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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman י״ח · The Time of Tsitsit (זמן ציצית)
זמן ציצית — night is not the time of tsitsit, the סדינים, and from when one blesses in the morning
סימן י״ח · ג׳ סעיפים
זמן ציצית
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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A first approach to the ג׳ סעיפים: vocalized Hebrew text, clear English translation and pedagogical explanations on night not being the time of tsitsit (לילה לאו זמן ציצית) — the machloket between the רמב״ם and the רא״ש (the time or the garment?) and the psak of the רמ״א: ספק ברכות להקל, the talit after Arvit and on the eve of Yom Kippur —, sheets (סדינים) exempt from tsitsit even if one sleeps in them in the morning, and from when one blesses in the morning — משיכיר בין תכלת ללבן, from עלות השחר by custom, and the משמוש after Seliḥot — with a section of practical cases.
Topic: The time of tsitsit — night is exempt (machloket רמב״ם / רא״ש and the psak of the רמ״א), the סדינים, and the morning threshold for the blessing
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן י״ח · ג׳ סעיפים
Compiled by: Rav Yossef Haim Samama
DAAT · daattorah.com
In siman 17 we learned who is bound by tsitsit; the Shulchan Aroukh here turns to the question of when: the time of the mitsva. The Torah says "וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ" — "and you shall see it": the mitsva is tied to sight, hence to the day; the night is excluded from it — לילה לאו זמן ציצית. But what does this exclusion mean? The רמב״ם reads: night excludes the time — whatever one wears at night is exempt (even a day garment), and whatever one wears by day is bound (even a night garment). The רא״ש reads: the Torah excluded the night garment — a garment designated for the night is exempt even worn by day, and a day garment is bound even worn at night. The רמ״א rules for the blessing: ספק ברכות להקל — one blesses only where all agree: by day, on a day garment. From here also: after the Arvit prayer one no longer blesses, and on the eve of Yom Kippur one wraps oneself while it is still day. The siman adds the סדינים (sheets), exempt from tsitsit, and fixes the morning threshold: from when one can distinguish the תכלת from the לבן — and by custom, from עלות השחר. We study here at the level of principle; for concrete conduct, we refer to the ruling of the Rav.
📑 Study outline
A. לילה לאו זמן ציצית — the machloket רמב״ם / רא״ש (the time or the garment?) and the psak of the רמ״א: ספק ברכות להקל; after Arvit; the eve of Yom Kippur (seif 1)
B. The סדינים (sheets) — one does not attach tsitsit to them, even if one sleeps in them in the morning (seif 2)
C. From when one blesses in the morning — משיכיר בין תכלת ללבן; from עלות השחר by custom; Seliḥot and the משמוש (seif 3)
+ Practical cases and comprehension questions
A. לילה לאו זמן ציצית: the machloket רמב״ם / רא״ש and the psak of the רמ״א (seif 1)
Original text (seif 1)
[א] זְמַן צִיצִית, וּבוֹ ג׳ סְעִיפִים. לַיְלָה לָאו זְמַן צִיצִית הוּא, דְּאִמְּעִיט מִ«וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ». לְהָרַמְבָּ״ם — כָּל מַה שֶּׁלּוֹבֵשׁ בַּלַּיְלָה פָּטוּר, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא מְיֻחָד לַיּוֹם ; וּמַה שֶּׁלּוֹבֵשׁ בַּיּוֹם חַיָּב, אֲפִלּוּ מְיֻחָד לַלַּיְלָה. וּלְהָרֹא״שׁ — כְּסוּת הַמְיֻחָד לַלַּיְלָה פָּטוּר, אֲפִלּוּ לוֹבְשׁוֹ בַּיּוֹם ; וּכְסוּת הַמְיֻחָד לַיּוֹם אוֹ לַיּוֹם וְלַיְלָה חַיָּב, אֲפִלּוּ לוֹבְשׁוֹ בַּלַּיְלָה. הַגָּהּ: וּסְפֵק בְּרָכוֹת לְהָקֵל, עַל כֵּן אֵין לְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁלּוֹבְשׁוֹ בַּיּוֹם וְהוּא מְיֻחָד גַּם כֵּן לַיּוֹם [הַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי]. וְאַחַר תְּפִלַּת עַרְבִית, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעֲדַיִן יוֹם הוּא, אֵין לְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו [פִּסְקֵי מַהֲרַא״י סִי׳ קכ״א]. וּבְלֵיל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים יִתְעַטֵּף בְּעוֹד יוֹם וִיבָרֵךְ עָלָיו [תַּשְׁבֵּ״ץ].
