Tzitzis as gathering creation into oneness

בפרשת ציצית על כנפי בגדיהם.

Regarding the parsha of tzitzis, "upon the corners (kanfei) of their garments."

The Sefas Emes opens on the mitzvah of tzitzis, which is placed on the "wings" or corners of one's clothing, a hint he will develop around the theme of kanaf (wing/corner) and gathering.

וענין עטיפת הטלית להתאחד בשורש האחדות.

The matter of wrapping oneself in the tallis is to become unified in the root of oneness.

Donning the tallis is an act of reconnecting to the source of all unity, drawing oneself back to Hashem who is One.

ובזוה"ק מביא הפסוק מכנף הארץ זמירות שמענו ע"ש.

And in the Zohar HaKadosh he brings the pasuk, "From the corner of the earth (mi'kenaf ha'aretz) we have heard songs" (Yeshayahu 24:16); see there.

The Zohar links the word kanaf (wing/corner) to song, connecting the tzitzis to the praise that arises when all things are gathered to their source.

ואיתא בתוספת סנהדרין ל"ז ב' דכתיב שש כנפים בחיות ובכל יום אומרים שירה בכנף אחד ובשבת אומרים אין לנו עוד כנף ואומר הקב"ה יש לי כנף אחד בארץ ע"ש.

And it is brought in Tosafos, Sanhedrin 37b, that it is written the chayos (heavenly creatures) have six wings, and each day they sing shirah with one wing, but on Shabbos they say, "We have no more wings," and Hashem says, "I have one wing on the earth"; see there.

The angels exhaust their six wings of song over the six weekdays; on Shabbos the "seventh wing" of song comes from the earth below, that is, from Bnei Yisrael, the kanaf in this world.

ויראה שזה ענין מזמור שיר ליום השבת טוב להודות כי השיר הוא ע"י התאחדות.

And it appears that this is the meaning of "A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbos… it is good to give thanks" (Tehillim 92), for the song comes about through unification.

Shabbos is uniquely the day of song precisely because song flows from unity, and Shabbos is the day on which all creation is rejoined to its root.

וזאת האחדות אינו בנמצא בעלמא דפרודא דא רק לבנ"י ניתן זה האחדות בנפש.

And this oneness is not found in this world of separation; only to Bnei Yisrael was this unity given in the soul.

The physical world is by nature a realm of fragmentation, but the Jewish neshamah carries within it the capacity for unity that does not exist anywhere else in creation.

וכמו כן בימים נמצא בשבת קודש התאחדות ברזא דאחד כדאיתא בזוה"ק.

And likewise among the days, in Shabbos Kodesh there is found unification through the secret of "One" (raza d'echad), as is brought in the Zohar HaKadosh.

Just as Bnei Yisrael are the point of unity among the nations, Shabbos is the point of unity among the days, the day that draws all the weekdays into oneness.

ובעולם הוא בא"י ובהמ"ק ותרגום יונתן מכנף הארץ מארעא דישראל ע"ש.

And in the world it is Eretz Yisrael and the Bais Hamikdash; and Targum Yonasan renders "mi'kenaf ha'aretz" as "from the land of Yisrael"; see there.

The point of unity in space is Eretz Yisrael and the Mikdash, which Targum Yonasan identifies as the very "corner of the earth" from which song ascends.

כי הוא מקום הכולל כל המקומות ונק' מכנף הארץ.

For it is the place that includes all places, and it is called "the corner of the earth."

Eretz Yisrael is the all-encompassing place, the center from which every other location draws its vitality, and so it is the "wing" that gathers the whole world.

ומכח זה הי' השיר בביהמ"ק.

And by virtue of this, the song was in the Bais Hamikdash.

Because the Mikdash is the gathering-point of all places, it became the source of shirah, the Leviim's song that united all of creation.

וכמו כן בש"ק שמתאחד כל הבריאה לכן טוב להודות לה'.

And likewise on Shabbos Kodesh, when all of creation is unified, therefore "it is good to give thanks to Hashem."

