Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
Our parashah introduces the mitzvah of צִיצִת (tzitzit), with pesukim that have become part of the Shema:
וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹת ה' וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם…
These will be tzitzit for you. You will see “oto,” and you will remember all of God’s mitzvot and observe them…
The word אֹתוֹ (oto) can either mean “it” or “him.” So tzitzit might be about seeing something, or they might be about seeing someone. Which is it?
רְאֵה מִצְוָה זוֹ וּזְכוֹר מִצְוָה אַחֶרֶת הַתְּלוּיָה בּוֹ. וְאֵיזוֹ זוֹ? זוֹ קְרִיַת שְׁמַע. דִּתְנַן: מֵאֵימָתַי קוֹרִין אֶת שְׁמַע בְּשַׁחֲרִית? מִשֶּׁיַּכִּיר בֵּין תְּכֵלֶת לְלָבָן.
See this mitzvah of tzitzit and be reminded of something: another mitzvah that depends on it. And what is that mitzvah? Reading the Shema on time. As we learn in a mishnah (Berakhot 1:2): “What is the time for the morning Shema? When it’s light enough for a person to see the difference between (the two colors of tzitzit strings), tekhelet (blue) and white.”
וּרְאִיתֶם אוֹתָם לֹא נֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא וּרְאִיתֶם אוֹתוֹ.
מַגִּיד הַכָּתוּב שֶׁכָּל הַמְּקַיֵּם מִצְוַת צִיצִת מַעֲלִים עָלָיו כְּאִלּוּ הִקְבִּיל פְּנֵי שְׁכִינָה, שֶׁהַתְּכֵלֶת דּוֹמֶה לַיָּם וְיָם דּוֹמֶה לָרָקִיעַ וְרָקִיעַ דּוֹמֶה לְכִסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד.
The pasuk doesn’t say “you shall see them” (which would be a better way of talking about the multiple tzitzit strings), but rather “you shall see Him.”
The Torah is telling us that observing the mitzvah of tzitzit is like greeting God’s presence. Tekhelet looks like the sea, and the sea looks like the sky, and the sky looks like God’s Throne of Glory.
- Why is it important to remember the mitzvot? What exactly are you supposed to think of when you’re remembering mitzvot? What are some other things that are important to keep in mind?
- When you look at tzitzit, do you think of Shema or do you think of God? Why?
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