DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 1.26 MB)
Sisit: Selling a Tallit to a Non-Jew, Hashgacha on Sisit, Using a Tallit to Clean Eyeglasses

The Shulhan Aruch rules that one is not allowed to sell a Tallit with Sisit to a non-Jew, out of concern that he may use it to masquerade as a Jew and ambush an unsuspecting Jew to murder him. Although, the Hayeh Adam (Rav Abraham Danzig of Vilna, 1748-1820) suggested that this does not apply nowadays, the Kaf HaHaim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939) maintains that it is still relevant. In fact, Arabs have dressed up in Sisit and Peyot to infiltrate.

The Mekor Haim adds that one should not even sell a Tallit without Sisit to a non-Jew for the same reason. That which the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933, Siman 20:8) permitted selling a garment after the Sisit have been removed refers to a regular four-cornered garment and not a Tallit designated for prayer.

Rashi brings an additional reason for this prohibition. He says that the Non-Jew may use the Tallit as payment to a Zonah (prostitute), and this may present the impression that it was given by a Jew, causing a Hilul Hahsem.

----
Nowadays, one may not purchase Sisit without a reliable Hashgacha (seal of supervision). In the times of the Shulhan Aruch it was permitted to trust even a non-Jewish merchant.

----
The Poskim discuss whether it is permitted to use the Tallit to clean one’s eyeglasses. The Yalkut Yosef and Rav Elyashiv distinguish between a Tallit Katan, which is permitted, and a Tallit Gadol, which is designated for Tefila and may not be used. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Jerusalem, 1910-1995) ruled that even a Tallit Katan may not be used.

The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) rules that one may not wipe his dirty hands on neither a Tallit Gadol nor Tallit Katan, whereas he may dry his wet hands on the Tallit Katan, but not the Gadol. For the same reason, the Kaf HaHaim (154:29) prohibits laundering a Tallit with other garments that are heavily soiled. The Poskim do permit using a Tallit for a non-degrading purpose, such as covering something or using it to shade from the sun.

SUMMARY
One may not sell a Tallit to a non-Jew.
One must purchase Sisit with a reliable Hashgacha.
One may not use the Tallit for a degrading purpose, such a wiping his soiled hands, but he may use the Tallit Katan to clean his eyeglasses or dry his wet hands.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
Baking Hallah on Erev Shabbat
If One Mistakenly Cooked Food During Ben Ha’shemashot on Friday Afternoon
Is It Permissible On Erev Shabbat To Fill Up An Urn With Water That Will Become Cooked On Shabbat
Reheating Dry Food on Shabbat on a Blech or Hotplate
Is A Thermos or Tiger Pot Considered A Keli Rishon
Is A Ladle Considered a Keli Rishon or Keli Sheni
Pouring From an Urn Into a Cup of Cold Liquid on Shabbat
Is It Permissible To Place Liquid Food on a Hotplate on Shabbat Before the Timer Activates the Hotplate
The Proper Way To Extract the Broth From Vegetables in a Vegetable Soup on Shabbat
The Proper Way To Extract Vegetables from Soup on Shabbat; Washing Grapes on Shabbat; Using a Perforated Spoon on Shabbat
Is It Permissible To Prepare Tehina On Shabbat
Understanding the Laws of Muktze- Prohibition of Carrying Items on Shabbat, Such as Pens, Pots, and New Empty Wallets
Stirring Food In A Pot and Serving From A Pot On Shabbat
Cooking On Shabbat on Surfaces Heated by the Sun
Separating A Bottle Cap From Its Ring on Shabbat
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found