## Menachot Daf 38a

###### Menachot 38a:1
[Menachot 38a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/38a:1)

בְּלָאו דְּ״לֹא תָסוּר״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
He stated this **with regard to the prohibition of: “You shall not deviate** to the left or the right of that which they tell you” (Deuteronomy 17:11). A prohibition by rabbinic law is overridden by human dignity, but not a prohibition by Torah law. Therefore, Mar bar Rav Ashi would have removed his garment had he known about the tear.


###### Menachot 38a:2
[Menachot 38a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/38a:2)

וְאִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי מֵהָתָם אֲמַר לֵיהּ, וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי דַּעְתָּיךְ לְמִישְׁדְּיֵיהּ? וְהָאָמַר מָר: גָּדוֹל כְּבוֹד הַבְרִיּוֹת שֶׁדּוֹחֶה אֶת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה! וְהָא תַּרְגְּומַהּ רַב בַּר שְׁבָא קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב כָּהֲנָא בְּלָאו דְּ״לֹא תָסוּר״, הָכָא נָמֵי כַּרְמְלִית דְּרַבָּנַן הִיא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And there are** those **who say** there is a different version of this discussion: It was **when** they were **there,** in the place where the corner of Mar bar Rav Ashi’s garment tore, that Ravina **said to him** that it had torn, **and** Mar bar Rav Ashi **said to him** in response: **What is your opinion?** Do you think **that I should throw** the garment off? **But doesn’t the Master say: Great is human dignity, as it overrides a prohibition in the Torah?** The Gemara raises a difficulty: **But Rav bar Shabba interpreted** that statement **before Rav Kahana:** He stated this **with regard to the prohibition of: “You shall not deviate,”** not the prohibition against carrying in the public domain, which applies by Torah law. The Gemara answers that **here too,** it is not a prohibition by Torah law, as the place where they were walking was not a full-fledged public domain but **a *karmelit*,** in which carrying **is** prohibited **by rabbinic law.**


###### Menachot 38a:3
[Menachot 38a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/38a:3)

**הֲדַרַן עֲלָךְ הַקּוֹמֵץ.**


###### Menachot 38a:4
[Menachot 38a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/38a:4)

מַתְנִי׳ **הַתְּכֵלֶת** אֵינָהּ מְעַכֶּבֶת אֶת הַלָּבָן, וְהַלָּבָן אֵינוֹ מְעַכֵּב אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת. תְּפִלָּה שֶׁל יָד אֵינָהּ מְעַכֶּבֶת אֶת שֶׁל רֹאשׁ, וְשֶׁל רֹאשׁ אֵינָהּ מְעַכֶּבֶת אֶת שֶׁל יָד.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** The absence of **the sky-blue [*tekhelet*]** strings **does not prevent** fulfillment of the mitzva of ritual fringes with **the white** strings, **and the** absence of **white** strings **does not prevent** fulfillment of the mitzva with **the sky-blue** strings. If one has only one, he wears it without the other. Absence of the **phylacteries of** the **arm does not prevent** fulfillment of the mitzva of the phylacteries **of** the **head, and** absence of the phylacteries **of** the **head does not prevent** fulfillment of the mitzva of the phylacteries **of** the **arm.** If one has only one, he dons it without the other.


###### Menachot 38a:5
[Menachot 38a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/38a:5)

**גְּמָ׳** לֵימָא מַתְנִיתִין דְּלָא כְּרַבִּי, דְּתַנְיָא: ״וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ״ – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁמְּעַכְּבִין זֶה אֶת זֶה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵין מְעַכְּבִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The Gemara suggests: **Let us say** that **the mishna is not in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi. **As it is taught** in a *baraita*: When the verse requires one to place white and sky-blue strings upon the corners of his garments and then states: **“That you may look upon it”** (Numbers 15:39), it **teaches** that the lack of either **one prevents** fulfillment of the mitzva **with the other;** this is **the statement of Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi. **But the Rabbis say:** The lack of one **does not prevent the** fulfillment of the mitzva with the other.


###### Menachot 38a:6
[Menachot 38a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/38a:6)

מַאי טַעְמָא דְּרַבִּי? דִּכְתִיב ״הַכָּנָף״ – מִין כָּנָף, וּכְתִיב ״פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת״, וְאָמַר רַחֲמָנָא ״וּרְאִיתֶם אוֹתוֹ״ – עַד דְּאִיכָּא תַּרְוַיְיהוּ בְּחַד.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara inquires: **What is the reasoning of Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi, i.e., how does he derive his ruling from this verse? The Gemara explains: **As it is written:** “And they shall put on the fringe of the corner a sky-blue thread” (Numbers 15:38). “The fringe of **the corner”** is a reference to strings that are of the same **type** as the **corner** of the garment. Since garments are usually white, this phrase is referring to white strings. **And it is written** in this same verse: **“A sky-blue thread.” And the Merciful One states** in the following verse, referring to both types of strings: “And it shall be to you for a fringe **that you may look upon it”** (Numbers 15:39), in the singular. This teaches that one does not fulfill his obligation **until both** types **are present together.**


###### Menachot 38a:7
[Menachot 38a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/38a:7)

וְרַבָּנַן, ״וּרְאִיתֶם אוֹתוֹ״ – כֹּל חַד לְחוֹדֵיהּ מַשְׁמַע.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And** how do **the Rabbis,** who hold that the one can fulfill one obligation without the other, understand this verse? The Gemara answers: They hold that the phrase **“that you may look upon it” indicates** that one fulfills a mitzva with **each one individually.**


###### Menachot 38a:8
[Menachot 38a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/38a:8)

לֵימָא דְּלָא כְּרַבִּי? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: אֲפִילּוּ תֵּימָא רַבִּי, לֹא נִצְרְכָא אֶלָּא לְקַדֵּם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara concludes its initial suggestion: **Shall we say that** the mishna, which states that one can fulfill the mitzva with either white or sky-blue strings even in the absence of the other, is **not in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi? The Gemara responds: **Rav Yehuda said** that **Rav said: You** may **even say** that the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of **Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi, and the ruling of the mishna **is necessary only with regard to granting precedence.** The white strings should precede the blue strings, but if the order is reversed, one still fulfills the mitzva.


###### Menachot 38a:9
[Menachot 38a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/38a:9)

דְּתַנְיָא: מִצְוָה לְהַקְדִּים לָבָן לַתְּכֵלֶת, וְאִם הִקְדִּים תְּכֵלֶת לַלָּבָן – יָצָא, אֶלָּא שֶׁחִיסֵּר מִצְוָה. מַאי חִיסֵּר מִצְוָה?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
This is **as it is taught** in a *baraita*: It is **a mitzva to** insert the **white** strings into the garment **before** inserting **the sky-blue** strings, **but if** one inserted the **sky-blue** strings **before the white** strings, he **fulfilled** his obligation **but omitted** the **mitzva.** The Gemara asks: **What** does the *baraita* mean by the phrase: **Omitted** the **mitzva?**