NEW SERIES (Part 4) In-depth Analysis of the Mitzva of Tzitzit with Rabbi Aryeh Grossnass

[Music] You [Music] my birthday. [Music] Okay, tonight we are going to discuss very very interesting shilas about hills of titsus. The reason why it's so interesting is it be because you may come home to your wardrobe and be like the rabbi is ruining my wardrobe, right? And but that's not what I'm here to do. Well, hopefully we'll we'll we'll help we'll help you out, you know, we'll sort it all out. But um it's yeah, we need to discuss it. We need to discuss um four corners. If you have a garment which is four corners, we need to discuss when are you part cuz I've found some cases which is you know they talk about it in why aren't you to put on four to put on situs? It's got four corners should put on situs. So we need to discuss the cases very carefully and we need to brainstorm together and see what we come up with. So in the last sh we discussed the fabric of your titus. What type of fabric does it have to be? We said it's some say it's only from wool and linen which is going to be a mitzvah mitzvah from the and if it's made from anything else that's where we left off if it's made up from anything else it's going to be a mitzvah don but then we had other which said all types of garments whether wool whether linen whether silk whether you name it cotton all of it is going to be a mitzvah. That's how we left off last time and I told you to remember we're going to talk about it next week. And that is all is fine and dandy until we see this Gammorra in source number one where it uh begins to get a little bit complicated. Let's have a look at it right at the end of the line in very very big writing in source number one. Ra says this this me this teaching was said and they learned it in the name of the and they said it like this he shall beg if you have a four cornered garment of begged so that means kosher fabric so let's call it wool you have a fabric of wool he shall beg But the corners are made of leather. Okay. So, we're going to need to get the picture in our head. We have a, you know, overall sits us. So, it's coming over here. It's come at the back and just by the corner, just that little square by the corner is leather. You cut out the the wool garment and you put there leather. So the wants to know if you to wear tits. Now again let's think about it. Are you to wear tits? We discussed that any type of garment has a titus and now the garra is discussing if you put in leather. What's leather? You see from this garra that leather is potter from titsus. Someone has a it's not so common but a leather jacket you know that's that's decently common. Um if it has four corners potter we need to discuss why let's first see the garra properly inside and then we're going to discuss why is leather potter if all other garments you're obligated to punit us let's have a look he shall beg if the main garment is made of fabric so let's call it wool but the corners are made of leather then your obligated to put on situs. He shall what happens if the main part of the begged the main thing that goes over you is made of leather shall be but the go the corners are made of begged so kosher fabric fitus let's call it wool aha that's that's the opposite case so it comes out most of it is made of leather says the gammorra patura you're potter from titis if The bag is made of leather and only the corner is made of wool. Your part says says the gar my timer. Why be en we need the main begged? That's what we need. It's not enough to only have a little square of wool. You need more than that in order to be obligated in situ. Okay. Now one thing which is very very glaringly obvious and clear is that leather is potter from titsus and we need to ask why why is leather potter from titsus why is it different from from cotton from wool no what does the say Lawrence is it only to something to do with the fact the con that was kit with like a killed or died as opposed to the others which were okay storm the back of a sheep. Mhm. The other the other fabrics on Mhm. So let's go one by one. Is it to do with leather on yum kippa? I think I think it's not because leather on kipa is to do with comfort, comfortable shoes. But I I I I hear that. I hear that. And again and David David right you want to say that maybe there it comes from an animal. It comes from an animal. So why should it be different if it comes from an animal? Most of the things coming from an animal. You've got the other David against you. David against David. Good fillin. We were filling. So what about the what do you call the trasi? Isn't there like a definition of what a vegan is? Basically, oh, is good or not? And get involved Feinstein Feinstein from America originally from Russia as we know. Um he speaks about this and he says that the definition of a beggard of a clo is discussed a lot in Taharis. That's where it's discussed. What becomes Tommy? It needs to be a beggma. So we need to know a kali. You can only a kali can become tommy, right? So let's say if something's cracked or broken, you want to know the about that. You look into harass a lot of of of you know working out what the is when it comes to ki a begged a house all these things you look there. But it says Feinstein that in Taharus it's not leather is not considered a begg. What is considered a