Menachot

which were entirely wound around;1 whereupon Rab remarked, A fine garment, but the fringes are not fine; but Rabbah b. Bar Hana said, A fine garment and fine fringes. Wherein do they differ? — Rabbah b. Bar Hana maintains, since Holy Writ says ‘twisted cords’2 and also ‘thread’,3 [the fringe] may be either [entirely] a twisted cord or [entirely] in loose threads. Rab, however, maintains that there must always be loose threads; but the expression ‘twisted cords’ is required only for the determination of the number of threads; for the expression ‘twisted cord’ would imply two threads,4 but ‘twisted cords’5 implies four; one must therefore twist them into a cord, but from the middle they must hang down in separate threads.6 Samuel said in the name of Levi, [White] woollen threads7 fulfil8 [the precept of fringes] in a linen garment. The question was raised: Would [white] linen threads7 fulfil [the precept of fringes] in a woollen garment? Do we hold that only [white] woollen threads fulfil [the precept] in a linen garment, for since blue [woollen threads] fulfil [the precept in any garment]9 white [woollen threads] also fulfil the precept, but [white] linen threads cannot fulfil the precept in a woollen garment; or, we can argue, since it is written, Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together. Thou shalt make thee twisted cords,10 accordingly it matters not whether woollen threads are put in a linen garment or linen threads in a woollen garment?11 — Come and hear. Rehabah said in the name of Rab Judah, Woollen threads fulfil the precept in a linen garment and linen threads in a woollen garment; [blue] woollen threads together with [white] linen threads fulfil the precept in any garment, even [in a garment] of silk. This differs from R. Nahman's view, for R. Nahman said, Silk garments are exempt from zizith. Raba raised the following objection against R. Nahman: It was taught: Garments of silk or of raw silk or of floss-silk must be provided with zizith!12 — That is merely a Rabbinic enactment. But then consider the next clause [of that Baraitha]: Woollen threads and linen threads fulfil the precept in every case.13 Now if you say that it is so14 by the law of the Torah then that is why diverse kinds are permitted for them; but if you say that it14 is merely a Rabbinic enactment, how can it be that diverse kinds are permitted for them? — Render, either woollen threads or linen threads.15 And that is indeed the more reasonable view to take, for it reads in the final clause [of that Baraitha]: These16 fulfil the precept in a garment of the same material but not in a garment of a different material. Now if you say that it is merely a Rabbinic enactment, then that is why these fulfil the precept in a garment of the same material; but if you say that it is so by the law of the Torah, surely [according to the Torah] only wool and linen can discharge the obligation!17 — This is not a conclusive argument, for the text may be explained in accordance with Raba's argument. For Raba pointed out a contradiction: It is written, The corner,18 [which implies that the fringes are to be of] the same kind [of material] as that of the corner, but it is also written, Wool and linen.19 How are the texts to be reconciled? Wool and linen fulfil [the precept of zizith] both in garments of their own kind [of material] as well as in garments of a different kind, whereas other kinds of threads20 fulfil the precept only in a garment of their own kind [of material], but not in a garment of a different kind [of material]. R. Nahman,21 however, agrees with the view of the Tanna of the school of R. Ishmael. For a Tanna of the school of R. Ishmael taught: Since in the Torah the word ‘garments’ is used without being specified,22 but in one particular case23 Holy Writ specified ‘wool and linen’, the inference is that all garments are understood as being of wool or of linen. Abaye said, This teaching of a Tanna of the school of R. Ishmael differs from that of another Tanna of the same school. For a Tanna of the school of R. Ishmael taught: By garment23 I understand only a garment of [sheep's] wool; whence can I include garments of camel hair, of hare's hair, of goat's hair, or of raw silk or floss-silk or fine silk? Scripture therefore says, Or a garment. 24 all khsd and no ;bg. number of threads. wool. obligation of zizith in any silk garment. garment is. only garments of wool and of linen are subject to zizith. creeping things, Lev. XI, 32. being subject to the law of plagues.