Tzitzis, tefillin, and the world of emunah

בפרשת ציצית.

On the passage of tzitzis.

The Sefas Emes opens on the section of tzitzis at the end of Parshas Shlach.

איתא בגמ' בכל עת יהיו בגדיך לבנים זה ציצית ושמן על ראשך אל יחסר תפילין.

It is taught in the Gemara: "At all times let your garments be white" (Koheles 9:8) — this refers to tzitzis; "and let oil not be lacking upon your head" — this refers to tefillin.

The Gemara reads the verse from Koheles as alluding to two mitzvos: white garments hint at tzitzis, and oil on the head hints at tefillin.

דהנה מצות ציצית הוא תיקון הגוף רמ"ח ושס"ה וכשנתקן הגוף שהוא נר מצוה יכולין לקבל אור תורה והוא רמז התפילין שהוא הארת הנשמה.

For behold, the mitzvah of tzitzis is the rectification of the body — its 248 [limbs] and 365 [sinews] — and when the body, which is "the lamp of the mitzvah" (ner mitzvah), is rectified, one can receive the "light of Torah" (ohr Torah); this is the allusion of tefillin, which is the illumination of the neshamah.

The numerical value of tzitzis with its knots and threads equals 613, corresponding to the body's 248 limbs and 365 sinews. Tzitzis refines the body (the "ner mitzvah"), readying it to receive the light of Torah, which is tefillin — the radiance of the soul. As the verse continues, "for a mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is light" (Mishlei 6:23).

וענין הציצית על כנפי בגדיהם.

And the matter of the tzitzis being "upon the corners (kanfei) of their garments" (Bamidbar 15:38).

The Sefas Emes now turns to the significance of placing the tzitzis specifically on the "corners" of one's garment.

הוא כמ"ש בספרי מי שמבטל מצות ציצית עליו כתיב לאחוז בכנפות הארץ וינערו רשעים ממנה.

It is as stated in the Sifri: concerning one who nullifies the mitzvah of tzitzis, it is written, "to grasp the corners (kanfos) of the earth, that the wicked be shaken out of it" (Iyov 38:13).

The Sifri links the "corners" (kanfos) of the tzitzis to the "corners of the earth": one who neglects tzitzis is among the resha'im who will be shaken off the earth's corners.

ומי שמקיים מצות ציצית עליו יתקיים יחזיקו עשרה אנשים כו' בכנף איש יהודי וכ"ה בגמ' דשבת.

And concerning one who fulfills the mitzvah of tzitzis, in him is fulfilled "ten men shall grasp… the corner (kanaf) of a Jewish man" (Zechariah 8:23) — and so it is in the Gemara of Shabbos.

By contrast, one who keeps tzitzis merits the verse in Zechariah about the nations grasping the "corner" of a Jew — the same word kanaf — to be led toward Hashem.

והענין הוא כי כל העוה"ז יש לו התקשרות בשורש העליון דכ' ה' בחכמה יסד ארץ.

And the matter is that all of this world has a connection to its supernal root, as it is written, "Hashem founded the earth with wisdom (chochmah)" (Mishlei 3:19).

Everything in the physical world is bound to its higher source above, for the earth was founded upon Divine chochmah.

כולם בחכמה עשית.

"You made them all with wisdom" (Tehillim 104:24).

All of creation, in every detail, was fashioned through that same Divine wisdom.

פי' שכל מיני גשמיות השי"ת תלה יסודם בחכמה ומתפשט לל"ב נתיבות.

The meaning is that Hashem suspended the foundation of all kinds of physicality in chochmah, which then spreads out into the "32 pathways" (32 nesivos [of wisdom]).

The root of all material existence is hidden in Divine wisdom, which unfolds through the thirty-two pathways of chochmah described in Sefer Yetzirah.

וזה רמז הל"ב חוטים שבציצית.

And this is the allusion of the 32 threads in the tzitzis.

The thirty-two strands of the tzitzis (eight on each of four corners) correspond to these thirty-two pathways of wisdom.

והכ"ח לבנים הם רמז לכ"ח עתים דכ' לכל זמן ועת כו' כ"ח עתים ומיני השתנות שנמצא בהנהגת העולם.

And the 28 white [threads] allude to the 28 "times" (itim), as it is written, "to everything there is a season, and a time…" (Koheles 3:1) — 28 times and modes of change found in the governance of the world.

The twenty-eight white thread-segments correspond to the twenty-eight "times" enumerated in Koheles ("a time to be born, a time to die," etc.) — the full range of changing conditions through which Hashem runs the world.

