Menachot 85

בן ארבעים יום ותרי לה בגווייהו מאורתא ועד לצפרא איפרד חזותיה פסולה לא איפרד חזותיה כשרה

of a forty-day old child,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or 'that had been kept for forty days'.');">¹</span> and soak [the blue thread] in it overnight until the morning; if the colour faded it i invalid,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For it is not genuine blue.');">²</span>

ורב אדא קמיה דרבא משמיה דרב עוירא אמר מייתי חמירא ארכסא דשערי ואפיא לה בגוויה אישתנאי למעליותא כשרה לגריעותא פסולה וסימניך שינוי שקר שינוי אמת

but if not, it is valid. Moreover, R'Adda stated the following test before Raba in the name of R''Avira: One should take a piece of hard leavened dough of barley meal and bake it with [the blue thread] inside; if the colour improved<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'changed for the better'.');">³</span>

מאי אין לה בדיקה נמי דקאמר אטעימה

it is valid, but if it deteriorated it is invalid; and in order to remember thi think of the phrase 'a false change, a true change!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the change was for the worse, i.e., the colour deteriorated, it is spurious and is invalid; but where the change was for the better it is genuine and is valid.');">⁴</span> - The statement 'There is no manner of testing the blue thread' refers to the test quantity.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., there is no manner of testing the blue thread so as to ascertain whether it was dyed in the vessel with the dye or in the quantity taken out as a test.');">⁵</span>

מר ממשכי אייתי תכלתא בשני רב אחאי בדקוה בדרב יצחק בריה דרב יהודה ואיפרד חזותיה בדרב אדא ואישתנאי למעליותא

Mar of Moshke once obtained in the time of R'Ahai some blue thread; on testing it by the test submitted by R'Isaac the son of R'Judah its colour faded, but on testing it by R'Adda's test its colour improved. He was about to declare it invalid when R'Ahai said to him, This is neither genuine blue nor imitation blue! We must therefore say that one test<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the teachings' referring to the teachings of R. Isaac and R. Adda.');">⁶</span>

סבר למיפסלה אמר להו רב אחאי אלא הא לא תכילתא היא ולא קלא אילן היא אלא שמע מינה שמועתא אהדדי איתמר

supplements the other thus: if the test of R'Isaac the son of R'Judah had been applied and the colour had not faded it is certainly valid, but if its colour had faded we should then test it by R'Adda's test by [baking it in] a hard piece of leavened dough; if its colour improved it is valid, but if it deteriorated it is invalid. A message was sent from there [Palestine] saying, The tests supplement each other.

היכא דבדקנא בדרב יצחק בריה דרב יהודה לא איפרד חזותיה כשרה איפרד חזותיה בדקינן לה בדרב אדא בחמירא ארכסא אישתני למעליותא כשרה לגריעותא פסולה שלחו מתם שמועתא אהדדי איתמר

R'Mani was most particular when buying [the blue thread]. in accordance with the restrictions of the above Baraitha;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That it should be bought only from an expert who knows the law.');">⁷</span>

רבי מני דייק וזבין כחומרי מתניתא א"ל ההוא סבא הכי עבוד קמאי דקמך ואצלח עיסקייהו

whereupon a certain old man said to him, Those who long preceded you acted so, and they were successful in their business. Our Rabbis taught: If a man bought a garment furnished with zizith from an Israelite in the market, the presumption is [that it is valid];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the blue thread in the zizith is deemed to be genuine.');">⁸</span>

ת"ר הלוקח טלית מצוייצת מן השוק מישראל הרי היא בחזקתה מן העובד כוכבים מן התגר כשרה מן ההדיוט פסולה

if he bought it from a gentile, who was a merchant, it is valid,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the merchant would not risk his reputation as an honest dealer by passing off the imitation blue for the genuine.');">⁹</span> but if he was a private individual it is invalid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the gentile may have dyed the thread himself, in which case it obviously could not have been dyed for the purpose of the precept.');">¹⁰</span>

ואע"פ שאמרו אין אדם רשאי למכור טלית מצוייצת לעובד כוכבים עד שיתיר ציציותיה

And [this is so] not withstanding that they said, A man may not sell a garment furnished with zizith to a gentile unless he removed the zizith.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Nevertheless if one bought it from a gentile merchant it is valid, for it is almost certain that a Jew sold it to him.');">¹¹</span> What is the reason for this? - Here it was explained, on account of a harlot.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A gentile harlot, receiving this garment with the fringes from a gentile as hire, might spread an evil report against a Jew, producing the garment in support of her words.');">¹²</span>

מאי טעמא הכא תרגימו משום זונה רב יהודה אמר שמא יתלוה עמו בדרך ויהרגנו

Rab Judah said, It is to be feared that [an Israelite] might jo him on the road and he might kill him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A Jewish wayfarer would unhesitatingly join the gentile on the way, believing him to be a Jew since he is wearing a garment with fringes, and would have no suspicion against him so as to guard himself against attack.');">¹³</span> Rab Judah attached fringes to the aprons of [the women of] his household;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For he held that women are also bound to wear zizith.');">¹⁴</span>

רב יהודה רמי תכילתא לפרזומא דאינשי ביתיה ומברך כל צפרא להתעטף בציצית

moreover, he used to say every morning the blessing ['. and hast commanded us] to enwrap ourselves with the fringes'.

