Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim Siman 15

Siman 15

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א מֻתָּר לְהַתִּיר צִיצִיּוֹת מִטַּלִּית זֶה וְלִתְּנָם בְּטַלִּית אַחֵר אֲבָל שֶׁלֹּא לְהַנִּיחָם בְּבֶגֶד אַחֵר לֹא: הַגָּה: וְדַוְקָא בְּטַלִּית שֶׁל בַּר חִיּוּבָא אֲבָל מֻתָּר לְהַתִּיר צִיצִית מִטַּלִּית שֶׁל מֵתִים (מָרְדְּכַי וְתוס' פֶּרֶק ב"מ דַּף כ"ב).
1 If One Is Allowed To Untie ציצית From One Garment [And Transfer It] To Another, and The Laws Of [What To Do If] One's טלית Ripped, Containing 6 Se'ifim One is allowed to untie ציצית from one טלית and to place them on another טלית; however, [to untie them] without placing them on another garment, that is not allowed. Rema: And this [prohibition of untying ציצית] applies specifically to a טלית [that belongs to] one who is obligated [to wear it], but it is permitted to untie the ציצית from a טלית of a dead person [without needing to place them on another garment.] (See Mordechi and Tosafot Shabbat 22a).
ב אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִקַּח הַכָּנָף כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא עִם הַצִּיצִית וּלְתָפְרוֹ בְּבֶגֶד אַחֵר מִשּׁוּם דְּעַל כַּנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם בָּעֵינָן וְכָנָף זֶה לֹא הָיָה מִבֶּגֶד זֶה בִּשְׁעַת עֲשִׂיָּה.
2 One may not take the [detached] corner [of a garment] as it is, with the ציצית [still attached], and to sew it onto another garment, because it needs to be "...on the corner of their garments..." (Numbers 15:38), and this corner [that is being sewed on] was not part of this garment [that it's being sewed on to] when it was made.
ג טַלִּית מְצֻיֶּצֶת כְּהִלְכָתָהּ שֶׁחִלְּקוּהָ לִשְׁתַּיִם וּבְכָל חֵלֶק יֵשׁ בּוֹ כְּשִׁעוּר לְהִתְעַטֵּף, וְנִשְׁאַר לְכָל אַחַת מֵהֶם צִיצִית אַחַת אוֹ שְׁתַּיִם, אֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם תַּעֲשֶׂה וְלֹא מִן הֶעָשׂוּי.
3 A טלית that had ציצית on it in accordance with the law, that was split into two, and each part has [at least] the [minimum] measurement [of garment] to wrap oneself with it (ie. it's large enough to be obligated in ציצית), and there remained, on each one of the parts, ציצית on 1 or 2 [of the corners], there is no concern for [the invalidation of] "You shall make it, and not from that which is [already] made".
ד נִקְרַע הַטַּלִּית תּוֹךְ ג' אֶצְבָּעוֹת סָמוּךְ לִשְׂפַת הַכָּנָף, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְתָפְרוֹ, וּפֵרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י דְּחַיְישִׁינָן שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּיֵּר מֵחוּט הַתְּפִירָה וְיַנִּיחֶנּוּ וְיוֹסִיף עָלָיו שִׁבְעָה חוּטִין לְשֵׁם צִיצִית, וּלְטַעַם זֶה אֲפִלּוּ נִקְרַע כָּל שֶׁהוּא לֹא יִתְפֹּר. וּלְפִי זֶה טַלִּית שֶׁל צֶמֶר שֶׁנִּקְרְעָה תּוֹךְ שְׁלֹשָׁה מֻתָּר לִתְפֹּר הָאִדָּנָא דְּאֵין דֶּרֶךְ לִתְפֹּר בִּחוּטֵי צֶמֶר, וְרַב עַמְרָם פֵּרֵשׁ דְּטַעֲמָא מִשּׁוּם דְּנִקְרַע תּוֹךְ שְׁלֹשָׁה לֵית בֵּיהּ תּוֹרַת בֶּגֶד, וּכְמָאן דְּלֵיתֵיהּ דְּמֵי וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּתַפְרֵיהּ כְּמָאן דְּפָסִיק חָשׁוּב וְאִי עָבִיד בֵּיהּ צִיצִית לֹא פְּטָרָהּ לַטַּלִּית, וּלְפֵרוּשׁ זֶה אִם נִקְרַע וְנִשְׁתַּיֵּר כָּל שֶׁהוּא כָּשֵׁר, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דִּלְרַב עַמְרָם לֹא נִפְסַל אֶלָּא צִיצִית שֶׁהָיוּ בּוֹ בְּעֵת שֶׁתְּפָרוֹ, אֲבָל אִם אַחַר שֶׁתְּפָרוֹ הֵטִיל בּוֹ צִיצִית כָּשֵׁר, וִירֵא שָׁמַיִם יֵצֵא אֶת כֻּלָּם הֵיכָא דְּאֶפְשָׁר.