On Shabbos, when everything is rejoined to its root, the natural response is thanksgiving and song, "tov l'hodos."

ולבנ"י ניתן זה הכח להתעטף ולקבץ כל הכנפות.

And to Bnei Yisrael was given this power to wrap oneself and to gather in all the corners (kanfos).

Through the tallis, a Jew is empowered to gather the scattered "corners" — the dispersed sparks and dimensions of the world — back into unity.

וע"ז מבקשין וקבצנו מארבע כנפות כדפרש"י ד' כנפות רומז לד' לשונות של גאולה.

And concerning this we pray, "and gather us from the four corners," as Rashi explains that the four corners hint to the four expressions of geulah.

The four corners of the tzitzis correspond to the four languages of redemption, so the garment itself becomes a prayer for the gathering of the exiles.

פי' דכתיב כארבע רוחות השמים פרשתי אתכם שבנ"י נשתלחו בכל המקומות לאסוף ולקבץ על ידיהם כל הניצוצות להחזירם אל השורש.

The explanation is that it is written, "For like the four winds of heaven I have spread you out" (Zechariah 2:10), for Bnei Yisrael were sent to all places in order to collect and gather through themselves all the nitzotzos (holy sparks) and return them to the root.

The galus is not punishment alone but a shlichus (mission): Bnei Yisrael are scattered to every corner of the world precisely so they can gather the holy sparks hidden everywhere and restore them to their source.

וע"י מצות הציצית יכול איש ישראל להכניס עצמו לכלל האחדות.

And through the mitzvah of tzitzis a Jew is able to bring himself into the whole of unity.

The tzitzis is the practical means by which a person enters the collective oneness and binds himself to the source.

ולכן כתיב בציצית לדורותם כי בכ"מ שהם נדחים מ"מ מצוה זו מסייע שלא להיות נפרד מן השורש.

And therefore it is written regarding tzitzis "for their generations" (l'dorosam), for in every place to which they are driven, nevertheless this mitzvah assists them not to be separated from the root.

Tzitzis is "for all generations" because wherever Bnei Yisrael are exiled, this mitzvah keeps them tethered to Hashem and prevents them from becoming cut off from their source.

וכשאדם מתעטף בטלית מצויצת. הוא כאלו נפרש ומובדל מזה העולם שהיא פריסת סוכת שלום שהקב"ה נתן לנו להבדילנו מן התועים ולחסות בצל הקודש.

And when a person wraps himself in a tallis with tzitzis, it is as if he is set apart and separated from this world, for it is the spreading of the "sukkah of peace" (sukkas shalom) that Hashem gave us to separate us from those who stray and to take shelter in the shade of holiness.

The tallis is like a canopy of peace that separates a Jew from the errant world and draws him under the protective shade of the kedushah.

כי באמת כפי מה שנבדלין בנ"י מעוה"ז כך יכולין לכנוס בצלו ית'.

For in truth, according to how much Bnei Yisrael separate themselves from this world, so too can they enter into His shade, may He be blessed.

The measure of separation from worldliness is the measure of one's ability to dwell in the Divine shade — the more one withdraws from olam hazeh, the deeper one can enter Hashem's shelter.

וכתי' בצלו חמדתי וישבתי.

And it is written, "In His shade I delighted and I sat" (Shir HaShirim 2:3).

The pasuk expresses the longing of Bnei Yisrael to take refuge in the shade of Hashem and to dwell there.

ודרשו חז"ל תפוח אין לו צל ולכן ברחו כל האומות מלחסות בצלו ית' ובנ"י בצלו חמדתי כו'.

And Chazal expounded that the apple tree (tapuach) casts no shade, and therefore all the nations fled from sheltering in His shade, may He be blessed, but Bnei Yisrael said, "In His shade I delighted," etc.

Like an apple tree that gives little shade, Hashem's "shade" demands self-nullification that the nations refused; only Bnei Yisrael desired to take refuge there despite the surrender it requires.

