The Siman — Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim siman 17 (3 seifim)
מִי הֵם חַיָּבִין בְּצִיצִית. אַף עַל גַּב דִּכְתִיב וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ, סוּמָא חַיָּב בְּצִיצִית, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּתְרַבָּה מֵאֲשֶׁר תְּכַסֶּה בָּהּ, וּקְרָא דְּוּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמַעֵט כְּסוּת לַיְלָה (וְעַיֵּן לְקַמָּן סִי׳ י״ח). (סעיף א) · נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים פְּטוּרִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁהַזְּמַן גְּרָמָא. הַגָּה: וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אִם רוֹצִים לְעָטְפוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו — הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדָם, כְּמוֹ בִּשְׁאָר מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁהַזְּמַן גְּרָמָא ; אַךְ מֶחֱזֵי כְּיוּהֲרָא, לָכֵן אֵין לָהֶן לִלְבֹּשׁ צִיצִית, הוֹאִיל וְאֵינוֹ חוֹבַת גַּבְרָא. טוּמְטוּם וְאַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס חַיָּבִין מִסָּפֵק, וְיִתְעַטְּפוּ בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה. הַגָּה: וּלְפִי מַה שֶּׁנָּהֲגוּ נָשִׁים לְבָרֵךְ בְּמִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁהַזְּמַן גְּרָמָא, גַּם הֵם יְבָרְכוּ. (סעיף ב) · קָטָן הַיּוֹדֵעַ לְהִתְעַטֵּף — אָבִיו צָרִיךְ לִקַּח לוֹ צִיצִית לְחַנְּכוֹ. הַגָּה: וְדַוְקָא כְּשֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ לַעֲטֹף שְׁתֵּי צִיצִיּוֹת לְפָנָיו וּשְׁתַּיִם לְאַחֲרָיו, וְיוֹדֵעַ לֶאֱחֹז הַצִּיצִית בְּיָדוֹ בִּשְׁעַת קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע. (סעיף ג)
Who is obligated in tzitzit — and it contains 3 seifim: (1) Although it is written וראיתם אותו (and you shall see it), the סומא (blind person) is חייב in tzitzit, for he is included by אשר תכסה בה (with which you cover yourself); and the verse וראיתם אותו is needed to exclude the כסות לילה, the night garment (see further סי׳ י״ח). (2) Women and slaves are פטורים (exempt), for it is a מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא (a positive time-bound commandment). The טומטום and the אנדרוגינוס are חייבין מספק (obligated out of doubt): they wrap themselves בלא ברכה, without a beracha. (Rama: if they wish to wrap themselves and recite the beracha, the permission is in their hands, as with the other מ״ע שהזמן גרמא; but it appears as יוהרא (ostentation) — so women need not wear tzitzit, all the more so as it is not a חובת גברא: no one is obligated to buy a talit in order to become bound, cf. siman 19. And for the טומטום ואנדרוגינוס: according to the custom whereby women recite the beracha on מ״ע שהזמן גרמא, they too would recite it.) (3) A קטן (child) who knows how to wrap himself — his father must buy him tzitzit to educate him in the mitzvah (chinuch). (Rama: precisely when he knows how to wrap two tzitzit in front of him and two behind him, and knows how to hold the tzitzit in his hand during the reading of the Shema.)
The 4 levels of study — Siman י״ז, 3 seifim
01
Available
רמת המתחיל
Level 1 — Beginner & Intermediate
Vocalized Hebrew text of the 3 seifim with a fluent English translation. Pedagogical, respectful explanation: the סומא (blind person) fully חייב in tzitzit — included by אשר תכסה בה, while וראיתם אותו excludes the כסות לילה; women and slaves פטורים — מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא, with the Rama on the beracha and the יוהרא; the טומטום ואנדרוגינוס who wraps himself בלא ברכה; and the קטן whom his father educates in tzitzit (chinuch). Modern practical cases: the blind person and the beracha on the talit, women and the talit (community customs, referral to the Rav), and the age of the first talit katan.
02
Available
רמת הלמדן
Lamdan — Advanced Pilpul
In-depth pilpul: the derasha of the סומא (Menachot 43a) — וראיתם אותו versus אשר תכסה בה, the ראייה as a reason or a condition, and the כסות לילה (link to siman 18); why tzitzit is a מ״ע שהזמן גרמא, and the machloket Rambam / Rabbeinu Tam on the beracha of women (Ashkenazi vs Sephardi custom); the יוהרא specific to tzitzit — חובת מנא ולא חובת גברא (Agur סי׳ כ״ז, cf. siman 19); the safek of the טומטום ואנדרוגינוס and ספק ברכות להקל; and the shiur of chinuch (Sukkah 42a) — two tzitzit in front, two behind, and holding the tzitzit during ק״ש. Beit Yossef, Tur, תוס׳ / Rosh / Ran, Mg״A, Taz, Mishna Berura and Beour Halakha.
03
Available
חזרה וסיכום
Master Synthesis
Structured summary for review and memorization: the סומא חייב (with a beracha), women and slaves פטורים — מ״ע שהזמן גרמא, the Rama on the beracha and the יוהרא (no חובת גברא); the טומטום ואנדרוגינוס חייבין מספק, בלא ברכה; and the chinuch of the קטן — two in front, two behind, holding the tzitzit during the Shema. Conduct le-maaseh in everyday life, with a referral to the community Rav for the custom of women, and cf. siman 8, 16, 18 and 19.
