Is walking without tzitzis allowed?

Question

Is walking without tzitzis allowed? Mishna Brurah, Siman 8 states that one is not allowed to walk 4 Amos without tzitzis.

Answer 1

The Mishnah Berurah wrote:

יתעטף בציצית – מיד אחר נטילת ידיים, כדי שלא ילך ארבע אמות בלא ציצית.

Wrap in sisith - immediately after washing the hands in order that he won't walk four cubits without sisith.

In the wider context, I understand the MB to be describing a commendable, though non-obligatory, practice.

Shabboth 118b seems to imply that R. Nahman wore sisith all day.

The Rambam wrote (H. Tefillin 4:25):

אמרו עליו על רב תלמידו של רבינו הקדוש שכל ימיו לא ראוהו שהלך ארבע אמות בלא תורה או בלא ציצית או בלא תפילין

Among the praises conveyed upon Rabh, the student of Rabbenu HaQadosh, was that he was never seen walking four cubits without [reciting words of] Torah, without tzitzit, and without tefillin.

This seems to indicate that such behavior is exemplary, though at the time was not the norm. If it were, there would be nothing exceptional and noteworthy in Rabh having done so.

The Tur wrote:

ואם ירצה להתעטף מיד בקומו כדי שלא ילך ד' אמות בלא ציצית ... יכול ללובשו מיד בלא ברכה ולכשיטול ידיו ימשמש בציצית ויברך להתעטף בציצית

And should he wish to wrap himself immediately upon arising in order that he not walk four cubits without sisith... he is able to don it immediately without a blessing and when he washes his hands he should clutch the sisith and recite the blessing ‘to wrap in a sisith.’

While also indicative of the fact that there were people that conducted themselves in such a manner, the language here of אם ירצה - "should a person want to" indicates this is elective (albeit pious) behavior.

The Rem"a (Darkhei Moshe 8:3) also wrote:

המדקדקים [במצוות] לובשים ארבע כנפות כל היום תחת בגדיהם, כדי שלא יהיו בלא ציצית כל היום

The punctilious [in observing the commandments] wear a four-cornered garment the entire day beneath their clothing, so that they will not be bereft of sisith the entire day.

Again, we see a description of punctilious, though non-obligatory, behavior.

There are however those that argue that in some communities, what was once an elective practice of the pious/punctilious has become widespread, and thus takes on the force of minhag (custom). This is the position of R. Moshe Feinstein (Iggeroth Moshe OH 4:4). So to summarize, the practice is not inherently obligatory, however there are those that argue that it is mandatory by force of minhag.

Answer 2

The Biur Halacha 128:4 writes that even a Mitzvah which one can avoid its obligation, it is still forbidden to avoid fulfilling it for no reason, and therefore one must make sure he has a garment with four corners, so that he can fulfill the Mitzvah of Tzitzis, as we find in the Gemara (Menachos 41a) the following story:

דמלאכא אשכחי' לרב קטינא דמיכסי סדינא אמר ליה קטינא קטינא סדינא בקייטא וסרבלא בסיתוא ציצית של תכלת מה תהא עליה

An angel found Rav Ketina when he was wearing a linen cloak, which is exempt from ritual fringes. The angel said to him: Ketina, Ketina, if you wear a linen cloak in the summer and a coat [sarbela], which has only two corners and is therefore also exempt from ritual fringes, in the winter, what will become of the ritual fringes of sky-blue wool?

אמר ליה ענשיתו אעשה אמר ליה בזמן דאיכא ריתחא ענשינן

Rav Ketina said to him: Do you punish us even for failing to fulfill a positive mitzva? The angel said to him: At a time when there is divine anger and judgment, we punish even for the failure to fulfill a positive mitzva!

There is an opinion in Tosafos however, that holds that the Gemara is specifically talking about those days, when most garments had four corners, and therefore one should not alter his garments in a way that it would be exempt from Tzitzis, but nowadays one would not have to buy such a garment, according to that opinion in Tosafos

Answer 3

Halacha does not require one to put tzitzis on a garment unless the garment that he is wearing has 4 square corners.

Mitsvah is only if your cloth has 4 squared corners. Answer is no, you are not required to put tzitzis unless you have 4 squared corners. Also it must have high cut from bottom to armpits. But! If you are Orthodox observing Jew, usually it's on purpose put in morning Tallis katan after rising so when you wash hands, you already with tzitzis.