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Is the Mitzva of Tzitzit an obligation on the clothing or on the person?

Double AA
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Hacham Gabriel
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1 Answers1

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Person. You don't need to have tzitzit on a tallit that you keep in a drawer.

Source: Talmud Menachot 41. See also Rambam Hil. Tzitzit 3:10-11, Shulchan Aruch OC 19:1

Double AA
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    Not only that, but you don't even technically have a chiyuv to purchase a four-cornered garment in order to put tzitzis on it (Rema, Orach Chaim 17:2), though Hashem deals strictly with one who uses that loophole, as the Gemara there says. – Alex Jan 08 '12 at 04:18
  • Are you implying that if a person wears 10 pairs of Sisit he is only being mekayem on mitzva? – Hacham Gabriel Jan 08 '12 at 04:34
  • @HachamGabriel Why can't I be obligated in the same mitzva multiple times? Consider mezuzah... – Double AA Jan 08 '12 at 04:51
  • @DoubleAA I'm not arguing, I'm asking if each one is separate sechar/mitzva. I'm not in such a lumdisheh mood right now :) – Hacham Gabriel Jan 08 '12 at 04:55
  • @HachamGabriel I assume that each is a separate sechar. See Shulchan Aruch OC 8:12 – Double AA Jan 08 '12 at 05:07
  • @HachamGabriel each beged is itself a separate mitzvah – avi Jan 08 '12 at 07:00
  • @avi so why don't people wear many pairs of Tzitzit? – Hacham Gabriel Jan 08 '12 at 13:47
  • @HachamGabriel You first need to ask why do people wear tzitzit at all. The gemara in Menachot 41a says that an angel once accosted Rav Katina and found him not wearing any clothing that was obligated in tzitzit. He said, where are your tzitzit? RK said, I'm not obligated; do I get punished for this? The angel said, You would get punished if it was a time of Divine wrath. Based on this people are careful to wear tzitzit at all times. However, wearing one pair is enough to avoid punishment at a time of divine wrath. You could wear multiple pairs, but you don't lose anything by not. – Double AA Jan 08 '12 at 17:48
  • @DoubleAA I understand, but let's say in cold places where people are wearing many layers anyways shouldn't they just wear a few pairs to get the mitzvot? – Hacham Gabriel Jan 08 '12 at 17:50
  • @HachamGabriel If they want. But they lose nothing but not doing so. It's like women and lulav. There is absolutely zero loss by not doing it. No bittul aseh at all. It's purely kiyumit at that point. – Double AA Jan 08 '12 at 17:57
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    @HachamGabriel Do people buy houses with the most number of archways/doorways they can find? Most number of accessible roof levels? – avi Jan 08 '12 at 18:40
  • @avi you know it's not the same. If someone wears an extra pair of cotton tzitit it's the biggest deal like your house example. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 08 '12 at 18:45
  • It's a big deal to me. – avi Jan 08 '12 at 18:46
  • @avi respectable. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 09 '12 at 02:46
  • @DoubleAA just found a Haye Adam 11:2 that says it is Chovat Gavra. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 22 '12 at 00:43
  • related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/12366/759 – Double AA Jan 24 '12 at 01:24
  • @DoubleAA I recently saw a Teshuva from Rav Haim Kanievsky that each Beged is a separate Mitzva. – Hacham Gabriel Aug 25 '13 at 17:39
  • He means each beged that you wear you have an obligation to put Tzitzit on it. – Double AA Aug 25 '13 at 18:08
  • @HachamGabriel can you please point me to this Teshuva by Rav Chaim? – yisrael May 09 '23 at 21:08