begged? Something which is made from chess. Chess means a weave. Warp and what's that? Warp and warp and weft. War and war and weft. This is this is a new one for me. Warp and weft. Weft. Okay. Inside. Yeah. A weave. Oh, we've that's what that is what a beggar is. So leather, what is it? They take off animal, you skin it, you do all sorts of interesting things to it and then you're left with good leather. That is not considered a beggard. Ah, you could put it around you. You could put anything around you. You can walk up to the curtain and put it around you as well. Doesn't mean it's a begged, right? Leather is not a garment. You can use it as a garment but in it doesn't have the the hal of a begging something which is a warp and warp and weft. I'm I'm practicing my new words. Something that's woven something that's woven. Okay. Bibles. Oh. Oh, we're getting there. What happens? I I'm I'm obsessed with leather and I want my t to be made of leather. I'm really really This is my thing. So, what I do? I go to a factory and say, "Do me a favor. Slice it really really thin." And then I'm going to make I'm going to weave it. What does here think? Could you do such a thing? We said that leather. No. Why not? You just said it. But what's the reason? The reason is because it has to be woven. So what happens if I come I I chop up I'm chopping up le the leather. The teeny teeny little things, right? Each all of your garments is made up of teeny little fibers put together. So what happens if I do that to the leather? I'm manipulating the system going behind. What do you think we're supposed to do? The cross says it's fine. The cross says it's fine. I don't leather. as long as it's w. Oh, so chis could you do it to levia says nope. Nope. Why? He brings the mafarium there and tum to haras which discuss it and they say even if you're going to weave it it's not considered a beggar. Why? Cuz it's not made for that. It's not made for that. If you manipulate I don't know let's say you take woods and you make it really thin and that's not that's not good. You're you're you're doing I don't know. You can't we need a good example for this. We need good example. Don't have any good examples coming to me. Right. Um it's it's really it's tless of right. You make a bag out of that. Right. It's it's it's not a begg. It's not a bag. Leather is something. Yeah, we we need to understand we need to understand a bit better why leather just cuz it's not chess seems to me that is the way that was that. No, no, because it's not a bag. I mean, I think if it's not its way, it just cannot fit into the to the box. Okay. So nowadays, I'm sure you can get some guy who could really cut it thin. It's not its weight. It's not its weight. That's what I'm saying. Right now we get down to synthetic polyester. What else? Nylon. They call it nylon here. Right. Even sits us with plastic. Plastic. Now it's very very common in stores to buy things from polyester. It's much cheaper. It's very bad to wear in Israel, of course, because it's very hot here. But you know in England you can get away with it. Do you need to put sitsus on a polyester bagget? What what dom think? No. I guess the question is actually yes thing which I think is it's not I think okay let's keep your tits in. Right. If you have shyness about your tites keep your tits in. Um, it sounds like kind of a good text. Well, no. If it's got good actually fine, don't worry. Yeah. Yeah. I I doubt I doubt it's plastic. I very very doubt it's plastic. And if it is, it's probably mixed cuz we you can have roy. If you have roy from a kasher fabric, then you're okay. Yeah, that's probably what it is. Anyway, Ramosa Feinstein when he speaks about leather, he says, "Therefore, plastic is potter from titsus. made for it. Oh, same zagr David. It's not made for it. Plastic is not created for garments. So, if somebody came up and had this great idea to make garments out of plastic, he's a genius. He probably made a lot of money out of it, but it's that's not what it's made for. That's not what it's made for. Take wool, take cotton, take linen, and many many other fabrics which we know silk. That's what it's made for. It's got a weave. It's got a derek. It's been This is how we've had it always. Plastic is not made for that. Right. But are we manipulating a a material to be something else which works out very practical or is that what it's created for? Wool is created to give warmth to create a beggman it holds. We're manipulating it. That's not what it's made for. Although when I was learning the Ramos, I thought I don't get it a little bit. What you're bothered by is when they create the plastic, it's not like leather that they have this big piece of leather and then they cut it short. It's actually made its creation from I think it's crude oil they make it from is they make it into thin strings. That's its creation. It was never a big piece of plastic then cut up. I remember we packed the put on threads in chemistry lessons in the lab. Right. Right. There you go. So, it's it's originally made as threads. So, how can Raosha say you're manipulating it? If it's first created, it wasn't a big piece of plastic. It was created as could Could Could Ramosa have changed his mind? Or let's say like this by timers, for example, when Timers first came out, he says it's so unusual. people don't have it. Someone