Menachot 86

האי אשר תכסה בה מאי עבדי ליה מיבעי להו לכדתניא (דברים כב, יב) על ארבע כנפות כסותך ארבע ולא שלש

for what purpose do they use the expression 'Wherewith thou coverest thyself'? - They require it for the following Baraitha that was taught: Upon the four corners of thy covering;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXII, 12.');">¹</span> four, but not three.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a three-cornered garment is not subject to zizith.');">²</span>

אתה אומר ארבע ולא שלש או אינו אלא ארבע ולא חמש כשהוא אומר אשר תכסה בה הרי בעלת חמש אמור ומה אני מקיים על ארבע ארבע ולא שלש

You say, 'four but not three', but perhaps it is not so, but rather 'four but not five'? The verse, when it says, 'Wherewith thou coverest thyself', clearly includes a five-cornered garment; how then must I explain the verse, 'Upon the four corners'?

ומה ראית לרבות בעלת חמש ולהוציא בעלת שלש מרבה אני בעלת חמש שיש בכלל חמש ארבע ומוציא אני בעלת שלש שאין בכלל שלש ארבע

Four, but not three. And why do you choose to include a five-cornered garment and to exclude a three-cornered one?

ור"ש מאשר נפקא ורבנן אשר לא משמע להו

I include a five-cornered garment since five contains four, whilst I exclude a three-cornered garment since three does not contain four. And whence does R'Simeon know this? - He derives it from the word 'wherewith'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This word, being superfluous, includes a five-cornered garment within the law.');">³</span>

ורבנן האי (במדבר טו, לט) וראיתם אותו מאי עבדי ליה מיבעי להו לכדתניא וראיתם אותו וזכרתם ראה מצוה זו וזכור מצוה אחרת התלויה בו ואיזו זו זו קרית שמע דתנן מאימתי קורין את שמע בשחרית משיכיר בין תכלת ללבן

And the Rabbis? - The word 'wherewith' [they say] does not convey any teaching. And for what purpose do the Rabbis use the expression 'That ye may look upon it'? - They require it for the following teaching: ' That ye may look upon it, and remember', that is, look upon this precept and remember another precept that is dependent upon it, namely, the reading of the Shema'.

ותניא אידך וראיתם אותו וזכרתם ראה מצוה זו וזכור מצוה אחרת הסמוכה לה ואיזו זו זו מצות כלאים דכתיב (דברים כב, יא) לא תלבש שעטנז צמר ופשתים יחדו גדילים תעשה לך

As we have learnt: From what time in the morning may the Shema' be read? From the time that one can distinguish between blue and white.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As soon as one can distinguish the various threads of the zizith one may recite the Shema'; v. Ber. 9b. Thus one precept is made dependent upon the other. For the Shema' v. Authorized P.B. p. 40.');">⁴</span>

תניא אידך וראיתם אותו וזכרתם את כל מצות ה' כיון שנתחייב אדם במצוה זו נתחייב בכל מצות כולן ור"ש היא דאמר מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא היא

Another [Baraitha] taught: 'That ye may look upon it, and remember', that is, look upon this precept, and remember another precept that is next to it, namely, 'the law concerning mingled stuffs, for 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.');">⁵</span>

תניא אידך וראיתם אותו וזכרתם את כל מצות ה' שקולה מצוה זו כנגד כל המצות כולן

And another [Baraitha] taught: That ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord: as soon as a person is bound to observe this precept<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., at the age of thirteen years and one day; in other words: whosoever is bound to keep the law of zizith must keep all the precepts of the Torah. Aliter: As soon as one is bound to observe this precept, i.e., at daybreak, one must observe all the other precepts of the day.');">⁶</span> he must observe all the precepts.