וכולם כלולים בד' כנפות שהם רמז הד' תכלת הם השרשים ד' שמתפשט מהם כ"ח חלוקות.

And they are all included within the four corners, which allude [to the four roots]; the four [threads] of techeiles are the four roots from which the 28 divisions spread forth.

The twenty-eight times are gathered into four corners. The four techeiles threads represent four fundamental roots, and from these four the twenty-eight changing "times" branch out (4 × 7 = 28).

ובנ"י צריכין להעלות כל העתים להדביקם בשורש האחדות והכל ע"י התורה שהיא למעלה מן השמים.

And Bnei Yisrael must elevate all the "times" to bind them to the root of unity (shoresh ha-achdus), and all this is through the Torah, which is above the heavens.

The avodah of Bnei Yisrael is to lift all the varied times and conditions of the world and reconnect them to their single, unified Source — accomplished through the Torah, which transcends the natural order ("above the heavens").

והתפשטות העתים הם תחת השמים.

And the spreading-out of the "times" is beneath the heavens.

The multiplicity of changing times belongs to the natural realm "beneath the heavens," in contrast to the unifying Torah above.

וכתיב ואשים דברי בפיך שהוא התורה לנטוע שמים.

And it is written, "and I placed My words in your mouth" (Yeshayahu 51:16) — this is the Torah — "to plant the heavens."

The Torah placed in the mouth of Bnei Yisrael is the instrument "to plant the heavens" — the higher, unifying work above nature.

ובצל ידי כסיתך הוא ליסוד ארץ שגם תיקון התחתונים נמסרו לבנ"י והוא כמ"ש במ"א בענין שפתח התורה בבראשית משום כח מעשיו הגיד שהוא הכ"ח עתים הנ"ל.

And "in the shadow of My hand I covered you" (continuation of the verse) — this refers "to found the earth," for the rectification of the lower realms was also entrusted to Bnei Yisrael; and this is as we explained elsewhere regarding [Rashi's teaching] that the Torah opened with "Bereishis" because of "the power of His deeds (koach ma'asav) He declared to His people" (Tehillim 111:6) — which is the aforementioned "28 (kof-ches) times."

The same verse continues "to found the earth," meaning Bnei Yisrael are entrusted not only with the heavens but also with refining the lower, earthly realm. The Sefas Emes finds a hint in "koach (כ״ח) ma'asav" — the letters kaf-ches spell 28, the very count of the "times" — linking Rashi's reason for beginning the Torah with creation to this theme.

ולכן ניתן לבנ"י מצות ציצית להראות שכל העולם נקשר בשורש שלמעלה מהטבע.

Therefore the mitzvah of tzitzis was given to Bnei Yisrael, to show that the whole world is bound to a root above nature.

Tzitzis, with its four corners and thirty-two threads, is the visible sign that all the world's diversity is tied back to a single supernatural root.

דאיתא במדרש בראשית הן אלה קצות דרכיו מה שאתה רואה בעוה"ז הכל רק קצות דרכיו ע"ש.

For it is taught in Midrash Bereishis on "behold, these are but the edges (ketzos) of His ways" (Iyov 26:14) — whatever you see in this world is only the "edges of His ways" — see there.

The Midrash teaches that everything visible in this world is merely the outermost "edges" of Hashem's ways; the true essence remains hidden in the supernal root.

לכן יש כנפות הארץ שבהם מתחבר העולם בשורש העליון.

Therefore there are "corners of the earth" (kanfos ha-aretz) through which the world is joined to its supernal root.

These "edges/corners" of the world are precisely the points of connection where creation links back upward — paralleling the corners (kanfos) of the garment that bear the tzitzis.

ולכן לעתיד לבוא לאחוז בכנפות כו' ואין לרשעים מקום.

Therefore in the future, "to grasp the corners [of the earth, that the wicked be shaken out of it]" — and the wicked have no place there.

In the future, Hashem will "grasp the corners of the earth" — those very points of connection to Him — and the resha'im, who denied that connection, will find no foothold and be shaken off.

אבל בנ"י שידעו בעוה"ז כי הכל מתקשר בשורש העליון יהי' להם אז מקום ויחזיקו עשרה אנשים כו'.

But Bnei Yisrael, who knew already in this world that everything is bound to the supernal root, will then have a place — and "ten men shall grasp…"

Bnei Yisrael, who recognized this connection during their lifetimes through mitzvos like tzitzis, will have a secure place, and the nations will grasp their "corner" to be drawn up with them.