[1] The time of tsitsit — comprising ג׳ סעיפים. Night is not the time of tsitsit, for it is excluded [by the verse] "וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ" ("and you shall see it"). According to the רמב״ם: whatever one wears at night is exempt, even if [the garment] is designated for the day; and whatever one wears by day is bound [by tsitsit], even if it is designated for the night. And according to the רא״ש: a garment designated for the night is exempt, even if one wears it by day; and a garment designated for the day, or for day and night, is bound, even if one wears it at night. Gloss (רמ״א): and [in case of] doubt over blessings, one is lenient (ספק ברכות להקל); therefore one blesses on [the talit] only when one wears it by day and it is moreover designated for the day [הגהות מיימוני]. And after the Arvit prayer, even if it is still day, one no longer blesses on it [פסקי מהרא״י סי׳ קכ״א]. And on the eve of Yom Kippur, one shall wrap oneself while it is still day and bless on it [תשב״ץ].
לַיְלָה לָאו זְמַן צִיצִית (laila lav zman tsitsit) — "night is not the time of tsitsit" — the Torah ties the mitsva of tsitsit to sight: "וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ" — "and you shall see it" (במדבר ט״ו, ל״ט). Night, however, is not a time when one sees: the Sages derive from this that the night is excluded from the mitsva. The whole question of the seif is what the Torah excluded: the time of the night, or the night garment.
The machloket — the time or the garment?
- The רמב״ם — the time decides: at night, everything one wears is exempt — even a day garment; by day, everything one wears is bound — even a night garment.
- The רא״ש — the garment decides: the night garment is exempt — even worn in broad daylight; a day garment (or a day-and-night garment) is bound — even worn at night.
- Nafka mina: a day garment worn at night — exempt for the רמב״ם, bound for the רא״ש; a night garment worn by day — bound for the רמב״ם, exempt for the רא״ש.
| Day garment by day | Day garment at night | Night garment by day | Night garment at night | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| רמב״ם (the time) | bound (חייב) | exempt (פטור) | bound (חייב) | exempt (פטור) |
| רא״ש (the garment) | bound (חייב) | bound (חייב) | exempt (פטור) | exempt (פטור) |
| Blessing (רמ״א) | one blesses | no blessing | no blessing | no blessing |
סְפֵק בְּרָכוֹת לְהָקֵל (safek berakhot lehakel) — "in case of doubt over a blessing, one is lenient" — a blessing said in vain is grave (ברכה לבטלה); therefore, when the decisors are divided over the very obligation, one refrains from blessing. Here: one blesses only in the case where רמב״ם and רא״ש agree that there is an obligation — by day (as per the רמב״ם) on a garment designated for the day (as per the רא״ש).
The three rulings of the רמ״א:
- When does one bless? Only when wearing the talit by day and it is designated for the day — the only case where the obligation is certain according to all.
- After Arvit: once one has prayed the evening prayer, one no longer blesses on the talit — even if it is still day: by one's prayer, one has made this moment "night."
- The eve of Yom Kippur: one dons the talit for the entire evening service (יו״כ) — one therefore wraps oneself and blesses while it is still day [תשב״ץ].