ותניא אידך וראיתם אותו וזכרתם ועשיתם ראיה מביאה לידי זכירה זכירה מביאה לידי עשיה ורשב"י אומר כל הזריז במצוה זו זוכה ומקבל פני שכינה כתיב הכא וראיתם אותו וכתיב התם (דברים ו, יג) את ה' אלהיך תירא ואותו תעבוד

This is in accordance with R'Simeon's view that [the zizith] is a precept dependent on time.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And consequently women are exempt. According to the Rabbis, however, this principle does not hold good, for women, although bound to observe the law of zizith, are exempt from many laws. ,hmhm');">⁷</span> And another [Baraitha] taught: 'That ye may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord': this precept is equal to all the precepts together.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The numerical value of the letters of the word (90+10+90+10+400) is 600, which together with the eight threads and five knots of each fringe makes 613, which equals the number of precepts in the Torah. u,t');">⁸</span>

ת"ר חביבין ישראל שסיבבן הקב"ה במצות תפילין בראשיהן ותפילין בזרועותיהן וציצית בבגדיהן ומזוזה לפתחיהן ועליהן אמר דוד (תהלים קיט, קסד) שבע ביום הללתיך על משפטי צדקך

And another [Baraitha] taught: 'That ye may look upon it and remember. and do them': looking [upon it] leads to remembering [the commandments], and remembering leads to doing them.

ובשעה שנכנס דוד לבית המרחץ וראה עצמו עומד ערום אמר אוי לי שאעמוד ערום בלא מצוה וכיון שנזכר במילה שבבשרו נתיישבה דעתו לאחר שיצא אמר עליה שירה שנאמר (תהלים יב, א) למנצח על השמינית מזמור לדוד על מילה שניתנה בשמיני

R'Simeon B'Yohai says, Whosoever is scrupulous in the observance of this precept is worthy to receive the Divine presence, for it is written here, 'That ye may look upon it', and there it is written, Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and Him shalt thou serve.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. VI, 13. The word 'him' or 'it' is common to both verses, and as in the latter verse it refers to the Lord, so too in the former; thus the observance of 'it' makes one worthy of looking upon 'Him'.');">⁹</span> Our Rabbis taught: Beloved are Israel, for the Holy One, blessed be He, surrounded them with precepts: tefillin on their heads, tefillin on their arms, zizith on their garments, and mezuzoth on their door-posts; concerning these David said, Seven times a day do I praise Thee, because of Thy righteous ordinances.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Psalms CXIX, 164. The reference is to these seven precepts: the four fringes, the two tefillin, and the mezuzah.');">¹⁰</span>

רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר כל שיש לו תפילין בראשו ותפילין בזרועו וציצית בבגדו ומזוזה בפתחו הכל בחיזוק שלא יחטא שנאמר (קהלת ד, יב) והחוט המשולש לא במהרה ינתק ואומר (תהלים לד, ח) חונה מלאך ה' סביב ליראיו ויחלצם

And as David entered the bath and saw himself standing naked, he exclaimed, 'Woe is me that I stand naked without any precepts about me!' But when he reminded himself of the circumcision in his flesh his mind was set at ease. And when he came out he sang a hymn of praise concerning it, as it is written, For the Leader; [with stringmusic;] on the Eighth.

תניא היה ר' מאיר אומר מה נשתנה תכלת מכל מיני צבעונין מפני שהתכלת דומה לים וים דומה לרקיע ורקיע לכסא הכבוד שנאמר (שמות כד, י) ותחת רגליו כמעשה לבנת הספיר וכעצם השמים לטהר וכתיב (יחזקאל א, כו) כמראה אבן ספיר דמות כסא

A Psalm of David;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Psalms VI,1.');">¹¹</span> that is, concerning circumcision which was given eighth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to be observed on the eighth day. Or, which was given as the eighth commandment in the Torah specifically to Israel, for the first seven commandments were given to the sons of Noah. V. Maharsha.');">¹²</span>

תניא היה רבי מאיר אומר גדול עונשו של לבן יותר מעונשו של תכלת משל למה הדבר דומה למלך בשר ודם שאמר לשני עבדיו לאחד אמר הבא לי חותם של טיט ולאחד אמר הבא לי חותם של זהב ופשעו שניהם ולא הביאו איזה מהן עונשו מרובה הוי אומר זה שאמר לו הבא לי חותם של טיט ולא הביא

