by
Rabbi Michael Laitner

Parshat Shlach

This verse, familiar as part of the third paragraph of the Shema, appears near the end of the Sidra. It refers to the mitzva (commandment) to wear tzitzit and by association, the custom of wearing a talit during Shacharit and Musaf prayers. As tzitzit is a time-bound positively stated mitzva, women are exempt from it, as with almost all positively stated time-bound mitzvot.

The Talmud (Nedarim 26a) states that the mitzva of tzitzit is comparable to all of the other mitzvot in the Torah, although tzizit is not the only mitzva to be accorded this comparison. The Talmud’s statement is strengthened by following verses in the Torah which show that tzizit are designed to help us remember the other mitzvot. In addition, Rashi, the major Torah commentator, writes in his commentary on the verse 39, that the numerical value of the letters in the word ‘tzitzit’ is equal to 600. When the eight threads and five knots of each tzizit are added to this number, the tzitzit have the numerical value of 613, the number of mitzvot in the Torah.

Why are they tzitzit for ‘generations’? The late 20^th century Israeli scholar, Rabbi Moshe Zvi Neria, explains that the making of tzitzit is additionally a metaphor for the mitzvot we perform for ourselves, which, through our practice and teaching, we also pass onto others. For example, Rabbi Neria demonstrates that Abraham did not commit any sins of robbery, immorality or murder. His positive character traits were carried through Isaac to Jacob, father of the Tribes of Israel, who was known as ‘tam’ (refined), part of the word for ‘generations’ above (ledorotam). May tzitzit always remind us of our heritage and by doing so help us make the world a better place for now and future times.