Menachot 39

Sugya Map

• Issue: The optimal composition and winding structure of tzitzit strings. Specifically, the ratio of windings (g'dil) to loose strings (anaf), and the minimum/maximum number of winding sets.
• Nafka Mina:
  • Practical construction of tzitzit today, particularly regarding the number of knots and windings.
  • The symbolic and mystical underpinnings of mitzvot, especially for tzitzit with or without tchelet.
• Primary Sources: Menachot 39a; Numbers 15:38 ("פתיל תכלת"); Deuteronomy 22:12 ("גדילים תעשה לך").

Text Snapshot

• "ונויי תכלת שליש גדיל ושני שלישי ענף" (Menachot 39a)
  • Dikduk/Leshon: The term "נויי תכלת" implies an aesthetic ideal (hidur mitzvah) for the tchelet string itself. "גדיל" refers to the wound portion, "ענף" to the loose, hanging strings.
• "הפוחת לא יפחות משבע והמוסיף לא יוסיף על שלש עשרה. הפוחת לא יפחות משבע כנגד שבעה רקיעים. והמוסיף לא יוסיף על שלש עשרה כנגד שבעה רקיעין וששה אוירין שביניהם." (Menachot 39a)
  • Dikduk/Leshon: The numbers 7 and 13 are not arbitrary, but tied to cosmic structures ("רקיעים" – firmaments, "אוירים" – air spaces).

Readings

Rashi

Rashi explains the "six air spaces" as those "בין שבעה רקיעים" (between the seven firmaments). He connects this to the symbolism of tchelet resembling the sea, which resembles the sky, to "זכרנו לטובה" (to remember us for good), linking the color to the celestial realm.¹

Tosafot

Tosafot grapples with the Gemara's prescribed 7-13 windings versus contemporary practice. He notes that "אנן דלית לן תכלת לא קפדינן בהא" (we, who do not have tchelet, are not particular about this [the 7-13 windings]). This implies the cosmic symbolism is primarily linked to tchelet. Tosafot then introduces the common practice of 5 knots, explaining its numerical significance (8 strings + 5 knots = 13; plus the gematria of tzitzit (600) totals 613 mitzvot).²

Friction

Kushya: If the Gemara explicitly ties the number of windings (7-13) to profound cosmic symbolism, how can we deviate from this, especially in a mitzvah so rich in meaning? Terutz: Tosafot's terutz is that the 7-13 windings, corresponding to the firmaments, are intrinsically connected to the tchelet string, which itself symbolizes the heavens.³ Without tchelet, the primary focus of the hidur shifts, allowing for other symbolic structures (like the 5 knots for 613 mitzvot) to take precedence in practice.

Intertext

• Cosmic Symbolism: The connection of tchelet to the heavens is a recurring theme. The Gemara in Menachot 43b and Sota 17a states: "תכלת דומה לים וים דומה לרקיע ורקיע דומה לכסא הכבוד."⁴ This strengthens the symbolic basis for the 7-13 windings when tchelet is present.
• Ma'alin b'Kodesh v'Ein Moridin: The principle of "elevating in sanctity and not downgrading" (מעלין בקדש ולא מורידין) is mentioned on Menachot 39a regarding ending the windings with white.⁵ This meta-halachic principle guides many halachot to ensure continuous elevation in sacred matters.

Psak/Practice

The psak largely follows Tosafot. While the Gemara presents the 7-13 windings as an ideal linked to the celestial symbolism of tchelet, the widespread practice today, in the absence of authentic tchelet, is to make 5 knots with varying winding counts between them. This shift acknowledges the profound symbolic nature of tzitzit while adapting to the historical reality of lost tchelet, emphasizing other numerical symbolisms such as taryag mitzvot.⁶

Takeaway

The halachot of tzitzit are deeply interwoven with symbolic and mystical meanings, which can influence practical application and evolve based on changing circumstances (e.g., the presence or absence of tchelet).

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¹ Rashi, Menachot 39a s.v. ששה אוירים. ² Tosafot, Menachot 39a s.v. לא יפחות משבע. See also Piskei Tosafot 137:1. ³ Tosafot, Menachot 39a s.v. לא יפחות משבע. ⁴ Menachot 43b, Sota 17a. ⁵ Menachot 39a. ⁶ Rif, Halakhot Ketanot (Menachot) 12b:5, 13a:1.