walks by your house on Shban see it's going off. So he ushered it until it became more popular. Could it be that in his day it was unusual and he might have usual? It might be okay or I didn't think about that. I didn't think about it. I don't I don't know the history. When when did they when did polyester really hit the shelves? I don't know. It's hard to know. I think nylon for clothing. I think they were during World War II, right? So that's that means in remote days it was pretty recent with like nylons stockings and something that right in our days you have to check the label if you want something not polyester, right? You really have to check around. You have to go to a fancy store to get something that's, you know, got no plastic in it. Okay. Rush says he he actually asked this question. He said even though they originally made as a thread, he said it doesn't make a difference. They're manipulating it. That's not what it's made for. It's not made as a garment. There are a lot of who argue and they say plastic is because that's what it's made for. They made it as a thread. What do you want? If that's what they created for, that's what they created it for. And it might be like Rabbi Poston who says that it was many years later the post who who argue. So plastic it's mus. So of course if you want to be a titus in the best way you should try and get something which is made of cotton wool you know weaved something weaved. Okay, that's so that's the little topic of plastic better not. Okay, now we have a very very interesting shila and it goes like this. I believe today we have more than usual uh English people. I brought with my M&S raincoat. I have to get have to get it out from storage because you know there's no rain at this time of year. So, if you look at if you look at this coat here, it's uh I like this coat. Um, it's got a corner here, right? The front has got a corner here. It's got a corner on this side. At the bottom, it's not rounded. It's got a corner here. Now, the back of the coat, I'll hold it up for you guys. The back of the coat, you got this little slit here. See it? One here, one here. Four corners. Four corners. Your classic fancy shabas coat. Nice business coat will have a sharp edge at the back. At the front, sharp edge at the other front. And at the back, it's got a slit, four corners. And years and years and years ago, the BF asked this question. Ah, and there are more asked this question. And actually this is way before this is even before the the B of why aren't you to put on sites onto a coat. This is the milliondoll question. Let's have a look at source number two. This is my it's a source which it's a parish on the Rama. Um there's a little oall on the first line and then there's a little gimmel in rashy writing. Let's let's read it. It was asked to can read the next word for me. I asked the guy next what is what is a couta? He's like a coat. Ala a coat. Apparently uh languages didn't really evolve so so much. Ka was a coat. Yeah. Was a coat. They asked about a coat. confine which has four corners. Why isn't it your classic coat for years and years and years? This is about what 900 years ago. Why is this and myb said we learned in you might recognize the he quotes he if it's made of leatherhead but the the the corners are made of beheads that means your whole thing is is leather you cut off the corners and you stick on wool wool garment there the garra says pura your potter. He shall beg it. But if the main thing is a beg and just the corner is says like this alma you see from here. You only go after the gof. That means after the main thing because if the whole thing is leather and only the corner is is a is is is wool then you say a leather e potter. So you see you go after most of it most of it is leather. So you're potter here as well our coats given dufa sum since the main part of it is sum is not open. Now if you look at my coat the front tube this one it's open right cuz this is where this is the front of the coat. This side is open and the back here what is this 20 c maybe 30 cm it's closed along here says it has to be mostly open in order to be mo in order to call it a a corner it has to be most mostly open the same way the same way leather has to be the the main bead it has to be most mostly of something which is not leather. So too this coat and any other coat. It has to be that the slit if the slit is just a little slit like most coats are and you're fine because the slit has to go along most of the coat. It's interesting. Last week I went to a talk ben by Rabbi Rabin leading Mhm. He was wearing a jacket with slits on each side going almost up to his armpits and he had to sit on the corners. Oh, really? That's interesting. Was it what was it? I guess it was wool or probably cotton wool. See, people are going to be walking out the and, you know, going up to people. Excuse me. You What's your tits made of? Sorry. You know, I'm not joking. I was just now um somewhere. I did. You did? Well, I saw someone today with a black pair of tits. Yeah. I I don't know how simple it is. We're going to get there. Go on. No. No. Could be the begg. I think it's might be white. Don't quote me cuz I need to check the concept that it can be the same color as the corner or of the So the corner was also black. Yeah. Anyway, look, you we're going to walk out of this