Menachot 78

וגדילא מיגדיל אמר רב יאי גלימא ולא יאי תכלתא רבה בר בר חנה אמר יאי גלימא ויאי תכלתא

which were entirely wound around;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The entire fringe had been covered with windings of thread so that no part hung loose as the locks of hair. I.e., it was all and no . ohkhsd');">¹</span> whereupon Rab remarked, A fine garment, but the fringes are not fine; but Rabbah B'Bar Hana said, A fine garment and fine fringes.

במאי קא מיפלגי רבה בר בר חנה סבר כתיב (דברים כב, יב) גדיל וכתיב (במדבר טו, לח) פתיל או גדיל או פתיל

Wherein do they differ? - Rabbah B'Bar Hana maintains, since Holy Writ says 'twisted cords'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXII, 22. Heb. kh,p');">²</span> and also 'thread',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XV, 38. Heb. .');">³</span>

ורב סבר לעולם פתיל בעינן וההיא גדילים למניינא הוא דאתא גדיל שנים גדילים ארבעה עשה גדיל ופותליהו מתוכו

[the fringe] may be either [entirely] a twisted cord or [entirely] in loose threads. Rab, however, maintains that there must always be loose threads; but the expression 'twisted cords' is required only for the determination of the number of threads; for the expression 'twisted cord' would imply two threads,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For a twisted cord cannot be made of less than two threads.');">⁴</span>

אמר שמואל משמיה דלוי חוטי צמר פוטרין בשל פשתן

but 'twisted cords'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the plural.');">⁵</span> implies four; one must therefore twist them into a cord, but from the middle they must hang down in separate threads.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or: 'that which is used for winding shall be of it', i.e., the thread that is wound around the others is included in the number of threads.');">⁶</span>

איבעיא להו של פשתן מהו שיפטרו בשל צמר צמר בשל פשתים הוא דפטר דכיון דתכלת פטרה לבן נמי פטר אבל פשתים בצמר לא

Samuel said in the name of Levi, [White] woollen threads<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Together with the blue woollen threads.');">⁷</span> fulfil<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'discharge'. Sc. the garment of its obligation. ,kf,');">⁸</span>

או דלמא כיון דכתיב (דברים כב, יא) לא תלבש שעטנז צמר ופשתים יחדו גדילים תעשה לך לא שנא צמר בפשתים ולא שנא פשתים בצמר

[the precept of fringes] in a linen garment. The question was raised: Would [white] linen threads<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Together with the blue woollen threads.');">⁷</span>

ת"ש דאמר רחבה אמר רב יהודה חוטי צמר פוטרין בשל פשתן ושל פשתן פוטרין בשל צמר חוטי צמר ופשתים פוטרין בכל מקום ואפילו בשיראין

fulfil [the precept of fringes] in a woollen garment? Do we hold that only [white] woollen threads fulfil [the precept] in a linen garment, for since blue [woollen threads] fulfil [the precept in any garment]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For in every garment of whatever material blue threads must be inserted, and these blue threads, , must be of wool.');">⁹</span>

ופליגא דרב נחמן דאמר רב נחמן השיראין פטורין מן הציצית איתיביה רבא לרב נחמן השיראין והכלך והסריקין כולן חייבין בציצית מדרבנן

white [woollen threads] also fulfil the precept, but [white] linen threads cannot fulfil the precept in a woollen garment; or, we can argue, since it is written, Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together. Thou shalt make thee twisted cords,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXII, 11, 12.');">¹⁰</span>

אי הכי אימא סיפא וכולן צמר ופשתים פוטרין בהן אי אמרת בשלמא דאורייתא היינו דמישתרו בהו כלאים אלא אי אמרת דרבנן היכי מישתרי בהו כלאים אימא או צמר או פשתים

accordingly it matters not whether woollen threads are put in a linen garment or linen threads in a woollen garment?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The precept is always fulfilled thereby.');">¹¹</span> - Come and hear.

הכי נמי מסתברא דקתני סיפא הן במינן פוטרין שלא במינן אין פוטרין אי אמרת בשלמא דרבנן היינו דמיפטרו במינן אלא אי אמרת דאורייתא צמר ופשתים הוא דפטר

Rehabah said in the name of Rab Judah, Woollen threads fulfil the precept in a linen garment and linen threads in a woollen garment; [blue] woollen threads together with [white] linen threads fulfil the precept in any garment, even [in a garment] of silk. This differs from R'Nahman's view, for R'Nahman said, Silk garments are exempt from zizith.

