Menachos 38b

מנחות ל״ח ע״ב

Menachot 38b

Learn Menachos 38b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Menachos 38b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

What it means that תכלת and לבן do not hold each other back: the order of the strings, cut-short strings and their minimum length, and tying a knot after each set of windings

Overview

This amud explains the משנה's rule that the white (לבן) and sky-blue (תכלת) strings of ציצית do not hold each other back. The גמרא first rejects reading 'he lacked a מצוה' as leaving out the white strings, because according to רבי the two kinds depend on each other. Instead, רב says it means he did the מצוה, just not in the best way. רמי בר חמא, backed up by a talk between לוי and שמואל, explains that the strings matching the garment's color should go first: white on a linen garment, תכלת on an all-תכלת garment. Getting the order wrong is still valid after the fact. רבא rejects the idea that color decides anything and says the rule is about strings that were cut short. The sons of רבי חייא support this: cut-short strings are kosher if enough is left to tie a loop. Whether that means tying all the strings together or each one alone stays a תיקו, and thick strings are kosher all the more. Finally, the גמרא names רבי יוחנן בן נורי as the תנא who disagrees with רבי. רבא then proves that a knot must be tied after each set of windings.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. ChallengeIt cannot mean he skipped the white strings
2. ResolutionLacking a מצוה means not doing it in the best way
3. ChallengeWhat does 'תכלת does not hold back לבן' mean?
4. ResolutionA garment made entirely of תכלת
5. ProofLevi asks שמואל to explain the double rule
6. Responseשמואל: on a linen garment the white goes first
7. ChallengeWhat about the other half of the rule?
8. Resolutionרמי בר חמא: a garment made all of תכלת
9. Challengeרבא asks: does the color really decide the order?
10. Resolutionרבא's new reading: the rule is about strings cut short
11. ProofSupport: the sons of רבי חייא say cut strings are kosher
12. QuestionHow long must the cut strings still be?
13. Responseשמואל: long enough to tie a loop
14. QuestionAll strings tied together, or each one alone?
15. ConclusionThe question stays unresolved
16. QuestionThick strings too stiff to tie
17. ResponseAll the more so: thick strings show the מצוה better
18. QuestionWho disagrees with רבי?
19. Responseרבי יוחנן בן נורי: without תכלת, put on white
20. Statementרבא: a knot is needed after each set of windings
21. ProofProof from cut-off strings being kosher