What are the major differences between Sephardim and Ashkenazim when it comes to the mitzvah of tzitzit?

B"H

Yitsy,

If you are referring to the manner in which we tie the knots on our tassels (Tzitzis), the Sephardim have several practices. Rav Yitzhak, the son of Rav Ovadia Yosef, has written in his "Yilkut Yosef" 11:9 about the more popular custom practiced today by the Sephardim.

(Paraphrased)

"The custom of some Sephardic communities was to follow a practice started by Kabbalists of the last 500 years, to wit, to make a square knot, followed by seven windings which are not overlapping; again to make a square knot, followed by eight windings which are not overlapping; again to make a square knot, followed by eleven windings (not overlapping); and finally, again to make a square knot, followed by thirteen windings (not overlapping), which last are also concluded by tying a square knot."

Moroccan Jews have of late followed a practice of making windings like the above, but with a slight difference in number of windings, viz., ten, five, six and five, in honour of the numerical value of each letter in G-d's name.

It should be noted that these windings are not repeated over themselves (overlapping), unlike the custom with the Yemenite Jews who practice "overlapping" when making their windings.

As for the Yemenite Jews and their custom, Dr. Aaron Gimani wrote:

"Many Yemenite Jews are accustomed to make tzitzit with seven 'joints' (Heb. chuliyos) not separated by any knots. After the cords have been inserted into the hole at the corner of the tallis, a double knot is made. The longest cord is wound three times around the other cords, and this is the first joint. A small space is left and the cord is wound around another three times, and this constitutes the second joint; and the process continues until the tzitzit displays seven joints without any intervening knots."

These seven "joints" are said to be reminiscent of the seven firmaments.

The practice of Ashkenaz follows more closely the Sephardic customs, and they will tie five knots (Heb. kesharim) to their Tzitzis, intervened by four joints (Heb. chuliyos) made after the manner and teaching of the Kabbalists, that is, joints with windings of 7, 8, 11 & 13. Again, the practice of having both, knots and joints is in accordance with a teaching in "Shitah Mekubetzes" (Menachos) who viewed the knots and joints as being two independent things and, therefore, required. The most trustworthy of our Yemenite traditions avers, however, that the "joints" and "knots" are actually one and the same thing, and therefore, only the "joints" (Heb. chuliyos) appear with them on their tassels, besides the first "knot" (Heb. kesher) that binds the actual threads together closest to the cloth of the Tallis.

Let each man follow his own custom.

Lastly, the hole into which the threads of the Tzitzis are inserted is only one hole to each corner, according to the Yemenites and Sephardim. The Chassidische Rebbes have a custom to make two holes on each corner of the Tallis for the insertion of the threads making-up the Tzitzis.

Sincerely,
David

why 2 holes? where did this originate from?

B"H

I do not know.

sheer speculation on my part, but noting that with 2 holes there could be a definite inside and outside to the garment... and there is a principle of not wearing garments inside out?

The Mekor is from the Bais Yosef at the end of Simin 11 that brings from Bal HaIter that the Sifri Pasuls Tzitzis on the corner since it's 8 not 4. He says that its referring to the one hole, since you can see the strings coming out from both sides, it looks like there is 8 pretruding, 4 from each side. Thus you need to make 2 holes so the Tzitzis is all on one side.

Then he gives an alternitive Pshat to fit the Minhag of 1 hole. That it would work with one hole. That your not allowed to droop the Tzitzis on the actual corner (but that it should be placed by the side of the corner like this _+) By placing it on the corner itself, it would seem to be used for both sides of the corner, so it would be for 8 corners in stead of 4.

The MB 39 brings the Arizal in Kavanos to do 2 holes, this I think is the real reason why people wear 2 holes.

quote:

Originally posted by David Ben-Abraham:
The most trustworthy of our Yemenite traditions avers, however, that the "joints" and "knots" are actually one and the same thing, and therefore, only the "joints" (Heb. chuliyos) appear with them on their tassels, besides the first "knot" (Heb. kesher) that binds the actual threads together closest to the cloth of the Tallis.

Let each man follow his own custom.

This opinion can be substantiated by the following: In Midrash Rabba (Numbers Rabba) 18:17 we learn about the custom that was once prevalent in the land of Israel, viz., to make their tassels with "eight strings and five knots." This same practice is mentioned in Targum Yonathan b. Uzziel, on Numbers 15:38, where we find: "Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: Everyone of them is to make tassels… and hang them with five knots, etc." In the book "Halachoth Ketzuvoth," a work written in the land of Israel, we find an accurate description on how they once practiced tying these knots. The knots were actually the bindings made by a single string (one of the four strings that were doubled to make eight), and wrapped around the other strings, forming a joint. Two of these bindings were placed in the upper 1/3 part of the tassel, grouped close together, yet with a small space dividing them. The other three bindings, or joints, made by wrapping the same single thread around the other strings, were spaced at a greater distance from the upper two bindings, below them, yet still within the upper 1/3 part of the tassel. The rest of the strings of the tassel making up the remaining 2/3 were left to hang loosely. The lesson to be learnt here is that "the knots" mentioned in Midrash Rabba (ibid.) are actually the bindings, or joints, made by wrapping a single thread around the others.

In ancient times, the long, extended string used in making the bindings (by wrapping it around the other strings) was dyed blue with the blood of the shell-fish known as halazon. (So says Maimonides, who differs in his rendition of this oral teaching from that of Rabbi Israel Meir Ha-Cohen, author of Commentary "Mishna Berura" on the Shulhan Arukh, sec. 9, vs. 2, note 7.) Keeping this in mind, we find, moreover, a statement in Tractate Menachos 38b made by Rabbi Yohanan b. Nuri. He said: "If there is no [thread that had been dyed] blue, let him put on only the white [thread]." To which statement Rava replied: "From it we can infer that every binding (joint) must be fitted [with the blue thread]."

Wherefore, according to Rava, there is an intrinsic connexion between "the bindings (joints)," on the one hand, and their being dyed "blue," on the other. Now if the knots mentioned in Midrash Rabba are a thing to be reckoned by themselves, and the bindings (joints) are, likewise, a thing to be reckoned by themselves, why wasn't there any mention made of the bindings (joints) in that same Midrash? Rather, the knots and the bindings (joints), made by their wrapping the single thread around the others, are one and the same thing, with the exception of the first square knot made at the beginning of the Tzitzis or tassel.

David