Menachot 82

ובלבד שלא תהא מופסקת שמעת מינה מתירין מבגד לבגד דילמא דאי בלאי

provided they are not cut.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., each thread is whole and intact (Rashi) . This is too obvious, and Tosaf and Nimmuke Joseph are at a loss to suggest a satisfactory explanation.');">¹</span>

ת"ר טלית שכולה תכלת כל מיני צבעונין פוטרין בה חוץ מקלא אילן

You may well infer from this, may you not, that one may detach the fringes from one garment [for insertion] into another garment?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But it is a subject of dispute between Rab and Samuel, infra.');">²</span>

מיתיבי טלית אין פוטר בה אלא מינה טלית שכולה תכלת מביא תכלת וד"א ותולה בה וקלא אילן לא יביא ואם הביא כשר

- Perhaps [it is permitted] only when the first garment was worn out.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But it is forbidden to remove the fringes from a garment that is in good condition in order to insert them into another garment, for this would be a disparagement of the precept.');">³</span>

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק לא קשיא כאן בטלית בת ארבעה חוטין כאן בטלית בת שמונה חוטין

Our Rabbis taught: In a garment that is entirely blue [threads of] any colour fulfil [the precept of zizith] except imitation blue.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the fringe must consist of two colours, threads of real blue and threads of another colour (usually white) . Hence it is not permitted to have a fringe of real blue and imitation blue since they are both the one colour.');">⁴</span>

שמעת מינה מתירין מבגד לבגד דלמא דאי עבד

An objection was raised: Only threads of the same colour as the garment fulfil the precept; but in a garment that is entirely blue one should insert blue threads and threads of some other colour, except threads of imitation blue;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 248, n. 6.');">⁵</span>

איתמר רב אמר אין מתירין מבגד לבגד ושמואל אמר מתירין מבגד לבגד

if, however, these were inserted, it is, nevertheless, valid!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus in conflict with the Baraitha which absolutely excludes imitation blue.');">⁶</span>

רב אמר אין מדליקין מנר לנר ושמואל אמר מדליקין מנר לנר

- R'Nahman B'Isaac said, This is no difficulty, for in the one case the garment had fringes, each consisting of four threads, and in the other it had fringes each consisting of eight threads.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The second Baraitha deals with the case where there were four threads already inserted in the garment, two of real blue and two of some other colour, and it was desired to insert four more threads of imitation blue. Now this is not permitted in the first instance (though if one did so it is valid) , for this garment might be sold and the buyer, believing that all the blue threads are genuine, might remove two of the imitation blue threads and insert them into another garment, relying upon them as genuine blue threads, thus involving the transgression of the law of diverse kinds. (Second interpretation of Rashi.)');">⁷</span>

רב אמר אין הלכה כרבי שמעון בגרירה ושמואל אמר הלכה כר' שמעון בגרירה

You may well infer from this, may you not, that one may detach the fringes from one garment [for insertion] into another garment?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the apprehension is that the imitation blue threads will be removed from this garment and put into another (v. prec. note) , it is obvious that it is permitted to do so.');">⁸</span>

אמר אביי כל מילי דמר עביד כרב לבר מהני תלת דעביד כשמואל מתירין מבגד לבגד ומדליקין מנר לנר והלכה כרבי שמעון בגרירה

- Perhaps it had been done [in contravention of the law].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although it is not permitted to remove the fringes from one garment for insertion into another, the apprehension is that one might do so and in the circumstances of this case there might arise therefrom the transgression of a grave law.');">⁹</span>

דתניא רבי שמעון אומר גורר אדם מטה כסא וספסל ובלבד שלא יתכוין לעשות חריץ

It was stated: Rab said, One may not detach [the fringes] from one garment [and insert them] into another; but Samuel said, One may do so.

רב יהודה מסר ליה לקצרא רב חנינא עביד לה סיסא רבינא חייט להו מיחט

Rab said, One may not kindle one light<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the Feast of Hanukkah when lights are kindled for eight days.');">¹⁰</span>

ת"ר כמה חוטין הוא נותן ב"ש אומרים ד' וב"ה אומרים ג'

from another light; but Samuel said, One may do so.

