone in the marketplace and does not need another to watch over him. Gloss (Rama): and then [only] is it subject to tsitsit — and specifically when the adult sometimes wears it occasionally (עראי) and goes out with it to the marketplace [Beit Yossef in the name of Ben Ḥabib and in the name of the Mahari Abouhav].
רֹאשׁוֹ וְרֻבּוֹ (rocho ve-roubo) — "his head and the majority of his body" — the measuring rod of the talit. A "garment" worthy of the name must clothe: cover the head and the greater part of the body of the one wearing it. Since the Torah speaks of the garment "with which you cover yourself" (אֲשֶׁר תְּכַסֶּה בָּהּ), the halakha requires the talit to be a true covering of the body — and it takes as its reference not the adult, but a child.
קָטָן הַמִּתְהַלֵּךְ לְבַדּוֹ בַּשּׁוּק (katan ha-mit'halekh levado ba-chouk) — "a child who walks alone in the marketplace" — not an infant: a child who is already independent, who moves about alone in the marketplace without needing another to watch over him (about six years old — an indicative benchmark, discussed by the poskim). He is the smallest "wearer of a garment" whom the halakha recognizes: a garment that covers ראשו ורובו of such a child is the smallest garment that is still a בגד.
Three ideas in this seif:
- A minimum שיעור: not every four-cornered piece of cloth is a "talit"; below the measure, there is no בגד — and therefore no obligation of tsitsit.
- The measure: covering in length and in width the head and the majority of the body (ראשו ורובו) of a child who walks alone in the marketplace — both dimensions count.
- The child as reference: the halakha does not require the talit to cover the adult who wears it; it suffices that it cover this "smallest wearer" — that is the threshold of a garment.
The Mehaber's din in one sentence: a talit is subject to tsitsit only if it can cover, in length and in width, ראשו ורובו — the head and the majority of the body — of a child who walks alone in the marketplace without needing to be watched over.
B. The Rama's condition: שהגדול לובשו עראי (seif 1, gloss)
The Rama's gloss
הַגָּהּ: וְאָז חַיָּב בְּצִיצִית, וְדַוְקָא שֶׁהַגָּדוֹל לוֹבְשׁוֹ פְּעָמִים עֲרַאי וְיוֹצֵא בּוֹ לַשּׁוּק [ב״י בשם בן חביב ובשם מהרי״א].
Gloss (Rama): and then [only] is it subject to tsitsit — and specifically when the adult sometimes wears it occasionally (עראי) and goes out with it to the marketplace [Beit Yossef in the name of Ben Ḥabib and in the name of the Mahari Abouhav].
עֲרַאי (arai) — "occasionally" — a casual, non-fixed wearing: the adult does not make this small talit his regular garment, but he does happen to put it on from time to time — and, so dressed, he would not be ashamed to go out to the marketplace. This is the Rama's test: if no adult would ever go out dressed like that, even occasionally, this size is not a בגד for the adult — and the tsitsit obligation does not apply to it.
What the Rama adds:
- Two cumulative conditions: the Mehaber's "child measure" (ראשו ורובו של קטן) does not suffice on its own; the garment must also be wearable by an adult.
- The criterion: that the adult wear it sometimes in עראי and go out with it to the marketplace — that is, that this size still count, in people's eyes, as a garment.
- The source: the Rama relies on the Beit Yossef, in the name of Ben Ḥabib and of the Mahari Abouhav.
- The stake: this criterion governs the size of the talit katan — a talit katan that is too small is not subject to tsitsit, and the berakha recited over it would be problematic.
To remember: according to the Rama, the "child measure" makes the talit subject to tsitsit only if the adult sometimes wears it in עראי and goes out with it to the marketplace — a size no adult would ever wear is not a בגד, even if it covers ראשו ורובו of a child.
Practical cases
Case 1 — Measuring a talit katan before buying it
Situation: one is buying a talit katan for oneself or for one's son; the sizes offered in stores vary widely, and the smallest ones are tempting for the summer.
Conduct: the decisive point is the שיעור of our siman: the talit katan must be able to cover, in length and in width, the head and the majority of the body of a child of about six who walks alone in the marketplace (seif 1) — and meet the Rama's criterion: a size that an adult would sometimes wear in עראי to go out. Before buying, one checks the measurement rather than trusting the label. The exact measurements in centimeters are debated among the poskim: one refers to the ruling of the Rav.
Case 2 — A talit katan that is too small: the risk for the berakha
Situation: one has long been wearing a talit katan, and discovers that it is below the measure — too short or too narrow to cover ראשו ורובו of a child.
Conduct: a garment below the שיעור is not subject to tsitsit — the mitsva is not fulfilled with it, and the berakha recited over it risks being a blessing said in vain. This is a widespread problem, since many commercial talitot ketanim stand at the limits of the measure. One therefore has the talit katan checked, and for the exact measurements and the conduct regarding the berakha (see also siman 8 on how to don the talit katan and its berakha), one refers to the ruling of the Rav.
Case 3 — The talit gadol of prayer
Situation: one wonders whether the talit gadol in which one wraps oneself for prayer reaches the measure of our siman.
Conduct: the talit gadol is far above the שיעור — it covers the head and the majority of the body of an adult, all the more so of a child — and the adult wears it precisely to go out and to pray. There is therefore no problem of size with the talit gadol: the vigilance of this siman bears in practice on the talit katan.
Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What is the minimum measure of a talit subject to tsitsit (seif 1)? In which dimensions must it be checked?
- What does ראשו ורובו mean, and why does the halakha require the talit to be a true covering of the body?
- Which child serves as the reference? What does המתהלך לבדו בשוק ואינו צריך אחר לשומרו mean?
- What condition does the Rama add? What does it mean that the adult wears it פעמים עראי and goes out with it to the marketplace?
- What is the practical stake of this siman for the modern talit katan? What is the risk with a talit katan that is too small?
Going further
If you wish to deepen this siman:
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: for the pilpoul — the source of the שיעור (מנחות מ׳-מ״א, the טלית של קטן); why ראשו ורובו של קטן and the definition of the קטן המתהלך לבדו בשוק; the Rama's condition (שהגדול לובשו עראי) and the relation to אשר תכסה בה; the practical measurements and the machloket of the modern poskim
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and quick memorization
- 👑 Level 4 — Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe): the shitah of the Shulchan Aroukh HaRav (two seifim) — the precise שיעור, and the condition that the adult sometimes wear it in עראי to go out
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה
Talmid Chacham · Teacher of shiurim in halakha and Chassidut
סימן ט״ז · סעיף אחד · Level 1 — Introduction
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה
Talmid Chacham · Teacher of shiurim in halakha and Chassidut
סימן ט״ז · סעיף אחד · Level 1 — Introduction
♥ Support DAAT