1)

(a)The Tana Kama of the Beraisa rules that a folded garment - is Chayav Tzitzis the way it is.

(b)According to Rebbi Shimon - it is Patur.

(c)The problem with the Beraisa's statement that Rebbi Shimon concedes that it is Chayav if one then sews it is that - that is obvious, and does not require a Beraisa to say it.

(d)We answer Lo Tz'richa, de'Naktah be'Sichi, which means either that he did not sew it, but held the folds together with pegs, or - that he basted it (sewed it with large temporary stitches).

2)

(a)When Rabah bar Rav Huna went to see Rabah (or Rava) bar Rav Nachman, the latter was wearing - a folded Talis with Tzitzis on the four corners.

(b)When he unfolded it to cover his whole body, two of the Tzitzis landed up in the middle of the garment on his head.

(c)When Rabah bar Rav Huna pointed out that this was not the Kanaf mentioned by the Torah - Rabah bar Rav Nachman promptly replaced that Talis with another one.

(d)Rabah bar Rav Huna objected to that - since replacing the non-Kasher garment did not exempt him from attaching Tzitzis to its four corners, seeing as Tzitzis is a Chovas Talis (an intrinsic obligation for a garment to have Tzitzis), and not just a Chovas Gavra.

3)

(a)We try to prove Rabah bar Rav Huna's ruling, from the Chasidim ha'Rishonim in the Beraisa (that we cited earlier) Keivan she'Argu bah Shalosh, Hayu Matilin bah Techeiles - seeing as they attached Tzitzis even though, at that stage, the Begadim were not yet ready to be worn.

(b)We refute this proof however - by pointing out that they were after all, Chasidim, whose actions were Lif'nim mi'Shuras ha'Din (to perform Chumros even when there is no Chiyuv), so perhaps they gave the Beged a Din of Chovas Talis, le'Chumra.

(c)Rav K'tina would wear a Sadin in summer and a Sarb'la a coat) in winter. Both of these were Patur from Tzitzis - the former because of the decree of K'sus Laylah (as we learned earlier) - the latter, because two of its four corners were round.

(d)The angel therefore asked him - why he did not wear Tzitzis.

4)

(a)Rav K'tina, who assumed that the angel was warning him that he would be punished for not wearing Tzitzis, asked in surprised, whether Hash-m punishes for failure to perform an Asei (see Tosfos DH 'Anshiso a'Asei') ...

(b)... to which the angel replied that - when Hash-m is angry, He does indeed punish even for Mitzvos Asei such as this one (see Agados Maharsha).

(c)We try to prove from here that the angel disagreed with Rabah bar Rav Huna, and maintained that Tzitzis is Chovas Gavra, and not Chovas Talis - because if it was Chovas Talis, how would it be possible to punish someone for not attaching Tzitzis on a Beged that is Patur from Tzitzis?

(d)We refute this proof however, on the grounds that - even we were to say that it is Chovas Gavra, we could ask exactly the same question (how it would be possible to punish someone for wearing a Beged without attaching Tzitzis, where it does not require Tzitzis).

5)

(a)The angel was in fact, accusing Rav K'tina - of evading the Mitzvah of Tzitzis, by constantly wearing Begadim that were Patur from Tzitzis.

(b)Rav Tuvi bar Bisna Amar Shmuel too, maintains that one must attach Tzitzis to garments in the drawer. On the other hand, he learns from the Pasuk "Asher Techaseh bah" that - only a Beged that is worn for warmth and protection is Chayav Tzitzis, but not a garment that an old man wears for Kavod.

(c)And when he says be'Hahu Sha'ata be'Vaday Raminan, Mishum "Lo'eg la'Rash Cheref Oseihu", he means that - one attaches Tzitzis to the shrouds of a dead man, to avoid creating the impression that one is mocking him, inasmuch as we are Chayav Tzitzis and he is Patur (see Tosfos).

6)

(a)The distinction Rachbah Amar Rav Yehudah draws between a Beged which tore beyond three finger-breadths from the edge and one which tears within three finger-breadths is that - one is permitted to repair the former, but not the latter (see also Shitah Mekubetzes 11).

(b)The reason for this distinction is - because, since within three finger-breadths is a location which is eligible to attach Tzitzis, the Chachamim issued a decree in case one subsequently comes to rely on the excess thread to use as Tzitzis. This does not apply to beyond three finger-breadths, which is not an eligible location to attach Tzitzis anyway.

(c)This conforms to the opinion of Rebbi Meir in a Beraisa. According to the Chachamim - Chazal issued no such decree, and even a tear within three finger-breadths may be repaired.

7)

(a)Both opinions agree however, that one is not permitted to bring a complete Kanaf (even the size of an Amah), with the Tzitzis already attached, and sew it over the torn Kanaf - because it constitutes "Ta'aseh", 've'Lo min he'Asuy'.

(b)They permit bringing used Tzitzis from one Beged to attach to another however - provided they have the required Shi'ur (since Lechatchilah, the Tzitzis must conform to all the requirements, as we learned above).

(c)We might we have thought that this is prohibited - because removing Tzitzis from one Beged to attach on to another, denigrates the first Beged (so perhaps we ought to say Ein Matirin mi'Beged le'Beged).

(d)We nevertheless reject the proof from here that Matirin mi'Beged le'Beged - because perhaps the Tana is speaking where the first Beged is old and is no longer fit to be worn (though it is not then clear what he is coming to teach us).