והנה בעוה"ז נסתר כחו ית'. והגשמיות והטבע הוא נגלה.

And behold, in this world His power, may He be blessed, is hidden, while the physicality and nature are revealed.

The ordinary state of olam hazeh is that the Divine vitality is concealed and only the surface of nature is visible.

אבל כשבנ"י זוכין שיתגלה הצל הקודש ממילא מתבטל הנהגת כל הטבע והגשמיות.

But when Bnei Yisrael merit that the holy shade is revealed, automatically the whole governance of nature and physicality is nullified.

When the holy "shade" of Hashem's presence breaks through, the rule of mere nature dissolves on its own, for nature has no independent existence before the revealed Divine.

וז"ש כלב אך בה' אל תמרודו כו' סר צלם מעליהם וה' אתנו.

And this is what Kalev said: "Only do not rebel against Hashem… their shade (tzilam) has departed from them, and Hashem is with us" (Bamidbar 14:9).

Kalev reassured Bnei Yisrael that the "shade," the protective power, of the Canaanite nations had already departed, since their shade is not rooted in Hashem and therefore can be removed.

פי' כי כל זה הצל שנמצא להם. בידינו להסיר מהם.

The explanation is that all this shade that they have, it is in our hands to remove from them.

The seeming strength of the nations is only a borrowed "shade," and Bnei Yisrael have the power to strip it away when they cling to the true source.

וז"ש כי לחמנו הם בידנא מסירין אינון כו'.

And this is the meaning of "for they are our bread" — it is in our hands to remove them, etc.

"They are our bread" means their power is ours to consume and remove; their hold over the world is not their own but is subject to Bnei Yisrael's avodah.

וגם זה אמת כי הצללים הללו אשר לא לה' המה. הם מכסים שלא יוכל להתגלות הצל הקודש.

And this too is true: that these shades which are not Hashem's, they cover over so that the holy shade cannot be revealed.

The false "shades" of the worldly powers act as a screen, blocking the revelation of Hashem's true protective shade.

לכן צריכין בנ"י להיבדל מהם. ואז זוכין להתגלות צלא דמהימנותא.

Therefore Bnei Yisrael must separate themselves from them, and then they merit the revelation of the "shade of faith" (tzila d'mehemnusa).

By withdrawing from the false shelters of the world, Bnei Yisrael uncover the true "shade of emunah" — the protective canopy of trusting in Hashem alone.

ולכן מסר לנו השי"ת מצות שנוכל להיסתר ולהיבדל מעלמא דחשוכא.

And therefore Hashem Yisbarach handed us mitzvos, that we might be able to conceal ourselves and separate from the world of darkness (alma d'chashucha).

The mitzvos — and tzitzis foremost among them — are the means Hashem gave us to take shelter and set ourselves apart from the darkened, fragmented world.

וכ' ולא תתורו כו' למען תזכרו.

And it is written, "and you shall not stray (v'lo sasuru)… in order that you may remember" (Bamidbar 15:39-40).

The Torah pairs the warning not to stray after the heart and eyes with the goal of remembering the mitzvos, for the two are inseparable.

שמטעם זה ישמור האדם עצמו מלתור אחר לבו ועיניו מאחר שדברים הללו משכחין להאדם את מצות ה':

For this very reason a person should guard himself from straying after his heart and his eyes, since these things cause a person to forget the mitzvos of Hashem.

Following the pull of heart and eyes scatters a person back into the world of separation and makes him forget the mitzvos; guarding the eyes is therefore the way to preserve the unity that tzitzis represents.

Summary: The tzitzis on the "corners" of the garment embody the power given uniquely to Bnei Yisrael to gather the scattered "wings" of creation back into the root of oneness. Like Shabbos among the days and Eretz Yisrael among places, a Jew wrapped in his tallis takes shelter in the holy "shade" of emunah, separating from the world of darkness and the false shades of the nations, so that the concealed power of Hashem can be revealed.