04
Available
דעת הרב
Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe)
The Choulhan Aroukh HaRav of the Admour HaZaken on Orach Chaim siman 17 (where the Rav develops ד׳ seifim): full text and the force of the psak relative to the Mechaber — the blind person חייב (included by אשר תכסה בה), women and slaves פטורים with the question of the beracha and the מחזי כיוהרא, the טומטום ואנדרוגינוס who wraps himself without a beracha, and the קטן היודע להתעטף (chinuch). 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
סוּמָא חַיָּב בְּצִיצִית
The blind person is chayav
Although it is written וראיתם אותו, the סומא is חייב in tzitzit: he is included by אשר תכסה בה — and the verse וראיתם אותו comes to exclude the כסות לילה (see siman 18).
מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁהַזְּמַן גְּרָמָא
מ״ע שהזמן גרמא
Women and slaves are פטורים from tzitzit, for it is a positive time-bound commandment — the night (כסות לילה) sets its boundary.
מֶחֱזֵי כְּיוּהֲרָא
The יוהרא (ostentation)
Rama: if they wish to wrap themselves and recite the beracha, the permission is in their hands — but it appears as יוהרא; so women need not wear tzitzit.
חוֹבַת גַּבְרָא / חוֹבַת מָנָא
חובת גברא / חובת מנא
Tzitzit is not an obligation borne by the person: no one is obligated to buy a talit in order to become bound — it is the four-cornered garment that creates the duty (cf. siman 19).
טוּמְטוּם וְאַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס
טומטום ואנדרוגינוס
An uncertain status (male or female): they are חייבין מספק and wrap themselves בלא ברכה. Rama: according to the custom whereby women recite the beracha on מ״ע שהזמן גרמא, they too would recite it.
חִנּוּךְ קָטָן
The chinuch of the child
A קטן who knows how to wrap himself — his father must buy him tzitzit to educate him. Rama: as soon as he knows how to wrap two tzitzit in front and two behind, and hold the tzitzit during the Shema.
Structure of the Siman — landmarks in the 3 seifim
| Seif | Subject | Theme | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| סעיף א | סומא | חייב | Although it is written וראיתם אותו, the blind person is חייב in tzitzit: he is included by אשר תכסה בה, and the verse וראיתם אותו is needed to exclude the כסות לילה (cf. סי׳ י״ח). |
| סעיף ב | נשים ועבדים · טומטום ואנדרוגינוס | פטורים / מספק | Women and slaves פטורים — מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא. Rama: they may wrap themselves and recite the beracha, but מחזי כיוהרא — and it is not a חובת גברא (siman 19). The טומטום ואנדרוגינוס: חייבין מספק, they wrap themselves בלא ברכה. |
| סעיף ג | קטן היודע להתעטף | ✦ Chinuch | His father must buy him tzitzit to educate him. Rama: as soon as he knows how to wrap two tzitzit in front and two behind, and hold the tzitzit in his hand during ק״ש. |
מי הם חייבין — who is obligated, in one table
| Case | Register | Status | Central idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| סומא | Gemara · Menachot 43a | חייב | Included by אשר תכסה בה — he wears the talit with a beracha, fully bound by the mitzvah; וראיתם אותו comes to exclude the כסות לילה, not the blind person. |
| נשים ועבדים | Shulchan Aruch · Hagaha | פטורים | מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא. Rama: the permission to wrap themselves and recite the beracha exists (as with the other מ״ע שהזמן גרמא), but מחזי כיוהרא — all the more so as it is not a חובת גברא. |
| טומטום ואנדרוגינוס | Safek | חייבין מספק | They wrap themselves בלא ברכה — ספק ברכות להקל. Rama: according to the custom whereby women recite the beracha on מ״ע שהזמן גרמא, they too would recite it. |
| קטן | Chinuch · Sukkah 42a | ✦ Le-maaseh | As soon as he knows how to wrap himself (two tzitzit in front, two behind) and hold the tzitzit during the Shema, his father buys him tzitzit — everyday chinuch. |
Frequently asked questions — Siman י״ז
Is a blind person (סומא) obligated in tzitzit, according to Siman 17?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 17:1, although it is written וראיתם אותו (and you shall see it), the סומא (blind person) is חייב in tzitzit, for he is included by אשר תכסה בה (with which you cover yourself). The verse וראיתם אותו, for its part, is needed to exclude the כסות לילה, the night garment (see further סי׳ י״ח). The blind person therefore wears the talit with a beracha — fully bound by the mitzvah.
Are women obligated to wear tzitzit, and may they recite the beracha, according to Siman 17?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh (Orach Chaim 17:2), women and slaves are פטורים, for it is a מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא (a positive time-bound commandment). The Rama adds that if they wish to wrap themselves and recite the beracha, the permission is in their hands, as with the other מ״ע שהזמן גרמא; but it appears as יוהרא (ostentation), so women need not wear tzitzit — all the more so as it is not a חובת גברא: no one is obligated to buy a talit in order to become bound (cf. siman 19). For concrete practice, a referral to the Rav of the community.
What is the status of the טומטום and the אנדרוגינוס in tzitzit, according to Siman 17?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh (Orach Chaim 17:2), the טומטום (of whom it is not known whether male or female) and the אנדרוגינוס (who presents both characteristics) are חייבין מספק — obligated out of doubt: they therefore wrap themselves בלא ברכה, without a beracha, following the principle ספק ברכות להקל. The Rama notes that according to the custom whereby women recite the beracha on מ״ע שהזמן גרמא, they too would recite it.
From when must a father buy tzitzit for his son, according to Siman 17?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh (Orach Chaim 17:3), a קטן היודע להתעטף — a child who knows how to wrap himself — his father must buy him tzitzit to educate him in the mitzvah (chinuch). The Rama specifies: precisely when he knows how to wrap two tzitzit in front of him and two behind him, and knows how to hold the tzitzit in his hand during the reading of the Shema.