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There are several historic communities that have traditionally worn a talleth with all four corners of sisith drawn towards the front.

I̲l̲l̲u̲s̲t̲r̲a̲t̲i̲o̲n̲

Yemenite:

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Spanish Portuguese:

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Minsk Poland:

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Yekkish (KAJ):

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R. Yosef Sabari (as a representative example of the Yemenite perspective) even argues that the common method of attire with two in the front and two in back is lacking in 'atifah and therefore does not properly fulfill the miswa.

Are there halakhic opinions who prohibit wearing all four sisith in front, as these communities do (or have done)?

Please bring sources. Thank you!!

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1 Answers1

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Well, one of the Halachot mentioned by the Shulchan Aruch (8:4) regarding ציצית is:

מַחֲזִיר שְׁתֵּי צִיצִיּוֹת לְפָנָיו וּשְׁתַּיִם לַאֲחוֹרָיו כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא מְסוֹבָב בְּמִצְוֹת.‏

He puts two ציצית before him and two behind him so he'll be surrounded with commandments.

As already pointed out in the comments, the רמ״א (in 10:8) answering the בית יוסף's questions as to why modern clothes are exempt from ציצית is more explicit about this in 10:4.

וכ׳ הב״י יש לדקדק במלבושים שלנו שיש להם ב׳ כנפות סמוך לארץ למה אין מטילין בהם ציצית ותי׳ הד״מ דמאחר דמצות ציצית הוא שיחזור ב׳ לפניו וב׳ לאחריו ומלבושים שלנו הם כל הד׳ כנפות לפניו וא״א להלבישן בענין אחר אין חייבין בציצית לכן נהגו להקל.‏

And the בית יוסף wrote, "One must investigate the issue about our clothes that have two corners near the ground: why we don't put ציצית in them". And the רמ״א answered that because the commandment of ציצית is to put two before him and two behind him and our clothes have all four corners before him and cannot be worn another way, they are not obligated in ציצית; that's why they're accustomed to be lenient.

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Danny Schoemann
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  • Where is that a quotation from? Not the Rama 10:4, which is what you seem to imply. – msh210 Mar 10 '14 at 15:25
  • @msh210 He didn't say which work of Rama to look in. – Double AA Mar 10 '14 at 16:31
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    It's Mashma from " וא״א להלבישן בענין אחר ", that wearing your tzitzit the Yemanite way isn't a problem, since you could wear them a "diffrent way". (2 infront and 2 behind). – Yishaq Mar 10 '14 at 17:35
  • @msh210 - your translation is accurate - as expected. Thank you. Also corrected the source - it's the רמ"א in 10:8 not 10:4. – Danny Schoemann Mar 11 '14 at 08:55
  • Where is that block quotation from? Not the Rama (Mapa) anywhere that I see. – msh210 Mar 13 '14 at 20:25