Menachot 80

חמץ בפסח ויוה"כ דכרת סמכינן אדיסקי הכא דעשה בעלמא לא כל שכן

in respect of leaven on the Passover Festival or in respect of the Day of Atonement which involve the penalty of kareth we rely upon public notices,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The decisions of the Sanhedrin concerning intercalation of the year whereby the year is deemed to be a leap year and thus postponing the Passover Festival for a month, or intercalation of the month whereby another day is added to the month and thus postponing the Day of Atonement (or any Festival that comes in the subsequent month) by one day, were announced to the public by means of notices and letters.');">¹</span> how much more so may we rely upon them here where only the transgression of a positive precept can be involved!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the use of the test thread (or the thread dyed from the quantity taken for testing) is but an infringement of a positive precept, for Holy Writ declares, That they make them fringes (Num. XV, 38) , that is to say, the threads must be prepared specifically for the zizith.');">²</span>

אלא אמר רבא הא מילתא אמרי ואיתמר במערבא משום דרבי זירא כוותי שמא יקרע סדינו בתוך ג' ויתפרנו

- Rather, said Raba, I suggested the following explanation<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why it is forbidden to insert the blue woollen threads in a linen garment.');">³</span> and in the West it was similarly<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'in agreement with me'.');">⁴</span>

והתורה אמרה תעשה ולא מן העשוי

reported in the name of R''Zera: The apprehension is that the linen garment may have been torn within three fingerbreadths' distance [from the hem] and it had been sewn together [with linen threads, and the threads were left hanging for the fringe],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that when the garment is repaired it is already provided with part of the fringe, which is invalid for the precept.');">⁵</span> and the Torah has said, 'Thou shalt make<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXII, 12.');">⁶</span>

שרא רבי זירא לסדיניה רב זירא אמר גזירה נמי משום כסות לילה

and not use what is ready made'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Accordingly when threads of wool are added to the fringe the prohibition of diverse kinds applies and it is not waived by the precept since the precept is not properly performed.');">⁷</span> R'Zera [it was reported,] removed [the fringes from] his linen garment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the same reason as explained above by Raba.');">⁸</span>

ואמר רבא הא מילתא אמרי ואיתמר במערבא משמיה דר' זירא כוותי היא של בגד וכנפיה של עור חייבת היא של עור וכנפיה של בגד פטורה מאי טעמא עיקר בגד בעינן

Rab Zera said, It is also to be feared that one will use it as a night wrap.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is exempt from zizith. And whenever the garment is used not in pursuance of the performance of the precept (e.g., if worn by night) one transgresses the prohibition of diverse kinds.');">⁹</span> Raba also said, I stated the following and in the West it was similarly reported in the name of R'Zera: If the garment is made of cloth and the corners thereof of leather, it is subject to zizith; If the garment is made of leather<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And a leather garment is exempt from zizith.');">¹⁰</span>

רב אחאי אזיל בתר כנף

and the corners thereof of cloth, it is exempt. What is the reason?

אמר רבא אמר רב סחורה אמר רב הונא הטיל לבעלת שלש והשלימה לארבע פסולה [משום] תעשה ולא מן העשוי

Because we consider the main part of the garment. R'Ahai, however, always decided according to the material of the corner.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the rule is just the reverse of that stated by Raba.');">¹¹</span>

מיתיבי חסידים הראשונים כיון שארגו בה ג' היו מטילין לה תכלת אימא כיון שפצעו בה ג' היו מטילין לה תכלת

Raba said in the name of R'Sehora who said it in the name of R'Huna, If a man inserted fringes in the corners of a three-cornered garment and then added a fourth corner [and inserted a fringe therein], it is invalid, because of the rule 'Thou shalt make, and not use what is ready made'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A three-cornered garment is exempt from zizith, accordingly when the first three fringes were inserted there was no obligation for fringes, and when the obligation falls due, i.e. when the fourth corner is added, the fringes are found to be already made.');">¹²</span> An objection was raised: The pious men of old used to insert the zizith<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the blue' (threads) .');">¹³</span>

ומי אמרינן תעשה ולא מן העשוי (איני) והאמר ר' זירא הטיל למוטלת כשרה

as soon as three fingerbreadths of the garment had been woven!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As soon as a strip three fingers wide (the minimum size of a garment) had been woven they used to insert two fringes, one at each corner, and the other two fringes they inserted when the cloth was finished. Now it is clear that the obligation of fringes falls due only when the weaving is finished, nevertheless, it is taught here, that the first two fringes are deemed valid and are not regarded as ready made.');">¹⁴</span> - Render: they used to insert the fringes as soon as the last three fingerbreadths had been reached.

אמר רבא השתא בבל תוסיף קאי מעשה לא הוי

Do we then always apply the rule 'Thou shalt make, and not use what is ready made'? Surely R'Zera has said that if a man inserted fringes in a garment that was already provided with fringes,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A second fringe was inserted at each corner close to the existing fringe, and when all eight fringes were attached, the first set of four fringes were cut away.');">¹⁵</span>

מתקיף לה רב פפא ממאי דגברא לאוסופי קא מיכוין דלמא לבטולי קא מיכוין ובל תוסיף ליכא מעשה איכא

it is valid!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the second set of fringes satisfy the law, although when these fringes were inserted there was no obligation for them, since the first set of fringes had not yet been removed.');">¹⁶</span> - Raba replied, Since one thereby transgresses the law of Thou shalt not add thereto,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XIII, 1. At the time when each fringe of the second set is inserted there is a transgression of this precept, so that the fringe so made is null and void, and therefore only when the first set is removed does the second set of fringes come into existence, Where, however, the fringes were inserted in a three-cornered garment, this act, not being an infringement of the law, is an act of consequence, and when a fourth corner is added and a fringe attached thereto, the first three fringes are disqualified as being ready made.');">¹⁷</span>

אמר ר' זירא אמר רב מתנא אמר שמואל תכלת אין בה משום כלאים ואפי' בטלית פטורה

the act done is not considered at all. R'Papa demurred: How do you know that this man's intention was to add [to the other fringes]?

מאי טלית פטורה אילימא דלית בה שיעורא והתניא טלית שהקטן מתכסה בו ראשו ורובו

Perhaps it was to cancel the others, so that there was no transgression of 'Thou shalt not add thereto'; accordingly the act done is considered an act.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Nevertheless R. Zera rules that the second set of fringes is valid even though it was ready made; thus in conflict with the principle laid down.');">¹⁸</span> R'Zera said in the name of R'Mattena who said it in the name of Samuel, [A garment that is provided with] fringes does not come within the prohibition of diverse kinds,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And it may be worn by a person that is not subject to the law of zizith, e.g. a woman (R. Tam) .');">¹⁹</span> and [it is the same] even though the garment was exempt from zizith. What is meant by 'a garment exempt from zizith'? Does it mean a garment smaller than the prescribed measure? But it has been taught: A garment with which a child can cover his head and most of his body,