Sha'atnez

Sources

You shall not wear cloth combining wool and linen.

You shall observe My laws. You shall not let your cattle mate with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; you shall not put on cloth from a mixture of two kinds of material.

Leviticus 19:19

18) "And a mingled, interwoven garment": What is the intent of this? (i.e., Why mention "garment"?) Because it is written (Devarim 22:11) "You shall not wear an interweaving, wool and linen together," I might think it is forbidden to wear strips of wool and stalks of flax; it is, therefore, written "garment." This tells me only of a garment. Whence do I derive the same for felt (stuff): From "sha'atnez," anything that is hackled, spun, and twined ("shua, tavui, vanuz" [acronym on sha'atnez]). R. Shimon b. R…

Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 18

ובגד כלאים NEITHER SHALL A GARMENT MINGLED OF LINEN AND WOOLLEN [COME UPON THEE] — Why is this st‎atement made (how does the particular form of words used here tell us some point of law which is not contained in Deuteronomy 22:21 which bears upon the same subject)? Because Scripture states there “Thou shalt not wear שעטנז, wool and linen together” I might think that one must not wear in combination wool (i. e. wool as it comes from the shearing) and combed flax! Scripture therefore states here “a garment (i. e…

Rashi on Leviticus 19:19:2

MISHNAH: Only spun and woven cloth is forbidden because of kilaim since it is said (Deut. 22:11): “Do not wear šaʻaṭnez”, anything carded, spun, or woven. Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar said, he has turned aside and turned his Father in Heaven against him.
Felt is forbidden because it is carded. A woolen border on a linen garment is forbidden because it goes around like the woven part. Rebbi Yose says, woven ropes are forbidden because he stitches them before he ties them…

Jerusalem Talmud Kilayim 9:5:1

HALAKHAH: “Only [wool and linen] are forbidden as kilaim”. It is written (Deut. 22:11): “Do not wear ša‘aṭnez, wool and linen together.” I would say one is only forbidden to wear it; the verse says (Lev. 19:19): “It shall not come on you.” If it shall not come on you I would say one may not carry a chest on his back; the verse says “do not wear…

Jerusalem Talmud Kilayim 9:1:2

(Cain) brought the remnants of his meal of roasted grain, (and) the seed of flax, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his sheep, and of their fat, he-lambs, which had not been shorn of their wool. The offering of || Cain was precluded, and the offering of Abel was acceptable, as it is said, "And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering" (Gen. 4:4). Rabbi Joshua ben Ḳorchah said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Heaven forbid ! Never let the offerings of Cain and Abel be mixed up (with one another), even in the weaving of a garment, as it is said…

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 21:5-6

OF TWO KINDS. The transmitters of tradition said that the word shatnez (two kinds) is made up of three words. It may come from a five-letter root. The meaning of shatnez is “mixed.” It is a noun which stands alone in Scripture.

Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 19:19:3

לא תלבש שעטנז, “do not wear a garment consisting of wool and linen intertwined.” The reason for this prohibition is that the dividing curtain in the Temple was made of a mixture of fine linen and wool dyed blue. G–d did not want Jews to wear something symbolising that dividing curtain behind which was the Holy Ark from the lid of which the voice of G–d could be heard. (by Moses) The same warning not to duplicate such sacred combinations was issued to the people in connection with the ingredients and quantities of the spices in the k’toret, incense to be offered up twice daily…

Da'at Zekenim on Deuteronomy 22:11:1

ובגד כלאים, “and a garment made of two kinds of fabrics mixed together;” according to some commentators (B’chor Shor) the reason behind this prohibition is to distinguish the garments worn by the priests from those worn by ordinary Israelites, the priests having been specifically ordered to wear some garments containing a mixture of wool and linen (as mentioned already in the Talmud tractate Yevamot folio 4. It is stated there that the word שש in the Torah refers to a type of linen, whereas the word תכלת refers to wool dyed blue)…

Chizkuni, Leviticus 19:19:3

And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground (Gen. 4:3). The process of time (lit. “end of days”) may imply either the end of a year, the end of two years, after a certain number of days, or after forty years. Our sages, of blessed memory, said that Cain and Abel were forty years old when Cain brought of the fruit of the ground. What did he bring as his offering? He brought only the leftovers of his meal. However, the rabbis maintained that Cain brought flaxseed…

Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit 9:1

And if you say that with regard to the prohibition of diverse kinds only wearing or placing the garment upon oneself is prohibited, but spreading them out and lying upon them on is permitted, and as such it should be permitted for the priests to sleep upon their vestments, this is incorrect. As, wasn’t it taught in a baraita that the verse states: “Neither shall there come upon you a garment of diverse kinds”(Leviticus 19:19), which implies: But you are permitted to spread it beneath you to lie upon…