שבזו המצוה יכולין האומות להתאחז שהוא בחי' כח מעשיו.

For through this mitzvah the nations are able to take hold — this being the aspect of "the power of His deeds" (koach ma'asav).

Tzitzis represents the rectification of the natural world ("koach ma'asav"), the realm the nations also inhabit, so it is through this dimension that even the nations can grasp on and be elevated.

ובנ"י זכו בנחלת גוים כענין שנא' וימנע מרשעים אורם.

And Bnei Yisrael merited "the inheritance of nations" (nachalas goyim), in the manner of what is said, "and from the wicked their light is withheld" (Iyov 38:15).

Because Bnei Yisrael uplift the natural world, they inherit the portion of the nations; the light the resha'im forfeit is given over to Yisrael.

ובחי' התפילין היא התורה שמיוחד רק לבנ"י לך לאות ולא לאחרים לאות.

And the aspect of tefillin is the Torah, which is unique to Bnei Yisrael alone — "a sign for you" (Shemos 13:9), and not a sign for others.

While tzitzis (the rectified body, the natural world) can include the nations, tefillin (the light of Torah, the soul) is exclusively for Bnei Yisrael — "for you," and for no one else.

וכ' וראו כו' ויראו ממך.

And it is written, "and [all the peoples of the earth] shall see… and they shall fear you" (Devarim 28:10).

Chazal teach this verse refers to the tefillin of the head: the nations see this sign of Torah upon Bnei Yisrael and are filled with awe, precisely because it is not theirs.

[ויתכן עוד לומר כי הוא כמו אש שחורה ע"ג אש לבנה.

[And it is further possible to say that this is like "black fire upon white fire."

The Sefas Emes adds an alternative angle, invoking the Midrashic image that the Torah was written as black fire upon white fire.

תפילין רצועות שחורות ע"ג טלית וציצית לבנים.

Tefillin are black straps, [worn] over a tallis and white tzitzis.

The black straps of tefillin over the white tallis and tzitzis physically embody "black fire upon white fire" — Torah (black) resting upon the refined, whitened body (white).

שמקודם צריכין ללבן הגוף להיות נתפס בו רשימת התורה (ולמה) [*וכמו] שהיו צריכין להיות במצרים בחומר ובלבנים כלשון הזוהר בליבון הלכתא ועתה ע"י הציצית שנא' בהם יציאת מצרים מתלבנים להיות מוכן לתורה כמ"ש והייתם קדושים מיוחד אליו ית'.

For first one must "whiten" the body so that the imprint of the Torah can be grasped within it — just as [Bnei Yisrael] needed to be in Mitzrayim "with mortar and with bricks (levenim)," in the language of the Zohar, "the clarifying (libun) of halachah"; and now, through the tzitzis, in which the Exodus from Mitzrayim is mentioned, they are "whitened" so as to be prepared for the Torah, as it is written, "and you shall be holy" — set apart unto Him, may He be blessed.

The body must first be "whitened" — purified — to hold the impression of Torah. The Sefas Emes plays on "levenim" (bricks) / "libun" (whitening/clarifying): the bondage in Mitzrayim was itself a process of "clarifying halachah," whitening Bnei Yisrael. Now tzitzis, whose paragraph recalls the Exodus, continues that whitening, readying a person to receive the Torah and become holy, set apart for Hashem.

והייתם הוא הויה חדשה] ולכך נסמך פרשת ציצית למעשה מרגלים כמ"ש במ"א ובדברי קדשו של אמו"ז ז"ל כי בחי' א"י הוא אמונה ע"ש באריכות.

"Vi-h'yisem" (and you shall be) implies a new existence (havayah chadashah).] And therefore the passage of tzitzis is juxtaposed to the episode of the meraglim (spies), as we explained elsewhere and as in the holy words of my grandfather, may his memory be a blessing, that the aspect of Eretz Yisrael is emunah (faith) — see there at length.

"Vi-h'yisem kedoshim" implies becoming a renewed being. The Sefas Emes connects tzitzis to the preceding sin of the spies: his grandfather (the Chiddushei HaRim) taught that the essence of Eretz Yisrael is emunah, which the spies lacked — and tzitzis, which trains this faith, is therefore placed right afterward.

שהם ב' מדריגות הנ"ל.

For these are the two levels mentioned above.

The two dimensions — Torah (tefillin) and emunah/the natural world (tzitzis) — correspond to the two levels he has been developing.