וכמה תהא משולשת ב"ש אומרים ד' וב"ה אומרים ג' וג' שבית הלל אומרים אחת מארבע בטפח של כל אדם אמר רב פפא טפח דאורייתא ד' בגודל שית בקטנה חמש בתילתא

Rab said, The halachah is not in accordance with R'Simeon's view concerning the dragging [of an object on the Sabbath]; but Samuel said, It is.

אמר רב הונא ד' בתוך ד' ומשולשת ד' ורב יהודה אמר ג' בתוך ג' משולשת ג'

Abaye said, In every case my Master [Rabbah] followed Rab's ruling, save in the above three cases in which he followed Samuel's ruling, namely, that one may detach the fringes from one garment [and insert them] into another, that one may kindle one light from another light, and that the halachah is in accordance with R'Simeon's view concerning the dragging [of an object on the Sabbath], for it was taught: R'Simeon says, A man may drag a bed, a chair or a bench on the Sabbath, provided he has no intention of making a groove.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although when dragging a heavy object over soft earth it is inevitable that a groove be made, which act is forbidden on the Sabbath, R. Simeon permits it as long as there was no intention of making the groove. V. Shab. 22a.');">¹¹</span>

אמר רב פפא הלכתא ד' בתוך שלש משולשת ארבע

Rab Judah used to send [his garment with the fringes] to the fuller.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And he had no fears lest the fuller damage the real blue threads and replace them with imitation blue threads.');">¹²</span>

למימרא דאית להו שיעורא ורמינהו ציצית אין ציצית אלא יוצא ואין ציצית אלא משהו וכבר עלו זקני ב"ש וזקני ב"ה לעליית יוחנן בן בתירא ואמרו ציצית אין לה שיעור כיוצא בו לולב אין בו שיעור

R'Hanina used to roll up the fringes into a ball.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To protect them during washing.');">¹³</span>

מאי לאו אין לה שיעור כלל לא

Rabina used to sew them up. Our Rabbis taught: How many threads must one insert? Beth Shammai say, Four;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One must insert four threads in the hole at each corner of the garment and double them over in the middle, so that eight threads hang down.');">¹⁴</span> but Beth Hillel say. Three. And how far must they hang down?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After making the necessary windings and knots in the form of a chain, the threads are left to hang loose; and it is established that the loose kh,p ;bg khsd threads, called the or , must be twice as long as the chain-like portion, called the . The dispute between Beth Shammai and Beth kh,p khsd Hillel is, according to Rashi, in respect of the length of the , and according to R. Tam, in respect of the length of the .');">¹⁵</span> Beth Shammai say, Four [fingerbreadths]; but Beth Hillel say, Three. And as for the three [fingerbreadths] stated by Beth Hillel each must measure one fourth part of the handbreadth of an ordinary person. R'Papa said, The handbreadth of the Torah is equal to four times the width of the thumb, or six times the width of the little finger, or five times the width of the middle finger.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In MS.M.: 'five times and one third the (width of the middle) finger'; so too' R. Gershom, and Sh. Mek.');">¹⁶</span> R'Huna said, Four [threads] must be [inserted in the garment] within [the distance of] four [fingerbreadths from the corner], and they must hang down for four [fingerbreadths]. Rab Judah said, Three [threads] must be inserted within three [fingerbreadths from the corner], and they must hang down for three [fingerbreadths]. R'Papa said, The law is: Four [threads] must be inserted within three [fingerbreadths from the corner], and they must hang down for four [fingerbreadths]. Do we then hold that the fringes have a prescribed length, but I can point out a contradiction. It was taught: Zizith:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XV, 38. ckuk');">¹⁷</span> the word zizith means nothing else than something which hangs over; moreover zizith signifies any length whatsoever. And [this was established] long ago when the elders of Beth Shammai and of Beth Hillel went up into the upper chamber of Johanan B'Bathyra and decided that there was no prescribed length for the zizith; and so, too, that there was no prescribed length for the lulab.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The palm-branch, used on the Feast of Tabernacles. V. Lev. XXIII, 40.');">¹⁸</span> Now this means, does it not, that there is no prescribed length at all for it? - No,