Very critical of people's tenses. Come here. What you What have you got there? You know, there's another guy. Oh, that's we're getting there. Today, I saw a guy in I was going to give him a kiss. I was so excited. Couldn't believe it. I'll tell you in a minute. We're nearly there. Says Rabenu Simha. You know what's going on over here? A coat, it doesn't go all the way through. If it goes all the way through, you then your sits doesn't go all the way through. You're fine. Why? Cuz the slit has to go all the way up. Well, most majority majority half and half. Then it says in you should put on situs, but don't use it on Shabas. If you have posit you're not meant to go out with it on Shabas because it's it's carrying because there's no use for the garment. You don't have or it doesn't matter. No, if you have a it's fine. Um, so if you're walking into aim where where there's no so then you you shouldn't go out with this pair because it's a sophic if you anyway that is in the coat. This is what says okay now I saw today a guy in people people do this. So he's he had a t-shirt. That's great. And then at at the bottom of his t-shirt, he had sitsus. That means it it was slit. But again, we've just learned in that you can't have a slit. You can't have it if it's mostly closed. Right. And this guy, this was his t-shirt. There's nothing underneath it. Right. Huh? Correct. But regarded that has to be open. Rove of the way. Genius. I don't know who did it and I don't know if it's okay. I I didn't ask him. What they did was it was slit all the way up to here. All the way up to his armpits and then it had what's these things that you click it closed. Not Yeah. buttons or something clips. So really it's open but they just clipped it closed. So then you have your tits because it's mostly open but he closed it with me. Temporary. What? It's only a temporary temporary clothes. Yeah. Look, you have to ask your Rob if it's good enough. I told you about his jacket. Oh. Oh, the classic the classic rabbi coat. Frack. Kapot. Kabadskas always wear kapa. It was It wasn't a frack nor jacket. No, I'm talking about the long ones. Not yours. No, I'm talking about the long ones. Yeah, a frack. It's not open to no one behind. Okay, let's have a look at the Mr. Burough. Mr. Bur talks about a frack. He says apparently it was new in those days. Go to source number three and now it is five lines up from the bottom. It's in middle of the line. It says with a frat. He says, "Especially in our days in those clothes, which they started recently, they make it open at the back in brackets. It's the begg." He says, "Lots of times it's It's why because you have at the front like like what you have your coat you have two corners over there and at the back of the kapat the back of the front you have another two corners. He said it's m and sits. So what do you do if it's majority open? He says a lot of them are majority open or borderline. Therefore someone who wants to patter himself he wants to get himself out this problem to make their upon him one corner. He shall make one of those corners round. If you round one of the corners you're fine. Next time you walk past a rabbi and he's wearing a frack, you will see that one of them is round. You have Do you know which corner is usually the one that you do? I think it's I think it's the Yeah, it's definitely the one in the back. I think it's the left one at the back. But you know what? It depends on the seamstress. I don't know. You know, depends what she has for the breakfast that day. the philosophical question. Why? Why don't we Why don't we try to be We would call it more more colorful, but why not walk around with all sorts of color that have me? Why limit it? Why not? Used to wear There you go. W 80. The problem is are not allowed to drag on the ground. So jackets the way they're made. sites on the leg been dragged on the ground. Yeah. Well, what people sus they have short ones. Short ses. Believe me, they're wearing short ses. No, the red leg. Okay. Okay. Now this is a very very common um practice. In fact when I was uh preparing this sh my friend said that he it was his first day in yeshiva. He was 15 years old. He went to yeshiva and he had a cardigan. What do you call it in America? Sweater. But sweater with a with a zip going down like you're wearing like that. Exactly. What's it called? You call it a sweater. Spread it with a zip. Yeah. Okay. Now, how many corners does it have? Don't worry. We're gonna get you out the mess. Don't worry. Okay. How many corners does it have? That's what you're counting. Cuz you might have up here down below and maybe two up here. Right. So, look, look at it. It's got two up here, one over there, one on the other side, and another two at the bottom. So again, this was discussed years and years and years ago because it was very common to wear this. Apparently in those days they used to wear it like on top of all the clothes. They have all the clothes already and it was like a thing to wear. It was a thing for covers, you know, like a nice respectable um garment. Oh, waist. It's something similar to that. Americans would call it best. Right. So the bas says why on earth is it notus million dollar question the second million dollar question today why what do you think you what if you have a what he's wearing sweatshirt so that means you have a zipper