R'Eliezer B'Jacob said, Whosoever has the tefillin on his head, the tefillin on his arm, the zizith on his garment, and the mezuzah on his doorpost, is in absolute security against sinning, for it is written, And a threefold cord is not quickly broken;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eccl. IV, 12. The reference is to the three precepts enumerated.');">¹³</span> and it is also written, The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Psalms XXXIV, 8.');">¹⁴</span>

תניא היה רבי מאיר אומר חייב אדם לברך מאה ברכות בכל יום שנאמר (דברים י, יב) ועתה ישראל מה ה' אלהיך שואל מעמך

It was taught: R'Meir used to say, Why is blue specified from all the other colours [for this precept]? Because blue resembles the colour of the sea, and the sea resembles the colour of the sky, and the sky resembles the colour of [a sapphire, and a sapphire resembles the colour of]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supplied from Sh. Mek.');">¹⁵</span>

רב חייא בריה דרב אויא בשבתא וביומי טבי טרח וממלי להו באיספרמקי ומגדי

the Throne of Glory, as it is said, And there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXIV, 10.');">¹⁶</span> and it is also written, The likeness of a throne as the appearance of a sapphire stone.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. I, 26. And as God sits upon His Throne of Glory He is immediately reminded of the blue thread of the zizith worn by the Israelites, and bestows upon them blessings. Moreover, it is a mark of honour for Israel to wear upon their garments a thread which bears the colour of the Throne of Glory.');">¹⁷</span>

תניא היה ר"מ אומר חייב אדם לברך שלש ברכות בכל יום אלו הן שעשאני ישראל שלא עשאני אשה שלא עשאני בור

It was taught: R'Meir used to say, Greater is the punishment for the [non-observance of the] white threads than for the [non-observance of the] blue threads [of the fringes].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the white threads are easily obtainable, whereas the blue threads are not only difficult to obtain but very expensive. vn vtn ktua');">¹⁸</span> This is to be illustrated by a parable.

רב אחא בר יעקב שמעיה לבריה דהוה קא מברך שלא עשאני בור אמר ליה כולי האי נמי אמר ליה ואלא מאי מברך שלא עשאני עבד היינו אשה עבד

A king of flesh and blood gave orders to two servants; to one he said, 'Bring me a seal of clay', but to the other he said, 'Bring me a seal of gold'; and they both failed in their duty and did not bring them. Now who is deserving of the greater punishment? Surely it is the one to whom the king said, 'Bring me a seal of clay', and who did not do so. It was taught: R'Meir used to say, A man is bound to say one hundred blessings daily, as it is written, And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. X, 12, The word 'what' is interpreted as though it were 'a hundred'. But see Tosaf. s.v. .');">¹⁹</span> On Sabbaths and on Festivals<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When in place of the usual prayer of eighteen benedictions there is a prayer of seven benedictions.');">²⁰</span> R'Hiyya the son of R'Awia endeavoured to make up this number by the use of spices and delicacies.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the enjoyment of which it is necessary to make a blessing.');">²¹</span> It was taught: R'Judah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So in many MSS., in Hal. Ged. and Alfasi, and in the parallel passages in Jer. Ber. IX, 1, and Tosef. Ber. VII. Cur. edd. 'R. Meir'.');">²²</span> used to say, A man is bound to say the following three blessings daily: '[Blessed art thou.] who hast not made me a heathen',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M., Alfasi and Asheri, and so too in Tosef. Ber. l.c. Cur. edd. '. . who hast made me an Israelite'.');">²³</span> '. who hast not made me a woman'; and '. who hast not made me a brutish man'. R'Aha B'Jacob once overhead his son saying '[Blessed art thou.] who hast not made me a brutish man', whereupon he said to him, 'And this too!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This blessing savours somewhat of conceit. Aliter: there is no reason to make this blessing since a brutish man is also bound by all the precepts.');">²⁴</span> Said the other, 'Then what blessing should I say instead? ' [He replied,]. who hast not made me a slave'. And is not that the same as a woman?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For with regard to the performance of precepts a woman and a slave are on the same footing; cf. Hag. 4a.');">²⁵</span> - A slave