8)

(a)The Beraisa rules that if a Talis is made completely of Techeiles - one fulfills the Mitzvah of Lavan on it with any color Tzitzis (as long as it is not Techeiles).

(b)The sole dye (besides Techeiles), that is not eligible - is Kala Ilan (which is the same color as Tzitzis and) which the Chachamim forbade, in case there comes a time when the owner needs Tzitzis for a Sadin, and thinking that all the Tzitzis on this Beged are genuine Techeiles, he will take two of them and use them on the Sadin (not realizing that they are Kala Ilan), and transgress the Isur of Sha'atnez. Note, the author of this Beraisa cannot then be Rebbi, who forbids Sadin be'Tzitzis.

(c)Another Beraisa requires the Lavan threads to be the same color as the Beged [see Tosfos DH 'Ein Poter'). We query the previous Beraisa, from this Tana - who permits Kala Ilan Bedieved, which the previous Tana did not.

(d)And we establish the second Beraisa where he added only two threads of Kala Ilan to the two threads of Techeiles which (in spite of what we said earlier) is Kasher Bedieved - because he is unlikely to take the Kala Ilan Tzitzis from the Beged, seeing as there are no spare threads on it.

9)

(a)And we establish the first Beraisa - where, in order to fulfill the Mitzvah of Lavan, he added four Kala Ilan Tzitzis to the four Techeiles ones that were already there. It is Pasul even Bedi'eved - because we are afraid that at a later date, he will take the Kala Ilan threads, and believing them to be Techeiles, attach them to a Sadin, as we just explained.

(b)Another reason for forbidding Kala Ilan in the first Beraisa (even Bedieved [even according to Rebbi]) is - because the Tzitzis must comprise two different colors.

(c)And we establish the second Beraisa - where there are already eight Tzitzis, four Techeiles and four Lavan, and it remains Kasher Bedieved, since it has eight Tzitzis even without the four of Kala Ilan.

(d)There is no proof from the decree currently under discussion that Matirin mi'Beged le'Beged - because the Tana is concerned that one might transfer the Tzitzis from one Beged to another, even if it is forbidden to do so.

10)

(a)Rav holds Ein Matirin mi'Beged le'Beged, Ein Madlikin mi'Ner le'Ner - (regarding Ner Shabbos) and Ein Halachah ke'Rebbi Shimon bi'Gereirah.

(b)Shmuel rules - Matirin mi'Beged le'Beged, Madlikin mi'Ner le'Ner and Halachah ke'Rebbi Shimon bi'Gereirah.

(c)The last ruling constitutes - dragging a bed, a chair or a bench along the ground on Shabbos, which Rebbi Shimon in a Beraisa permits, provided one does not specifically intend to make a groove ...

(d)... based on the principle 'Davar she'Ein Miskaven, Mutar'.

(e)Abaye testified that - Rabah ruled like Rav against Shmuel throughout Shas, except for these three cases, where he ruled like Shmuel (presumably, he is referring to Isur only, since in Mamon, the Halachah is always like Shmuel).

11)

(a)Rav Yehudah would hand his Beged plus Tzitzis to a Nochri laundry-man. We might have thought that this is forbidden - for fear that the Techeiles tears and the laundry-man replaces it with Kala Ilan.

(b)Rav Chanina would roll the Tzitzis into a ball - Ravina used to sew a rim round the edge of the Beged, into which he would stuff the Tzitzis (to prevent them from tearing) before handing them in to be laundered.

12)

(a)According to Beis Shamai, Tzitzis comprises four threads (which are then doubled). Beis Hillel say - three.

(b)When we say ve'Kamah Tehei Meshuleshes, Beis Shamai Omrim Shalosh - we are referring to the P'sil ...

(c)... in which case the size of the G'dil will be two finger-breadths (see also Tosfos DH 'Beis Shamai').

(d)According to Beis Hillel - the P'sil is three finger-breadths (the G'dil one and a half).

13)

(a)The Beraisa defines the finger-breadths of Beis Hillel as - four per Tefach.

(b)Abaye explains that this refers to the thumb. According to him - each Tefach comprises six little fingers or five middle ones.

(c)When Rav Papa says with regard to the Tzitzis ...

1. ... Hilch'sa Arba be'Soch Shalosh, he means that - the four Tzitzis should be threaded through the hole in the Beged within three finger-breadths from the edge.

2. ... Meshuleshes Arba, he means that - the P'sil should hang down four finger-breadths (as we explained above).

(d)We query Rav Papa from a Beraisa which translates "Tzitzis" as coming out (from the Kanaf). The Tana, supported by the elders of Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel in the attic of Yonasan ben Beseira, also translate it as - a Mashehu (without a Shi'ur).

14)

(a)To reconcile the current Beraisa with Rav Papa, who just gave Tzitzis a Shi'ur - we interpret Ein lah Shi'ur to mean Ein lah Shi'ur le'Ma'alah, Aval Yesh lah Shi'ur Lematah (though it is unclear how this conforms to the Lashon Mashehu in the Beraisa).

(b)We prove this from the same Beraisa's statement regarding Lulav - ka'Yotze bo, Lulav Ein lo Shi'ur ...

(c)... which certainly means Ein lo Shi'ur le'Ma'alah, Aval Yesh lo Shi'ur Lematah ...

(d)... since the Mishnah in Succah - requires a Lulav to be at least three Tefachim, plus an extra Tefach for shaking.