Mishneh Torah, Fringes 1-3

Sugya Map

• Issue: The Torah-level requirement for the number of strands in tzitzit.
• Nafka Mina: Whether the standard eight-strand tzitzit configuration is mid'Oraita or mid'Rabanan, impacting its fundamental halachic status.
• Primary Sources: Mishneh Torah, Fringes 1:1; Menachot 39b; Sanhedrin 88b.

Text Snapshot

Mishneh Torah, Fringes 1:1:

"וְאֵין לְחוּטֵי הָעָנָף מִנְיָן מִן הַתּוֹרָה." (The Torah did not establish a fixed number of strands for this tassel.)

The term "עָנָף" (tassel/branch) refers to the collective hanging strands, distinct from individual threads. The Rambam's assertion, "מִנְיָן מִן הַתּוֹרָה" (a count from the Torah), is the crux, implying any fixed number is not a direct biblical mandate.

Readings

Kessef Mishneh (on Fringes 1:1:1)

The Kessef Mishneh expresses bewilderment, citing Menachot 39b's derasha "גדיל שנים גדילים ארבעה" (a braid is two strands, braids are four) which derives the eight-strand count from the pasuk "גדילים תעשה לך" (Deut. 22:12), seemingly making it mid'Oraita.

Nachal Eitan (on Fringes 1:1:1)

The Nachal Eitan resolves the Kessef Mishneh's kushya by explaining the Rambam's unique methodology: any derasha (exegetical derivation) that is not universally agreed upon or self-evident from the pasuk itself is classified as Divrei Sofrim (Rabbinic). Thus, the count, though derived from a verse, is mid'Rabanan according to the Rambam's system.

Friction

Kushya: How can the Rambam assert "וְאֵין לְחוּטֵי הָעָנָף מִנְיָן מִן הַתּוֹרָה" when Menachot 39b explicitly derives the number of strands from the pasuk "גדילים תעשה לך"? Such a derasha usually indicates a mid'Oraita obligation.

Terutz: The Nachal Eitan elucidates the Rambam's approach, echoed in Sanhedrin 88b (Sefaria Fringes 1:1 fn. 6): the essence of tzitzit is mid'Oraita, but its detailed explanation, even if derived from verses, is mid'Rabanan if dependent on the Sages' kabbalah (tradition) or interpretation. Since the derasha for the strand count is not explicitly meforash (stated) and may be subject to machloket, Rambam categorizes it as Divrei Sofrim.

Intertext

The Rambam's classification of derashot as Divrei Sofrim when not meforash is also evident in Hilchot Ishut concerning pesul kehuna (Nachal Eitan, Fringes 1:1:1) and regarding "ערבי נחל שתים" in Hilchot Lulav 7 (Nachal Eitan, ibid.).

Psak/Practice

Despite the debate over the mid'Oraita or mid'Rabanan nature of the strand count, the halacha is universally to make tzitzit with eight strands (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 11:12). This reflects the Rabbinic takana or interpretation becoming the accepted practice. Indeed, adding more than eight strands is considered a transgression of "בל תוסיף" (Shulchan Aruch HaRav 11:1), underscoring the definitive nature of this established count.

Takeaway

The Rambam's nuanced methodology differentiates between a mitzvah's core mid'Oraita status and its detailed mid'Rabanan explanations, even when derived from pesukim, highlighting the depth of lomdus in classifying halachic sources.