which goes up and down how many corners does this garment have two why where I don't know by the bottom by the bottom what about the top there's two corners Two more. Two more. Two plus two. Why hasn't he got tits on on his on his sweatshirt? According to that regular shirt is the same thing. Which one? Regular shirt. Oh, I was waiting for someone to say this. I was waiting for someone to say this. Take your shirt up the collar. Up the collar. You got a corner here and then you got two corners at the bottom. Somebody said this to me. It's true. Look, I didn't have enough time to go over this properly, but it seems to be that this is an extra thing on top of your garment. It's not it's not exactly opposite. I don't have a good enough answer for you. Question is, when you say that the shirt is an added thing, you're already talking about a specific time of type of shirt probably from a specific time period. Even this one. Even this one. Even this one. Is this part of the same goal or was this like a color something extra to the go? I don't have a good answer for you. They speak about it. I I'm not clear on it. Could be. Could be. But then again, everyone's walking around with shirts and there's no tits dangling off them. So, we need to work out why. That's why we're here. But that's a good question. Why a collar is not and sits is a $2 million question. But let's deal with the million-dollar question. A cardigan, a sweatshirt which has a zipper, it's got four corners. Why don't we put scissors on it? So the bas gives two reasons. His first reason is go to force uh source number 4B and it's in the wide lines. 4B. It's in the wide lines. Um It's two lines into the wide lines in the middle of the room. Earlier on, he actually says that he s he's seen I'm going to read it out from before. He's heard bas says I heard some of the zakum from Spain. They've made two of the corners round. They were so bothered by this problem they actually rounded their sweatshirts so that to get out this problem if it's not square they're not considered corners the tamer it's an absolute tamer it's another word for saying a million dollar question it's it's it's a it's unbelievable everyone in the world is wearing with with the square ones. I've never seen anyone complain about this or make a gun about it. So even though there's some people in he's not happy with it. Two lines into the widelines. The reason why we don't put on it, it's not considered a garment. We play a garment is only considered something which has come to protect you from either heat or from cold. And he brings a for it and he carries on and this coat they do not wear it to protect them elementally are covered only for honor. It seems to be used to be like a special respectful garment. I think there's a I don't know what that is. Is a robe, right? Right. So, you said before that of the chief. Mhm. It's actually it's actually round at the top those ones, right? Yeah. S is round. Okay. But he's talking about a square one, right? So he says that's not it's not really to protect you from the heat or the cold. So it's not called a garment. It's like for status. Yeah. To status. Um it's for honor about certain things you know for Shabbat. You're not supposed to carry outside when they are on there. But if it's a you know brooch for a woman or perhaps metals like you know these army Yes. the sword that has a what do you call nice handle. He seems unpermissive. Yeah. So he says a very very interesting point that if something is not really there to keep you warm or to cool you down, you know, to to to shield you from the sun, that's not called a garment. And therefore, it's not. Now, our sweatshirts, what are they for? They're not a thing of honor. Yeah. It's to keep you warm. You Okay. So, he says a different shot. We're going to see if you can use the next one. I'll tell you a different reason why the it's a little bit further along. Let's say we tell we tell this guy to put on titus. The whole time it seems to be it was a long robe as you said and the titus will be dragging along the floor and the whole time he's going to have to going do doing his titus every every week he's going to have to do get a new pair of tits because because it's dragging along the floor and it's going to become possible and he says the won't be you to put on sites for such a thing itself would well the yeah who says Okay, that's why he says the he says he asks questions on both of them. Um he's he says do you think just because of co you you don't wear tits? Of course you do. He doesn't like both of the reasons. No, he it's a it's a it's a big point. Some things people only wear for honor. Um, one thing I can think of is let's say I know like in British Parliament they wear some funny clothes. Can't remember exactly. Let's say a judge, right? They wear like a weird robe or something. It's not cuz he wants to wear it. It's because he wants to be a judge. Is that called a clo correct? But what is a clothe? A clothe is to keep you warm or clothe something of honor. Dr. Joseph a clothe is something which is there to serve you to clothe you to keep you warm or to to something that covers you but that you can be what's it called? It can be breathable if it's hot outside. If it's something that you're just putting on as a to to claim your status to remind people you're the judge