Seif 1 in one sentence: the night is excluded from tsitsit ("וראיתם אותו") — for the רמב״ם everything depends on the moment, for the רא״ש everything depends on the garment; and by ספק ברכות להקל, the רמ״א has one bless only by day on a day garment — no more blessing after Arvit, and on the eve of Yom Kippur one wraps oneself and blesses while it is still day.
B. The סדינים (sheets): no tsitsit (seif 2)
Original text (seif 2)
[ב] סְדִינִים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָדָם יָשֵׁן בָּהֶם בַּבֹּקֶר, אֵין מַטִּילִים בָּהֶם צִיצִית.
[2] Sheets (סדינים) — even if one sleeps in them [still] in the morning, one does not attach tsitsit to them.
סְדִינִים (sedinim) — "sheets" — four-cornered linen cloths in which one wraps oneself to sleep. By their designation, they are night garments (כסות לילה) — and night is not the time of tsitsit. One therefore does not attach tsitsit to them, even though they have four corners.
What this seif says:
- No tsitsit on sheets: the סדינים are by designation a night garment — one does not attach tsitsit to them.
- Even if one sleeps in them in the morning: the fact of still being wrapped in them by day does not turn them into a day garment — their designation remains the night.
- The link with seif 1: this is the application of the principle — the night garment remains exempt; and blessing on it would be precisely the doubt that the רמ״א sets aside. (On making tsitsit of linen, see already siman 9.)
To remember: the סדינים (sheets), night garments by designation, are exempt from tsitsit — even if one still sleeps in them in the morning.
C. The morning: from when one blesses on the tsitsit (seif 3)
Original text (seif 3)
[ג] מֵאֵימָתַי מְבָרֵךְ עַל הַצִּיצִית בַּשַּׁחַר — מִשֶּׁיַּכִּיר בֵּין תְּכֵלֶת שֶׁבָּהּ לְלָבָן שֶׁבָּהּ. הַגָּהּ: וְאִם לוֹבְשׁוֹ מֵעֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר וְאֵילָךְ, יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דִּמְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו, וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין [מָרְדְּכַי פֶּרֶק ב׳ דִּמְגִלָּה]. וְאִם לְבָשׁוֹ קֹדֶם לָכֵן, כְּגוֹן בִּסְלִיחוֹת, לֹא יְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו, וּכְשֶׁיָּאִיר הַיּוֹם יְמַשְׁמֵשׁ בּוֹ וִיבָרֵךְ [תַּשְׁבֵּ״ץ].
[3] From when does one bless on the tsitsit in the morning? From when one can distinguish between the תכלת (blue) in it and the לבן (white) in it. Gloss (רמ״א): and if one dons it from עלות השחר (daybreak) onward, some say (י״א) that one blesses on it — and such is the custom (וכן נוהגין) [מרדכי פ״ב דמגילה]. And if one donned it before that, for instance at Seliḥot, one shall not bless on it; and when the day lights up, one shall handle it (ימשמש בו) and bless [תשב״ץ].
מִשֶּׁיַּכִּיר בֵּין תְּכֵלֶת לְלָבָן (misheyakir bein tekhelet le-lavan) — "from when one distinguishes the blue from the white" — the morning threshold fixed by the Mehaber: there is enough light to distinguish, among the strands of the tsitsit, the תכלת thread from the white thread. It is the return of the principle "וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ": the time of tsitsit begins when one can see it.
עֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר (alot ha-shaḥar) — "daybreak" — the first light of day, before sunrise and before משיכיר. The halakhic day has several thresholds: עלות השחר (dawn breaks), משיכיר (one distinguishes), then sunrise. The רמ״א brings the opinion (י״א) that from עלות השחר the day has begun for tsitsit — וכן נוהגין, such is the custom.
The three times of the morning:
- The din of the Mehaber: one blesses on the tsitsit from משיכיר בין תכלת ללבן — when the light allows one to distinguish the strands.
- The custom (רמ״א): if one dons it from עלות השחר onward, י״א that one blesses — וכן נוהגין.