התורה שמיוחד רק לבנ"י תורת אמת.

The Torah, which is unique to Bnei Yisrael alone, is "Toras emes" (the Torah of truth).

The Torah given exclusively to Bnei Yisrael is the realm of absolute truth.

אבל הנהגת עוה"ז היא באמונה אעפ"י שאין האמת ניכר והיא עלמא דשיקרא.

But the governance of this world is through emunah, even though the truth is not [openly] discernible — for it is "alma de'shikra" (a world of falsehood).

This world, where Hashem's truth is hidden, is run on faith. It is called a "world of falsehood" because the truth is concealed, and so it must be held by emunah rather than by sight.

וז"ש אל אמונה שאלקותו ית' מתגלה בעוה"ז לפי האמונה שנמצא בבני האדם [וכ"כ וכל מעשהו באמונה פרשנו שהקב"ה מנהיג העולם לפי האמונה שנמצא בעולם הגם כי לעולם השי"ת מחי' הכל אבל הוא ע"י צמצומים וכשיש אמונה כראוי ההנהגה הוא מאתו ית' בלי התלבשות הטבע.

This is the meaning of "a faithful God (Keil emunah)" (Devarim 32:4) — that His Godliness, may He be blessed, is revealed in this world according to the measure of emunah found among human beings. [And likewise "and all His work is done in faith (be'emunah)" (Tehillim 33:4) — we explained that the Holy One conducts the world according to the emunah found in the world; for although Hashem perpetually gives life to all, this is by way of constrictions (tzimtzumim), and when there is proper emunah, the governance is from Him, may He be blessed, without the clothing of nature.

"Keil emunah" teaches that Hashem reveals His presence in the world in exact proportion to people's faith. Where there is genuine emunah, Hashem's direct providence shines through without the disguise of natural causes; where faith is weak, His presence stays hidden behind the "constrictions" of nature.

וכל לשון בת יכיל שכפי האמונה כך מודד ושוקל השי"ת להיות מתגלה הקדושה] ובנ"י בעצמם הם זרע אמת אבל צריכין לתקן עוה"ז גם בבחי' אמונה.

And every measuring-term, "a bas (a measure) can contain" — that according to the emunah, so Hashem measures and weighs out the revelation of holiness.] And Bnei Yisrael themselves are "the seed of truth" (zera emes), but they must rectify this world also through the aspect of emunah.

Hashem "measures out" revealed holiness in precise proportion to a person's faith. Though Bnei Yisrael are intrinsically "seed of truth," their task is to repair even this hidden, faith-based world — not only the world of revealed truth.

וזהו בחי' כח מעשיו הגיד כו' שלכן התחילה התורה בבראשית כמ"ש במ"א מזה שהיא בחי' תקון הטבע כדי לתת להם נחלת גוים.

And this is the aspect of "the power of His deeds He declared," which is why the Torah began with "Bereishis," as we explained elsewhere — that this is the aspect of rectifying nature, in order to give them "the inheritance of nations."

The Torah opens with creation to teach that Bnei Yisrael are charged with rectifying the natural world (the realm of emunah), and through that work they merit the inheritance of the nations.

והוא באמת עבודה גדולה ביותר שע"ז נאמר גבורי כח עושי דברו.

And this is, in truth, an exceedingly great avodah, concerning which it is said, "mighty in strength, who do His word" (Tehillim 103:20).

Rectifying the hidden world through emunah — serving Hashem where His truth is concealed — is the hardest avodah of all, demanding the "mighty in strength" praised in Tehillim.

ובזה נכשלו המרגלים כנ"ל:

And in this the meraglim (spies) failed, as above.

The spies stumbled precisely here: they could not sustain the emunah needed to enter Eretz Yisrael and rectify the natural world, lacking the strength to serve Hashem where His truth is hidden. This is why tzitzis — the training-ground of that very emunah — follows their story.

Summary: Tzitzis rectifies the body (the natural world), readying it to receive the light of Torah, which is tefillin (the soul). Its four corners and thirty-two threads signify that all the world's changing "times" are rooted in a single supernal wisdom, and the avodah of Bnei Yisrael is to elevate them back to that root of unity. Tzitzis, tied to the Exodus and the "whitening" of the body, represents the realm the nations too can grasp — the world governed by emunah, where Hashem reveals Himself in proportion to one's faith — while tefillin/Torah is the realm of truth unique to Yisrael. Rectifying the hidden, faith-based world is the supreme avodah, and it was in this very emunah that the spies failed — hence tzitzis is placed right after their story.