B"H
Parshat Shlach
It Depends On Love
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Many challenges face a person in his or her life as a Jew in the modern world. In fact, there always were challenges, even very long ago. For this reason our Sedra [1] concludes with a law which is especially intended to remind us, day by day, that we have a deep relationship with G-d. This is the law of Tzitzit, the fringes which are worn at the corners of a rectangular cloak called the Tallit, worn during the morning prayers.
The Sages explain that this law is carried out by men [2]. When a married man wears a Tallit, the kabbalists say that he is including his wife in the merit of the Mitzvah. In fact, in some communities, such as the Hasidim, a man starts wearing a large Tallit only when he gets married. However men and boys wear also a small Tallit with fringes, called in Hebrew Tallit katan.
In the time of the Temple the fringes were made of white threads and also a thread dyed deep blue with a special dye. Many centuries ago the precise nature of the blue dye was forgotten, so people today have only white threads in their Tzitizit [3].
The Torah explains that the purpose of the Tzitzit fringes is that one should see them and be reminded of all the other Mitzvot of the Torah. This reminder will help a person stay on the right path in life, and "not go astray after your heart and your eyes" [4]. The Talmud tells of a man who was challenged by a very strong temptation. He was about to succumb, and then suddenly he noticed his Tzitzit fringes. They reminded him of the broader reality of his life as a Jew, and he was able to control himself [5]. (Perhaps men tend to need reminding more often than women, and this explains why it is the man rather than the woman who wears the Tallit with Tzitzit fringes).
In which ways do the Tzitzit fringes remind a person of the Commandments of the Torah? One way is through the original combination of the white threads with the blue. The blue thread represents awe of G-d, expressed in a verse in Psalms (34:15) as the injunction to "turn aside from bad". The white threads represent love of G-d, expressed by the continuation of the verse: "..and do good".
In daily life we need both qualities: self-restraint which holds us back from doing the wrong thing, and enthusiasm which encourages us to do positive and good things. Nonetheless, comments the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the fact that for a long time we have not had a blue thread, a point mentioned by the kabbalists, and hence all eight threads of the Tzitzit fringes are white, is telling us something important: the main service of G-d is through love and positive action.
A person may have to battle with himself or herself in order to restrain themselves from something negative, and of course this is a very important component of their personal spiritual life. However, a strong aid in this process is positive action of good deeds. By doing good, including and especially the spiritual actions of Judaism, the Mitzvot, one helps to move oneself into a generally more wholesome "place".
This emphasises the importance of love of G-d in our daily lives. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar, states: "for us it all depends on love" [6]. For us too, it all depends on love and positive enthusiasm. Through this we reach a further meaning of the Tzitzit: they remind us of going free from Egypt [7].
Through love of G-d, expressed through enthusiastic positive action of Mitzvot in our daily lives, such as wearing Tzitzit and Tefilin for boys and men, lighting Shabbat candles for girls and women, and giving charity for all, we go free from our own personal "Egypt" of negative thoughts and behaviour. We move forward, day by day, towards fulfilment and Redemption. For both men and women it all depends on love, the white threads of the Tzitzit, expressed through wholesome positive action [8].
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