- Before dawn (Seliḥot): if one donned it before עלות השחר — as at Seliḥot said before dawn — one does not bless; then, when the day lights up, one handles the tsitsit (משמוש) and blesses at that point.
יְמַשְׁמֵשׁ בּוֹ (yemashmesh bo) — "he shall handle it" — the משמוש: taking the tsitsit in hand and handling them when the day lights up. This gesture links the blessing to the mitsva: handling the strands at the moment their time begins allows the blessing to take effect on the talit one has already donned [תשב״ץ].
To remember: in the morning, one blesses on the tsitsit from משיכיר בין תכלת ללבן; the custom follows the opinion permitting from עלות השחר; and if one donned it before dawn (Seliḥot), one does not bless — when the day lights up, one performs the משמוש and blesses.
Practical cases
Case 1 — Blessing on the talit katan in the morning: from when?
Situation: one rises early and dons one's talit katan; from what moment may one say the blessing?
Conduct: the din of the Mehaber (seif 3) fixes משיכיר בין תכלת ללבן — when there is enough light to distinguish the blue from the white among the strands. The רמ״א brings the custom of blessing from עלות השחר (וכן נוהגין). Before עלות השחר, one does not bless. The precise computation of these times according to place and season depends on the local calendar: one refers to the ruling of the Rav.
Case 2 — Seliḥot before dawn: the talit without a blessing, then the משמוש
Situation: the prayer leader (or one who has the custom of the talit) wraps himself in the talit for Seliḥot said before עלות השחר.
Conduct: this is the explicit case of the רמ״א (seif 3): donned before dawn, the talit is put on without a blessing — it is not yet the time of tsitsit. Then, when the day lights up, one handles the tsitsit (משמוש) and says the blessing at that point. For the customs proper to each community (who blesses, on which talit), one refers to the ruling of the Rav.
Case 3 — The talit kept on in the evening: Maariv, the eve of Yom Kippur
Situation: one keeps one's talit on until the evening prayer — or one wishes to wrap oneself in the talit for the evening service of Yom Kippur. Does one still bless?
Conduct: according to the רמ״א (seif 1), after the Arvit prayer one no longer blesses on the talit — even if it is still day. On the eve of Yom Kippur, when one wraps oneself in the talit for the entire evening service, one takes care to wrap oneself and bless while it is still day [תשב״ץ]. The borderline cases (day drawing to a close, a talit put on again after nightfall) are delicate: one refers to the ruling of the Rav.
Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- From which verse do we learn that night is not the time of tsitsit (seif 1)? What is the link between the mitsva and sight?
- Set out the machloket: according to the רמב״ם, what of a day garment worn at night? And according to the רא״ש? And a night garment worn by day?
- Why does the רמ״א have one bless only by day on a day garment? What does ספק ברכות להקל mean?
- Why does one no longer bless after Arvit, even if it is still day? What does one do on the eve of Yom Kippur (seif 1)? And why are the סדינים exempt, even if one sleeps in them in the morning (seif 2)?
- What is the morning threshold according to the Mehaber (seif 3)? What does the רמ״א bring about עלות השחר? And what does one do who donned his talit at Seliḥot, before dawn?
Going further
If you wish to deepen this siman:
📖Join the khavroutha
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: for the pilpoul — the geder of the machloket רמב״ם / רא״ש (does night exclude the time or the garment?) and its nafka minot; "וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ" and sight as the determining factor (ברכות ט׳ ע״ב, מנחות מ״ג ע״א — and the link to siman 17); the talit after Arvit and on the eve of יו״כ; the סדינים; and the two morning thresholds — עלות השחר / משיכיר — with the משמוש
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and quick memorization
- 👑 Level 4 — Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe): the shitah of the Shulchan Aroukh HaRav — the machloket כסות יום / כסות לילה and its psak, the talit at Maariv and on the eve of Yom Kippur, the סדינים, and the morning threshold (משיכיר בין תכלת ללבן)