Something Borrowed, Something Blue
“‘You Shall See It’ To Exclude A Nighttime Garment”
(Menachos 43a)
R. Shimon, on our daf, derives from the words of the pasuk (Bamidbar 15:39) “u’re’eisem oso” – you shall see it [the tzitzis] – that one is only required to place tzitzis on a daytime garment; however, for a nighttime garment there is no such obligation. The halacha follows his ruling (Orach Chayyim 18:1).
There is a fundamental dispute among the early authorities as to how we define a “nighttime garment.”
Rosh (to Menachos, Hilchos Tzitzis, siman 1) maintains that “nighttime garment” means just that – a garment designated exclusively for nighttime wear, such as a robe. Conversely, he would require tzitzis on a daytime garment even when worn at night. Thus, according to Rosh, if one wears a tallis at night, he fulfills a mitzvah (he may wear it even though it is shatnez, just as he would in regard to the daytime mitzvah).
Rambam (Hilchos Tzitzis Chapter 3:7), on the other hand, is of the view that “nighttime garment” refers to any garment worn at night. Accordingly, in his view, there is no mitzvah fulfilled when one wears such a garment at night.
A Blanket Mitzvah?
Hagahos Maimoniyos (op. cit.) points out that according to Rambam, one would be required to place tzitzis on the four corners of his blankets if he uses them during the day.
Rosh would counter that since blankets are primarily designated for nighttime use, they are referred to as “nighttime garments” and are always exempt from the need to place tzitzis on them, even when used during the day.
The Mechaber (infra 18:2) rules, in accord with Rosh, that blankets never need tzitzis regardless of when they are used.
An Early Tefillah
Now, what if one puts on a tallis before dawn? Since it is a daytime garment, possibly there is a requirement to recite a beracha as well. Even if it is before dawn, we would argue that there is no requirement either to wear or to bless. But even so, when dawn arrives, he would then suddenly be faced with the requirement to bless. However, Mishna Berura (O.C. 8: sk2) notes that according to most authorities, the blessing must be made “over le’asiyasan” – before the performance of the mitzvah. What, then, is he to do, as he is already wearing the tallis?
Rosh, taking into account this dilemma (op cit. Hilchos Tzitzis), cites an interesting custom in the lands of Ashkenaz that when they arise to pray before dawn on the eve of Yom Kippur, the chazzan borrows the tallis of another in order to free himself of any requirement for a beracha. The reason the chazzan is cited is because it is a custom in the Ashkenaz lands that the chazzan always wears a tallis when he goes before the Amud. Since it is a daytime garment, there would normally be a requirement for a beracha, but because he is not required to bless on a borrowed garment even by day, this custom solves the dilemma.