or if you look at you know what they wear and the the kings and queens presidents don't really do it so much right and they have like a special robe is is that is that clothing is that clothing that's or is it is it just like a piece of honor so it's almost like a statement so bas says bas says you're part of such thing as far as I remember commission says that includes capes. Why are you wearing a cape? It's like clasped on the shoulders and it flows back. Right. So again, are you wearing it cuz you're cold? Why do people wear capes? Is there a prince or princess? Uh cuz they're prince or princess. So no according to basis. That's what we're going to wear by the way in the future and everything. We go back to it. Sure. Okay. But don't we wear tal like a cave in a certain way? That sorry that is the dam's question. If says don't tell me when we wear something for covered and not to keep us warm. Don't tell me that that's part of Francis. He says cuz that's what we do every morning. She go for reminding me. I don't have it written down there. Damisha says, "How can the basis have been right that the reason why your potter in this interesting garment because it's only made for honor and it's not made to keep you warm?" I don't understand. Every time we wear a talis godle in shakers, why are you wearing the talis godle? Cuz you're cold. You're not. How many people fling it off their head? It's like, whoa, so hot and ding. You know what I mean? You barely put it over your head for one or two parts of it. Says says the damage. It can't be that. It's true that only when it's for honor. Okay, I want to I want you to walk out feeling confident wearing your your your sweatshirt. I will say maybe Jew who's wearing their their garment. Not only is it of honor, but it becomes our clothing. It's it's a combination. It's not just honorable. We are princes and princesses. We're in case, but that's who we are. Interesting. You're saying very nice as for covered, but it's more than that. or because we're Eden and because that's how we go. That's that's the outcome. But but that's what the bas of China is. But that's the basic of China that if it's if it's as a statement, if it's you're not wearing it cuz you're hot or cold. So you're wearing it for a different reason. If it's for a different reason said that's not that's not a garment. Need to think about it. Cold and warm easily. the other way around it. I meant to say that that cold whatever it is. So the one they're all about they're looking forward to the warm house. I hear but that's not that's not the reason they're wearing it. Right. Okay. The dark says a different reason. The says a different reason because should be two at the front and two at the back. And this this sweatshirt they're both at the front. Okay. So there's definitely who to rely on. You don't need to put titus on it. The the Mishna Brewer brings down the Mavan. The Magnav says, you know, it's such a it's such an interesting conversation and there's so many spheres about it. Maybe you should make one of the corners round. That's what the Mav says. A man should make one of the corners round. Now again, we don't see anyone doing such a thing, right? These sweatshirts are flying off the shelves and all types of Jews are buying them. So look, you know, it's definitely seems to be the mining lakle. As I said, I had a friend of mine who went to yeshiva and the first day he was wearing a jumper like yours. One of the older bakim comes over to me. He says, you know, it's a sh of tutus. He said he said I I was so intimidated. The poor guy. Yeah. He's like, he said, you know, that's one of the So off he went and he looked at him. And we tuttered a bit and he said, "Do you know what you can do? Do you want to get out of all problems?" He said, "Give your garment to somebody else and then borrow it." Because if the garment belongs to someone else, then your only sits is after 30 days and then it's only. So the whole thing is a shil. If it's going to be a daron, you tell me about the people that live in in the neighborhoods, they don't wear sweatshirts. Not because it's it's not It's not it's passed but because it's a problem that's why they don't wear sweatshirt just telling me maybe or is it only because it's not past for for a no sweat no sweatshirts people wear sweatshirts not not where which no they do in the summer in the winter for sure I'll meet you there I'll show you so that is that is a little bit of exploration there's many more shilas which hopefully we'll get to not next week the week after because there's going to be shs scarf. It's got four corners and I have one of those, right? Why don't Why don't we put tasers on it as there's a few more shadows which we need to discuss a collar. I hope to get to the bottom of it. I had a hippie I had a hippie scarf. Very interesting thing. It was it was shaped like a fest like a wide vest like that and I wore it was like one of those like wraparounds neck wraparound thingy jigs and the thing and I wore it because I found it and then someone quickly told me that I can't put it on because it's so we're going to have to see have to see and there are Israelis people they were they were they put on legends. Okay, fine. Thank you very much and I hope to see you in two weeks to carry on exploring water without sites. [Music] You see your sh Oh my