ת"ר הכל חייבין בציצית כהנים לוים וישראלים גרים נשים ועבדים ר"ש פוטר בנשים מפני שמצות עשה שהזמן גרמא הוא וכל מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא נשים פטורות
§ The Sages taught in a baraita: Everyone is obligated in the mitzva of ritual fringes, including priests, Levites, Israelites, converts, women, and Canaanite slaves. Rabbi Shimon deems women exempt, because the mitzva of ritual fringes is a positive, time-bound mitzva, and women are exempt from every positive, time-bound mitzva.
וזכרתם את כל מצות ה׳ AND YOU SHALL REMEMBER ALL THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD — The ציצית will remind one of all the commandments because the numerical value of the letters of the word ציצית is six hundred, and there are eight threads and five knots in the fringes, so that you have six hundred and thirteen, which is also the number of the commandments of the Torah. ולא תתרו אחרי לבבכם — The verb has the same meaning as in (Numbers 13:25), “and they returned from searching (מתור) the land”. (The translation therefore is: AND YOU SHALL NOT SEARCH AFTER YOUR OWN HEART). The heart and the eyes are the “spies” of the body — they act as its agents for sinning: the eye sees, the heart covets and the body commits the sin (Midrash Tanchuma, Sh'lach 15; cf. Talmud Yerushalmi Berakhot 1:8).
And from that which transpired to Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak as well it can be derived that there is no constellation for the Jewish people, As Chaldean astrologers told Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak’s mother: Your son will be a thief. She did not allow him to uncover his head. She said to her son: Cover your head so that the fear of Heaven will be upon you, and pray for Divine mercy. He did not know why she said this to him. One day he was sitting and studying beneath a palm tree that did not belong to him, and the cloak fell off of his head. He lifted his eyes and saw the palm tree. He was overcome by impulse and he climbed up and detached a bunch of dates with his teeth. Apparently, he had an inborn inclination to steal, but was able to overcome that inclination with proper education and prayer.
With regard to the same issue, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: It is prohibited for a person to walk even four cubits with an upright posture, which is considered an arrogant manner, as it is stated: “The entire world is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). One who walks in an arrogant manner indicates a lack of regard for the glory and honor of God that is surrounding him, and thereby chases God from that place, as it were. The Gemara relates: Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, would not walk four cubits with an uncovered head. He said: The Divine Presence is above my head, and I must act respectfully.
When one hears the crowing of the rooster, one recites the blessing, "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe... who hast given to the rooster the ability to distinguish between day and night." When one puts on one's garments, one recites, "...who clothes the naked." When one puts on his headcovering one recites, "...who crowns Israel with glory." When one passes one's hands over one's eyes, one recites, "...Who opens the eyes of the blind." When one sits up on his couch, one recites, "...who frees the captive." When one descends from the couch and puts one's feet on the ground, one recites, "...who spreads the earth over the waters". When one stands up, he recites, "...who lifts up the fallen". When one washes one's hands, one recites, "...who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us concerning the washing of the hands". When one washes one's face, one recites the blessing, "...who removes sleep from the eyes and slumber from the eyelids..." [And some continue, saying,] "May it be Your will, Adonai my God and God of my ancestors, to accustom me to religious duties and not accustom me to transgression. Let the good inclination have sway over me and let not the evil inclination have sway over me. Strengthen me in Your commandments and grant my portion in Your Torah. Grant that I may know grace, loving kindness and mercy in Your sight, and in the sight of all who behold me, and bestow upon me loving kindnesses. Blessed are You, Adonai, who bestows loving kindnesses upon Your people, Israel.
The leader must be one who is fit. Who is "fit"? One who is free of sin; ...who is humble; who is acceptable to the nation; who is skilled at [liturgical] chanting; whose voice is pleasant; who is accustomed to reading the Biblical text.