Rebbi Meir used to say, "In what way is Techelet (a bluish color used to dye one of the Tzitzit threads - Bamidbar 15:38) different from all other colors (i.e. why was it chosen as the color for this Mitzvah)? Because Techelet is similar [in color] to the *sea*, the sea is similar [in color] to the *sky*, and the sky is similar [in color] to [Hashem's] *Throne of Glory*, as it says (Shemot 24:10), `They saw the G-d of Israel, and under His feet was something like a sapphire stone, bright as the color of the sky.' "

(Sotah 17a, Menachot 23b, Chullin 89a)

The reason that the *sky* was included in the string of comparisons is easy enough to explain. Since we have never actually seen the Throne of Hashem, we must first bring textual proof as to the color of the Throne before we assert that Techelet is similar to it in color. The verse likens the color of the Throne to that of a much more familiar object -- the sky ("under His feet was something like... the color of the sky"). Therefore, it was necessary for Rebbi Meir to point out that (as we can see) Techelet is sky-colored, before concluding that (as the verse states) the Throne of Hashem's Glory is also sky-colored.

But we have yet to explain the necessity of including the *sea* in Rebbi Meir's list of comparisons. It would have been just as easy for Rebbi Meir to compare the color of Techelet directly to that of the sky, without mentioning the sea! Through a close examination of Rashi's commentary in the three places where Rebbi Meir's statement is recorded, we can gain insight into this question.

This however, leads us to another question. If Techelet is, in fact, not really the color of the Throne, why was Techelet chosen to be the color by which we remember the Throne? If the purpose of the Techelet in our Tzitzit is to remind us of Hashem's closeness to us, why not dye the thread sky-blue, rather than using a color which is only *reminiscent* of the sky's color through a two-step comparison? A friend of mine, Rebbi Hadar Margolin of Har Nof Jerusalem, suggested a solution to this problem.

Rashi in Sotah refers to a Sifri (a halachic Midrash on Bamidbar -- Ch. 115), which tells us that the point of Rebbi Meir's statement is to prove that when someone performs the Mitzvah of Tzitzit, it is as if he has had an encounter with the Shechinah (= the Divine Presence of Hashem). The Gemara in Menachot (43b) formulates this theme somewhat differently: "Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai said, 'Whoever is careful to perform the Mitzvah [of Tzitzit] will, as a reward, merit to have an encounter with the Shechinah.'" The connection between Tzitzit and an encounter with the Shechinah is mentioned, but here the encounter with the Shechinah is referred to as an ultimate *reward* for the Mitzvah, i.e. in the World to Come, while according to the Sifri the performance of the Mitzvah is *tantamount* to ("Ke'ilu") encountering the Shechinah.

The Sifri's statement may explain why the color of Techelet is not identical to that of Hashem's Throne. A true encounter with Hashem is not possible in this physical world. Nevertheless, the Tzitzit strings that dangle from our garments -- by reminding us that the Divine Presence watches over us from every angle -- can elevate us to *feel as though* ("Ke'ilu") we are in direct contact with the Divine Presence. This pseudo-encounter with Hashem is what is hinted at by the twice-removed comparison between the Techelet thread worn on our Tzitzit and Hashem's Throne. The color of Techelet thus demonstrates that our Tzitzit grant us an appreciation of the Divine Presence even in the mundane world in which we live, where a glimpse of His true Presence is distant from our grasp.

This is what can be learned from the words of Rashi in Sotah.

"Techelet is similar [in color] to the sea" -- where miracles were performed for Israel.

"Why is [the color used in Tzitzit] called "Techelet" (from the root Kaf-Lamed)? Because the Egyptians were annihilated ("Kalu," from the root Kaf-Lamed) in the [Red] Sea."

(Sifri Bamidbar, Ch. 115)

Perhaps we may add the following observation to Rebbi Herzog's insightful comment. The two symbolisms of the color of Techelet are not necessarily unrelated. There is a clear relationship between the miracles of the Red Sea and encountering the Shechinah. Chazal (= the sages of the Talmud) tell us that when Hashem led the Bnai Yisrael through the sea, not only did He split open the waters of the sea, but He split open the heavens as well, exposing His glory to the people as they crossed. As Rashi puts it:

"This is my G-d and I will glorify Him" -- He was revealed to them in all His glory, until the people were able to point to Him and say, "*This* is my G-d..." Even the maidservants who crossed the sea perceived G-d with more clarity than the prophets!"

(Rashi, Shemot 15:2)

Techelet is similar [in color] to the sea, the sea is similar [in color] to *grass*, grass is similar [in color] to the sky, and the sky is similar [in color] to [Hashem's] Throne of Glory.

(Yerushalmi Berachot 1:2)

The Gemara (in Sotah 11b) relates an enigmatic Aggadah concerning the Egyptian exile. When the Egyptians were pursuing their policy of infanticide, the Jewish mothers would go out to the fields to give birth, so that their newborn babies would not be detected by the Egyptians. When the Egyptians discovered the ruse, they came out to the fields to kill the infants there. But Hashem caused the babies to be miraculously swallowed up into the ground, where they were safe from the Egyptians' evil plottings. The Egyptians, not to be deterred, proceeded to plow up the ground. After they left, however, Hashem miraculously caused the babies to sprout up out of the ground like the *grass* of the field, as it says (Yechezkel 16:7), "I made you as numerous as the grass of the field...." (There is obviously more to this Aggadah than is immediately apparent. Its allegorical meaning, however, will have to left for a future discussion.)

Perhaps, then, the color of Techelet is intended to remind us of this miracle as well. Techelet is similar in color to grass, which reminds us of the manner in which Hashem miraculously caused our people to experience a population explosion during the Egyptian exile.

We may develop this thought a bit further. As the Gemara in Sotah (ibid.) continues, when Hashem revealed His glory to the Jews at the splitting of the Red Sea it was the miraculously rescued infants (now grown up) who exclaimed (Shemot 15:2), "*This* is my G-d...." They were the first to recognize Hashem's Divine Presence, Rashi explains, because they had *already* witnessed His glory on a previous occasion. In other words, the children who "grew as grass" in Egypt experienced an encounter with the Shechinah on a level comparable to the one which the Jews experienced at the Splitting of the Red Sea.

It is now clear why Rebbi Meir (in the Yerushalmi's version of his statement) mentions the color of grass in his list. It is for the same reason that he mentions the color of the sea. Recalling the story of the miraculous births in Egypt helps to substantiate for us -- in the same manner as the miracles at the Red Sea -- that it is possible for a human being to experience a close encounter with Hashem's Divine Presence, in this world!

This also explains why the section in the Torah dealing with the Mitzvah of Tzitzit ends with the sentence, "I am Hashem your G-d *Who took you out of Egypt to be your G-d*..." (Bamidbar 15:41). The point of wearing Tzitzit is to demonstrate our closeness to the Divine Presence of Hashem. This intimacy was initiated during the events that took place at the time of the exodus from Egypt. Hashem rescued us from Egypt with the intention of forever *maintaining* the close relationship that He had developed with the Jewish People over the course of the Exodus. As we have seen, one of the reasons for wearing Tzitzit (and Techelet) is to remember this fact. It is thus only appropriate for the discussion of Tzitzit in the Torah to end with the statement, "I am Hashem your G-d Who took you out of Egypt (and revealed His Divine Presence to you in the process) in order to be your G-d (= in order to maintain a unique relationship with you)...."

May we all merit to observe the Mitzvah of Tzitzit properly, and to see Hashem's true Glory!