מדרמי קסבר מצות עשה שלא הזמן גרמא הוא אמאי מברך כל צפרא וצפרא

But since he attached [the fringes to the womens' garments], obviously he is of the opinion that it is a precept not dependent on a fixed time;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For women must observe only those positive precepts that do not depend upon the time of the year or of the day for their performance; therefore by imposing the precept of zizith upon women Rab Judah obviously holds that night as well as day is the proper time for the fringes.');">¹⁵</span> why then did he say the blessing every morning?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely the blessing should be said only once, and that when the garment is put on for the first time.');">¹⁶</span>

כרבי דתניא תפילין כל זמן שמניחן מברך עליהן דברי רבי

- He follows Rabbi's view; for it was taught: Whenever a man puts on the tefillin he should make a blessing over them, says Rabbi. But if so, at any time [of the day whenever he puts on the garment he should say the blessing]? - Rab Judah was a most decorous person and would not take off his cloak the whole day long.

אי הכי כל שעתא נמי רב יהודה איניש צניעא הוה ולא שרי ליה לגלימיה כוליה יומא ומאי שנא מצפרא כי משני מכסות לילה לכסות יום

Then why [did he say the blessing] in the morning?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which presumably means at dawn; he should, however, have recited the blessing even earlier than dawn, as soon as he rose.');">¹⁷</span> - That was when he changed from night clothes into day clothes.

ת"ר הכל חייבין בציצית כהנים לוים וישראלים גרים נשים ועבדים ר"ש פוטר בנשים מפני שמצות עשה שהזמן גרמא הוא וכל מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא נשים פטורות

Our Rabbis taught: All must observe the law of zizith, priests, Levites, and Israelites, proselytes, women and slaves. R'Simeon declares women exempt, since it is a positive precept dependent on a fixed time,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the night is not the proper time for zizith.');">¹⁸</span>

אמר מר הכל חייבין בציצית כהנים לוים וישראלים פשיטא דאי כהנים לוים וישראלים פטירי מאן ליחייב

and women are exempt from all positive precepts that are dependent on a fixed time. The Master said, 'All must observe the law of zizith, priests, Levites, and Israelites'.

כהנים איצטריכא ליה ס"ד אמינא הואיל וכתיב (דברים כב, יא) לא תלבש שעטנז צמר ופשתים יחדיו גדילים תעשה לך מאן דלא אישתרי כלאים לגביה בלבישה הוא דמיחייב בציצית הני כהנים הואיל ואישתרי כלאים לגבייהו לא ליחייבו

Is not this obvious For if priests and Levites and Israelites were exempt, then who would observe it? - It was stated particularly on account of priests. For I might have argued, since it is written, Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together, and [it is followed by,] Thou shalt make thee twisted cords,.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXII, 11, 12.');">¹⁹</span>

קמ"ל נהי דאישתרי בעידן עבודה בלא עידן עבודה לא אישתרי

that only those who are forbidden to wear mingled stuff must observe the law of zizith, and as priests are permitted to wear mingled stuff<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the girdle which was part of the Priests' robes consisted of wool and linen.');">²⁰</span> they need not observe [the law of zizith]; we are therefore taught [that they, too, are bound], for although while performing the service [in the Temple] they may wear [mingled stuff] they certainly may not wear it when not performing the service.

ר"ש פוטר בנשים מאי טעמא דר"ש דתניא (במדבר טו, לט) וראיתם אותו פרט לכסות לילה

R'Simeon declares women exempt'. What is R'Simeon's reason? - It was taught: That ye may look upon it:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XV, 39.');">²¹</span>

אתה אומר פרט לכסות לילה או אינו אלא פרט לכסות סומא כשהוא אומר (דברים כב, יב) אשר תכסה בה הרי כסות סומא אמור הא מה אני מקיים וראיתם אותו פרט לכסות לילה

this excludes a night garment. You say it excludes a night garment, but perhaps it is not so, but it excludes rather a blind man's garment?

ומה ראית לרבות כסות סומא ולהוציא כסות לילה מרבה אני כסות סומא שישנה בראיה אצל אחרים ומוציא אני כסות לילה שאינה בראיה אצל אחרים

The verse, when it says, Wherewith thou coverest thyself,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXII, 12.');">²²</span> clearly includes a blind man's garment; how then must I explain the verse, That ye may look upon it?

ורבנן

As excluding a night garment. And why do you choose to include a blind man's garment and to exclude a night garment?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The verse surely is not required to include a blind man's garment; since they declare that a night garment is subject to zizith - for according to them the precept is not limited to time, a fortiori a blind man's garment is subject to zizith.');">²³</span> include a blind man's garment since it is looked upon by others, whilst I exclude a night garment since it cannot be looked upon by others. And the Rabbis,