Bamidbar Rabbah turns to The Sky-Blue Thread and the Weight of Mitzvot.
As it says in (Psalms 97:11), “Light is sown for the righteous…” Bamidbar Rabbah understands this to mean that God, in His righteousness, "sowed" the Torah and the mitzvot (commandments) into the world. Think of it like this: God didn't leave any area of our lives untouched by the potential for sacred action. The goal is to elevate the mundane.
The text then gives a whirlwind tour of different commandments, highlighting how they touch upon virtually every aspect of life. From the agricultural laws – "do not plow with an ox and a donkey" (Deuteronomy 22:10); "Do not sow your vineyard [diverse kinds]" (Deuteronomy 22:9); to the ethical treatment of animals – sending away the mother bird from the nest (Deuteronomy 22:6–7); to how we build our homes – "you shall make a parapet for your roof" (Deuteronomy 22:8); "you shall write them on the doorposts" (Deuteronomy 6:9). It’s a comprehensive system designed to infuse every moment with meaning. Even in something as simple as getting dressed – "clothing oneself with a garment – 'they shall prepare for themselves a fringe.'"
It's not just about following rules. The tzitzit themselves are symbolic. The passage emphasizes that the tzitzit should be made from new strings, not just scraps from the garment itself. There’s intention in the act of creation. And the techelet, that sky-blue thread? Rabbi Meir, quoted in the text, explains that this color is special because it resembles the firmament, which in turn resembles the Throne of Glory. It's a visual reminder of something much bigger than ourselves.
Unfortunately, we no longer know with certainty how to create the correct dye for techelet, so today, most tzitzit are all white. But the symbolism remains potent.
The passage quotes (Numbers 15:39), in which we read, “It shall be for you a fringe, and you shall see it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord and perform them, and you shall not rove after your heart and after your eyes, after which you stray.” The fringes aren’t just decoration; they're a call to action. They’re meant to be seen, to be remembered, and to inspire us to perform God's commandments.
There's even a debate about the precise measurements of the tzitzit, with Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel offering slightly different opinions. Beit Shammai say the fringes should be four fingerbreadths, and Beit Hillel say three. As well, Beit Shammai say there must be four strings, whereas Beit Hillel say three. These details highlight the depth of thought and discussion that went into understanding these commandments.
And what about someone who can't see? The text anticipates this question, noting that the verse includes both "seeing" and "remembering." Even if you can't physically see the tzitzit, the act of remembering them, of knowing they are there, is enough. It's about internalizing the commitment to a life of mitzvot.
The passage then makes a profound connection: "And you shall see it [oto]" – oto but not ota. The text uses a masculine pronoun, not a feminine one. Since tzitzit is a feminine noun, the text is suggesting that what we are really seeing when we look at the tzitzit is the Throne of Glory itself. Wow.
The text concludes with a powerful analogy. Imagine a homeowner carefully weighing, paying taxes, and keeping receipts. His father tells him, "My son, be careful with the receipts, as your life is subject to it." Similarly, God tells us, "For it is not an empty thing for you, as it is your life…" (Deuteronomy 32:47). The mitzvot, like those receipts, are not just meaningless tasks. They are the very fabric of our lives, the key to a life of meaning and connection to the Divine.
So, the next time you see someone wearing tzitzit, or the next time you encounter any Jewish law, remember that it’s not just a rule. It’s an invitation to connect with something bigger than yourself, to elevate the mundane, and to live a life filled with purpose and meaning. It's a reminder that every action, no matter how small, has the potential to be holy.
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, and they shall prepare for themselves a fringe on the corners of their garments for their generations, and they shall put on the fringe of the corner a sky blue thread” (Numbers 15:38). “They shall prepare for themselves a fringe” – that is what is written: “Light is sown for the righteous…” (Psalms 97:11). “The Lord desired because of his righteousness” (Isaiah 42:21) – the Holy One blessed be He sowed the Torah and the mitzvot in order to bequeath to Israel life in the World to Come. He did not leave any matter in this world for which He did not give a mitzva to Israel. One goes out to plow – “do not plow with an ox and a donkey” (Deuteronomy 22:10); to sow – “Do not sow your vineyard [diverse kinds]” (Deuteronomy 22:9); to reap – “when you reap your harvest in your field, [and you forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not return to take it]” (Deuteronomy 24:19); kneading – “the first of your kneading, ḥalla” (Numbers 15:20); slaughtering – “he shall give the priest the foreleg, the jaw, [and the maw]” (Deuteronomy 18:3); a bird’s nest – sending away [the mother bird] from the nest;18See Deuteronomy 22:6–7. undomesticated animals and birds – “he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust” (Leviticus 17:13); planting – “you shall seal its fruit”19The fruit that grows during the first three years after a tree is planted may not be used. (Leviticus 19:23); burying the dead – “you shall not cut yourselves” (Deuteronomy 14:1); cutting hair – “you shall not round [the edge of your head]” (Leviticus 19:27); building a house – “you shall make a parapet for your roof” (Deuteronomy 22:8), “you shall write them on the doorposts” (Deuteronomy 6:9); clothing oneself with a garment – “they shall prepare for themselves a fringe.” “They shall prepare for themselves” – not from what has already been prepared; that one should not take out strings and prepare it from them, but rather, the mitzva is to bring white and sky blue and prepare.20One should not use strings that have been left hanging at the edge of the clothing itself for the fringes. One should bring other strings and tie them as fringes. When? When there is sky blue; however, now, we have only white, as the sky blue has been sequestered. “On the corners” – not in the middle, but only on the corner; “a thread [petil]” – one is required to twine them [lefotelan]. Rabbi Meir said: In what way is sky blue different from all sorts of colors? It is that sky blue is similar to the firmament, and the firmament is similar to the Throne of Glory, as it is stated: “They saw the God of Israel [and under His feet was like a configuration of sapphire brick and like the very heavens in purity]” (Exodus 24:10).21Sky blue is similar to the color of a sapphire brick, and in Ezekiel 1:26 the throne of God is described as having the appearance of a sapphire brick. “It shall be for you a fringe, and you shall see it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord and perform them, and you shall not rove after your heart and after your eyes, after which you stray” (Numbers 15:39). “So that you will remember, and perform all My commandments, and be holy to your God” (Numbers 15:40). “It shall be for you a fringe” – that it should be seen. How much is its measure? Beit Shammai say: Four fingerbreadths, and Beit Hillel say: Three. How many strings? Beit Shammai say: Four, and Beit Hillel say: Three. “And you shall see it” – to the exclusion of a night garment. Or, is it only to the exclusion of a blind man? It then says: “So that you will remember” – it gave seeing and it gave remembering; remembering for one who cannot see, seeing for one who sees. “And you shall see it [oto]” – oto but not ota,22Masculine, nor feminine; had the reference been to the fringe [tzitzit], it would have been feminine. Therefore it must refer to the Throne of Glory; that is what you see when you look at the tzitzit. if you do so, it is as though you see the Throne of Glory, that is similar to sky blue. “And you shall see it, and remember” – vision engenders memory, memory engenders action, as it is stated: “So that you will remember, and perform” (Numbers 15:40). Why? “For it is not an empty thing for you” (Deuteronomy 32:47). This is analogous to a homeowner who was weighing and paying taxes and writing receipts. His father said to him: ‘My son, be careful with the receipts, as your life is subject to it.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: “For it is not an empty thing for you, as it is your life…” (Deuteronomy 32:47).
