“Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them that they shall make themselves tzitzit on the corners of their garments, for all their generations. And they shall place upon the tzitzit of each corner a thread of techelet wool. It shall be tzitzit for you, that you may see it and remember all the commandments of Hashem and fulfill them; and not explore after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray. So that you may remember and perform all My commandments and be holy to your G-d” (Bamidbar 15:38-40)
Rashi expounds that tzitzit cause a person to “remember all the commandments of Hashem” in the following way. The numerical value of the word ציצית is 600. Add the eight strings of the tzitzit and its five knots, and you have 613, the number of the Torah’s commandments.
Rabbi Meir says: The pasuk does not state “that you may see them,” rather, “that you may see it.” From here we learn that whoever upholds the mitzvah of tzitzit is considered to have greeted the Shechinah. Light blue is similar to the sea, which in turn is like the sky, which hints to the Heavenly Throne. The words “that you may see it and remember all the commandments” teach us that whoever observes the mitzvah of tzitzit is considered to be observing all of the mitzvot (Sifri, Shelach 115).
The Kuzari (3:11) states that the mitzvah of tzitzit protects a person from his senses, which are liable to drive him out of this world, as the pasuk says, “And [you shall] not explore after your heart and after your eyes.”
Whoever cloaks himself in tzitzit is sanctified manifold times. This is borne out by the above pasuk, “So that you may remember and perform all My commandments and be holy to your G-d.” Chazal state (Sifri) that tzitzit add kedushah to a person (Rabbeinu Yona, Iggeret Hateshuvah 6).
Reish Lakish states that whoever is scrupulous with the mitzvah of tzitzit merits 2,800 servants, as it says, “Thus said Hashem: It shall come to pass that ten men of all the languages of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of the Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you’” (Shabbat 32b).
The Maharal (Derashah L’Shabbat Hagadol) asserts that the mitzvah of tzitzit illustrates man’s perfecting his body and beautifying it with mitzvot. Tzitzit, or a tallit, is a cloak worn over the body and a means of adorning it through mitzvot. This is what is meant by the injunction, “Let your garments always be white.” A person should constantly refine his body so that it should be pure. This is the meaning of white garments. The body is considered the garb of the neshamah. It should always be in a pristine state. “Let your garments always be white” – this is the mitzvah of tzitzit, implying a purified body. “And your head never lack oil” – this is the mitzvah of tefillin, the adornment of the neshamah.
The tzitzit adorn the body and the tefillin adorn the soul. Tzitzit demonstrate the purity of the body. They are the fringes at the very bottom of the garment. This is analogous to a person who cannot be termed an absolute tzaddik or rasha while in this world. But in the end, the truth will be apparent to all. In this world, a world of materialism, man is physical. But in the World of Truth, four types of distinctions will be made. It is the tzitzit, then, which distinguish between the tzaddik and the rasha.
Our Sages ask, “Who is an ignoramus?” Ben Azzai answers, “One who does not have tzitzit on his garment” (Sotah 22a).
When a person leaves his house wearing tzitzit, Hashem is pleased. The Angel of Destruction moves aside and the person is protected from all forms of damage. The word לדורתם (for all their generations) can be read לדירתם(for their homes). In the merit of being perfect in one’s home, and leaving it while enwrapped in a mitzvah, one is granted protection. Rabbi Nehorai says: I testify to anyone who emerges from his house wearing tzitzit (tallit), and has tefillin on his head, that the Shechinah rests upon him. Two Heavenly angels escort him to the Beit Hakeneset and bless him. A prosecuting angel follows behind him and answers, “Amen,” against his will (Yalkut Reuveini, Shelach Lecha).