אי משום הא לא איריא כדרבא דרבא רמי כתיב הכנף מין כנף וכתיב צמר ופשתים

Raba raised the following objection against R'Nahman: It was taught: Garments of silk or of raw silk or of floss-silk must be provided with zizith!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shab. 20b.');">¹²</span> - That is merely a Rabbinic enactment.

הא כיצד צמר ופשתים פוטרין בין במינן בין שלא במינן שאר מינין במינן פוטרין שלא במינן אין פוטרין

But then consider the next clause [of that Baraitha]: Woollen threads and linen threads fulfil the precept in every case.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Meaning apparently that if the blue threads are of wool and the white threads of linen they together fulfil the obligation of zizith in any silk garment.');">¹³</span> Now if you say that it is so<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That silk garments must be provided with zizith.');">¹⁴</span>

ורב נחמן כדתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל

by the law of the Torah then that is why diverse kinds are permitted for them; but if you say that it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That silk garments must be provided with zizith.');">¹⁴</span> is merely a Rabbinic enactment, how can it be that diverse kinds are permitted for them? - Render, either woollen threads or linen threads.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But the two kinds together would not be permitted to be used as fringes in a silk garment.');">¹⁵</span>

דתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל הואיל ונאמרו בגדים בתורה סתם ופרט לך הכתוב באחד מהן צמר ופשתים אף כל צמר ופשתים

And that is indeed the more reasonable view to take, for it reads in the final clause [of that Baraitha]: These<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc., threads of silk.');">¹⁶</span> fulfil the precept in a garment of the same material but not in a garment of a different material.

אמר אביי והאי תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל מפקא מאידך תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל דתנא דבי ר' ישמעאל בגד אין לי אלא בגד צמר מנין לרבות צמר גמלים וצמר ארנבים ונוצה של עזים והכלך והסריקין והשיראין מנין ת"ל או בגד:

Now if you say that it is merely a Rabbinic enactment, then that is why these fulfil the precept in a garment of the same material; but if you say that it is so by the law of the Torah, sure [according to the Torah] only wool and linen can discharge the obligation!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For only wool and linen are mentioned in connection with the zizith; cf. Deut. XXII, 11, 12.');">¹⁷</span> - This is not a conclusive argument, for the text may be explained in accordance with Raba's argument. For Raba pointed out a contradiction: It is written, The corner,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XV, 38.');">¹⁸</span> [which implies that the fringes are to be of] the same kind [of material] as that of the corner, but it is also written, Wool and linen.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Deut. XXII, 11, 12, which shows that the fringes must be either of wool or of linen, whatever the material of the garment is.');">¹⁹</span> How are the texts to be reconciled? Wool and linen fulfil [the precept of zizith] both in garments of their own kind [of material] as well as in garments of a different kind, whereas other kinds of threads<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., silk.');">²⁰</span> fulfil the precept only in a garment of their own kind [of material], but not in a garment of a different kind [of material]. R'Nahman,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who maintains that silk garments require fringes only by Rabbinic ordinance, for according to the law of the Torah only garments of wool and of linen are subject to zizith.');">²¹</span> however, agrees with the view of the Tanna of the school of R'Ishmael. For a Tanna of the school of R'Ishmael taught: Since in the Torah the word 'garments' is used without being specified,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Num. XV, 38: That they make them fringes in the corners of their garments; or with reference to uncleanness by creeping things, Lev. XI, 32.');">²²</span> but in one particular case<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With reference to plagues in garments, Lev. XIII, 47, 48.');">²³</span> Holy Writ specified 'wool and linen', the inference is that all garments are understood as being of wool or of linen. Abaye said, This teaching of a Tanna of the school of R'Ishmael differs from that of another Tanna of the same school. For a Tanna of the school of R'Ishmael taught: By garment<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With reference to plagues in garments, Lev. XIII, 47, 48.');">²³</span> I understand only a garment of [sheep's] wool; whence can I include garments of camel hair, of hare's hair, of goat's hair, or of raw silk or floss-silk or fine silk? Scripture therefore says, Or a garment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 47: Whether it be a woolen garment or a linen garment; the conjunction 'or' includes other garments too as being subject to the law of plagues.');">²⁴</span>