Commentary for Yevamot 8:14

איצטריך סד"א כי דיוקא דרבא הכנף מין כנף וה"ק רחמנא עביד ליה צמר לצמר ופשתים לפשתים וכי עבידת צמר לצמר צבעיה אבל צמר לפשתים ופשתים לצמר לא כתב רחמנא צמר ופשתים דאפילו צמר לפשתים ופשתים לצמר

but then it is also written, wool and linen.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Deut. XXII, 11f: Mingled stuff, wool and linen thou shalt make the twisted cords, which shews that the fringes may be made either of wool or of flax whatever the material of the corner might be. ');">³⁸</span> How then [are these texts to be reconciled?] Wool and linen discharge [the obligation to provide fringes] both for a garment of the same, as well as of a different kind of material, while other kinds [of material]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Silk for instance. ');">³⁹</span> discharge [the obligation for a garment made] of the same kind [of material] but not for one made of a different kind [of material].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So also according to the Tanna of R. Ishmael's school, (as will be explained in the Gemara anon) if Scripture had not specified 'wool and linen' it might have been assumed that in a woollen garment the fringes must be made of wool while in a garment of flax they must be made of flax, hence wool and linen were specified to shew on the basis of semukim that mingled stuffs also are allowed in zizith. ');">⁴⁰</span> But the Tanna of the School of R. Ishmael,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the moment it is assumed that the suggestion is that he is in agreement with Raba's argument in all respects. ');">⁴¹</span> surely, does not hold the same view as Raba!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For, according to him, since 'garment' denotes only such as is made of wool and linen, garments made of other materials require no fringes (zizith). What need, then, was there for the expression of wool and linen to differentiate these from other materials? ');">⁴²</span> — [The text]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Wool and linen. ');">⁴³</span> is still necessary; for it might have been assumed that Raba's line of argument<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though not his view, applying his method of reasoning only in regard to a garment made of wool or linen. ');">⁴⁴</span> should be followed: 'The corner' [implies that the fringes must be made of the same] kind of [material as the] corner, and that what the All Merciful meant was this: 'Make wool [fringes] for wool [garments] and linen ones for linen; only when you make wool fringes for wool garments you must dye them'; but no wool fringes may be made for linen or linen fringes for wool, hence the All Merciful has written 'wool and linen' [to indicate] that even wool fringes [may be] made for linen garments or linen fringes for woollen garments.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., that mingled stuffs are permissible in the performance of the precept of zizith. ');">⁴⁵</span>

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