4 If the טלית tore within 3 fingerbreadths near the edge of the corner, one is not permitted to sew it back up. And the explanation of Rashi is that we're worried that there will be left over from the sewing thread, and he will leave it there [hanging off of the corner] and he will add on to it 7 more strings for the sake of ציצית. And according to this reasoning, even if [the corner] was torn any amount, one may not sew it up. And according to this, a wool טלית that tore within 3 [fingerbreadths] - it is permitted to sew it up nowadays, since it's not the normal way to sew with wool thread. And Rav Amram explains that the reason [one may not sew up the טלית] is because when it tears within 3 [fingerbreadths], it (the torn corner) is not considered a garment, and it's like it's not there, and even if he sewed it back on, it is considered like it's detached, and if one were to make ציצית for it, it would not exempt the טלית [from needing ציצית]. And according to this explanation, if it tore and there remained any part at all [attached to the טלית], it is valid. And there are those that say that according to Rav Amram, only ציצית that were on it at the time that he sewed it back on are invalid; but if after he sewed it, he placed ציצית on it, it is valid. And a G-d fearing person complies with all of [the opinions] where it's possible.
ה אִם נִקְרַע מִנֶּקֶב שֶׁהַצִּיצִית תָּלוּי בּוֹ וּלְמַטָּה אִם קָדַם הֲטָלַת צִיצִית לַקֶּרַע שֶׁאוֹתוֹ צִיצִית הָיָה שָׁם בִּשְׁעַת הַקֶּרַע, כָּשֵׁר, וְאִם נִקְרַע וְנִשְׁתַּיֵּר מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל שֶׁהוּא וּתְפָרוֹ. וְאַחַר כָּךְ הֵטִיל בּוֹ צִיצִית, אִם הוּא שֶׁל צֶמֶר כָּשֵׁר לְכֻלֵּי עָלְמָא, וְאִם הוּא שֶׁל שְׁאָר מִינִים שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ לִתְפֹּר בַּחוּטִין שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ הַמִּין, לֹא יִתְפֹּר לְדַעַת רַשִׁ"י, וְאִם נִקְרַע וּתְפָרוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הֵטִיל בּוֹ צִיצִית אִכָּא לְסַפּוּקֵי.
5 If it tore from the hole that the ציצית hang from downward: If the ציצית were put on [the garment] before the tear, so that those ציצית were there at the time of the tear, it is valid. And if it tore and there remained a little bit [of the garment untorn] and he sewed it up, and afterwards he put ציצית on it: If it (the ציצית) is of wool, then it is valid according to all opinions; and if it is of other materials that it's the normal way to sew with threads of those materials, he should not sew it, according to Rashi. And if it tore and he sewed it up and afterwards he put ציצית on it, it is questionable [if that is valid].
ו הַתּוֹפֵר חֲתִיכַת בֶּגֶד בְּכַנְפֵי הַטַּלִּית, וְכֵן מַה שֶּׁנּוֹהֲגִים לִתְפֹּר סְבִיב הַנֶּקֶב שֶׁהַצִּיצִית בּוֹ, אִם הַטַּלִּית שֶׁל מֶשִׁי וּתְפָרוֹ בְּחוּט מֶשִׁי לָבָן, יֵשׁ לָחוּשׁ בַּדָּבָר לְדַעַת רַשִׁ"י שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא שׁוּם תְּפִירָה לְמַטָּה מִג' וּלְמַעְלָה מִקֶּשֶׁר גּוּדָל: הַגָּה: וה"ה בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁתּוֹפֵר בְּחוּט שֶׁהוּא מִין הַצִּיצִית דְּחַיְישִׁינָן שֶׁמָּא יִקַּח אוֹתוֹ חוּט לְחוּטֵי הַצִּיצִית (ת"ה סי' מ"ו בְּשֵׁם הַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי):
6 One who sews a piece of cloth on the corners of a טלית, and so too that which we are accustomed to sew around the hole that the ציצית are in - if the טלית is made from silk and he sews with a thread of white silk, one should be concerned regarding this according to the opinion of Rashi, that there shouldn't be any sewing below 3 [fingerbreadths from the edge of the טלית] and above the [measurement from] the knuckle of the thumb [until the nail from the edge of the טלית]. Rema: And the same applies in any place that one sews with a thread that is the same material as the ציצית since we're worried that maybe he'll take that thread [to be used] for the strings of the ציצית (Trumat Hadeshen - siman 46 in the name of the Hagahot Maimoni).
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