## Menachot Daf 40a

###### Menachot 40a:1
[Menachot 40a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/40a:1)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: סָדִין בְּצִיצִית – בֵּית שַׁמַּאי פּוֹטְרִין וּבֵית הִלֵּל מְחַיְּיבִין, וַהֲלָכָה כְּדִבְרֵי בֵּית הִלֵּל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The Sages taught** in a *baraita*: With regard to **ritual fringes** on a linen **cloak, Beit Shammai deem** the cloak **exempt** from ritual fringes due to the fact that the sky-blue strings must be made from wool, and there is a Torah prohibition against wearing a mixture of wool and linen. **And Beit Hillel deem** a linen cloak **obligated** in the mitzva of ritual fringes. **And** the ***halakha*** is **in accordance with the statement of Beit Hillel.**


###### Menachot 40a:2
[Menachot 40a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/40a:2)

אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן רַבִּי צָדוֹק: וַהֲלֹא כׇּל הַמֵּטִיל תְּכֵלֶת בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא מִן הַמַּתְמִיהִין!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Eliezer ben Rabbi Tzadok says: But is it not** the case that **anyone who affixes sky-blue** strings to a linen cloak **in Jerusalem is** considered **nothing other than one of those who causes** others **to be astonished** at their behavior, as it appears that he is violating the prohibition against wearing a garment containing wool and linen?


###### Menachot 40a:3
[Menachot 40a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/40a:3)

אָמַר רַבִּי: אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה אֲסָרוּהָ? לְפִי שֶׁאֵין בְּקִיאִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* concludes: **Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi **says: If so,** that the *halakha* is in accordance with Beit Hillel and a linen cloak is required to have ritual fringes, **why did** the Sages **prohibit** attaching ritual fringes to linen garments in Jerusalem? It is **because** people **are not well versed** in the *halakha* and might ultimately wear garments of wool and linen even when it is not necessary for the mitzva of ritual fringes.


###### Menachot 40a:4
[Menachot 40a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/40a:4)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבָא בַּר רַב חָנָא לְרָבָא: וְלִרְמוֹ בֵּי עַשְׂרָה וְנִפְּקוּ לְשׁוּקָא וּמִפַּרְסְמָא (למילתא) [מִילְּתָא]! כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּמַתְמְהוּ עִילָּוַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava bar Rav Ḥana said to Rava:** If that is the concern, then **let ten** people **take** linen cloaks with ritual fringes **and go out to the marketplace and** thereby **publicize the matter,** i.e., that it is permitted to affix wool strings to a linen garment due to the mitzva. Rava answered: **All the more so** people **would be astonished at us** for acting in such an unconventional manner.


###### Menachot 40a:5
[Menachot 40a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/40a:5)

וְלִידְרְשַׁהּ בְּפִירְקָא! גְּזֵירָה מִשּׁוּם קָלָא אִילָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara suggests: **Let** the Rabbis **teach during** their public **lecture** that affixing wool strings to a linen garment is permitted for the mitzva of ritual fringes. The Gemara answers: Wearing strings on a linen garment is prohibited because of a rabbinic **decree due to** the concern that people might use strings that were dyed blue with **indigo [*kala ilan*],** instead of with *tekhelet*, the sky-blue dye produced from the *ḥilazon* (see 44b), in which case they would not fulfill the mitzva of ritual fringes and would violate the prohibition against wearing garments containing wool and linen.


###### Menachot 40a:6
[Menachot 40a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/40a:6)

וְלֹא יְהֵא אֶלָּא לָבָן! כֵּיוָן דְּאֶפְשָׁר בְּמִינָן – לָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara suggests: Even if one’s blue strings are not dyed with *tekhelet* as required for the mitzva, **let** them **be** considered **merely** as **white** strings. In the absence of *tekhelet* one fulfills the mitzva with white strings, and therefore it should be permitted to affix white woolen strings to a linen garment. The Gemara explains: **Since it is possible** to affix white strings that are **the same type** of material as the garment, i.e., linen, and thereby fulfill the mitzva without overriding the prohibition against wearing a garment made from wool and linen, one may **not** affix white wool strings to a linen garment.


###### Menachot 40a:7
[Menachot 40a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/40a:7)

כִּדְרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ, דְּאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא עֲשֵׂה וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, אִם אַתָּה יָכוֹל לְקַיֵּים אֶת שְׁנֵיהֶם – מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו – יָבוֹא עֲשֵׂה וְיִדְחֶה אֶת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara notes: This is **in accordance with** the opinion **of Reish Lakish. As Reish Lakish says: Any place where you find a positive mitzva and a prohibition** that clash with one another, **if you are able to fulfill both of them,** that is **preferable; and if** that is **not** possible, **the positive mitzva shall come and override the prohibition.** In this case, the clash is between the mitzva of ritual fringes and the prohibition against wearing a garment that contains wool and linen. One can fulfill both of them by using white strings that are linen instead of wool if the garment is made from linen.


###### Menachot 40a:8
[Menachot 40a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/40a:8)

וְלִיבְדְּקוּהָ, אֶלָּא גְּזֵירָה מִשּׁוּם טְעִימָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara suggests: **And let them test** the strings to ascertain whether they are dyed with indigo or with *tekhelet*, as explained by the Gemara (42b). The Gemara responds: **Rather,** the prohibition against affixing ritual fringes to a linen garment is a rabbinic **decree due to** the concern that perhaps the sky-blue strings were colored with *tekhelet* dye that had been used for **testing** the color of the dye in the vat and therefore became unfit (see 42b). In such a case, there would be no fulfillment of the mitzva of sky-blue ritual fringes to override the prohibition against wearing a garment of wool and linen.


###### Menachot 40a:9
[Menachot 40a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/40a:9)

וְלִיכְתְּבָה אַדִּיסְקֵי! אַדִּיסְקֵי לֵיקוּם וְלִיסְמוֹךְ? אָמַר רָבָא: הַשְׁתָּא

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara suggests: **Let** the Sages **write letters** informing dye producers that *tekhelet* that was used for testing the color of the dye in the vat is unfit for ritual fringes. The Gemara explains: **Shall we go and rely on letters,** assuming that dye producers will follow the instructions they contain? **Rava** responded to this and **said: Now,**