## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 234

###### Sifrei Devarim 234:1
[Sifrei Devarim 234:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/234:1)

(דברים כב יב) **גְּדִלִים תַּעֲשֶׂה לָּךְ**, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טו לח) ״וְעָשׂוּ לָהֶם צִיצִית״, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי: יַעֲשֶׂה חוּט אֶחָד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **גְּדִלִים**.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 22:12) "Fringes shall you make for yourself": What is the intent of this? Because it is written (Bamidbar 15:38) "and they shall make for themselves *tzitzith*," I might think that one strand by itself suffices; it is, therefore, written "*gedilim*" (fringes). How many fringes? Not fewer than three, three fingers long, as per Beth Hilell. Beth Shammai say: Three strands of white and a fourth of *tcheleth* (purple-blue), four fingers long. "*gedilim*" are white. Whence do I derive that I add a fourth of *tcheleth*? From (*Ibid*.) "and they shall put on the *tzitzith* of the corner a thread of *tcheleth*."


###### Sifrei Devarim 234:2
[Sifrei Devarim 234:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/234:2)

כַּמָּה **גְדִלִים** נַעֲשִׂים? אֵין פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה חוּטִים, כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל. בֵּית שַׁמַּיי אוֹמְרִים: מֵאַרְבָּעָה חוּטִים שֶׁל תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְבָּעָה חוּטִים שֶׁל לָבָן, שֶׁל אַרְבַּע אַרְבַּע אֶצְבָּעוֹת.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
The *halachah* is in accordance with Beth Shammai. When is this so? (that a length of three or four fingers is required)? *Ab initio* (i.e., when the *tzitzith* are first inserted), but its remnants and lopped off (threads) may be of any (length).


###### Sifrei Devarim 234:3
[Sifrei Devarim 234:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/234:3)

וַהֲלָכָה כְּדִבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּיי. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בַּתְּחִלָּה; אֲבָל בִּשְׁיָרֶיהָ וּבְגַרְדוּמֶּיהָ – כָּל שֶׁהוּא.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
("on the *four* corners of your garment": to exclude a garment of three, five, six, seven, or eight corners. Variantly: "*gedilim*" are white. Whence do I derive that I add a fourth of *tcheleth*? From (*Ibid*.) "and they shall put on the *tzitzith* of the corner a thread of *tcheleth*.")


###### Sifrei Devarim 234:4
[Sifrei Devarim 234:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/234:4)

**עַל אַרְבַּע** – יָצְאוּ בַּעֲלֵי שְׁלֹשָׁה וּבַעֲלֵי חָמֵשׁ וּבַעַל שֵׁשׁ וּבַעַל שֶׁבַע וּבַעֲלֵי שְׁמוֹנֶה. דָּבָר אַחֵר: **גְּדִלִים תַּעֲשֶׂה לָּךְ** – זֶה לָבָן. מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (במדבר טו לח): ״וְנָתְנוּ עַל צִיצִת הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת״.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim, *Ibid*.) "shall you make": and not from what is already made. He may not take threads from the garment and make *tzitzith* of them. "on the *four* corners of your garment": to exclude a garment of three, five, six, seven, or eight corners. "corners" to exclude *yaga, tichla, tavletikim, takarkim, sadasim*, and *laburdisim*, which are not squared.


###### Sifrei Devarim 234:5
[Sifrei Devarim 234:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/234:5)

**תַּעֲשֶׂה** – וְלֹא מִן הֶעָשׂוּי, שֶׁלֹּא יוֹצִיא נִימִים מִן הַטַּלִּית וְיַעֲשֶׂה. **עַל אַרְבַּע** – וְלֹא עַל שְׁמוֹנֶה. **כְּסוּתְךָ** – פְּרָט לְטָגָא, וּלְתוֹבְלָא, וּלְתִיבְלָטִירִים, לְתַקְרָקִים לְבוּרְסִים לְבוּרְדְּסִים, לְפִי שֶׁאֵינָם מְרֻבָּעִים. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן שֶׁלֹּא יִתֵּן עַל אֶמְצַע בֶּגֶד, אֶלָּא עַל שְׂפָתוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **עַל אַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת**.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
R. Elliezer b. Yaakov says: Whence is it derived that one should not place *tzitzith* in the middle of the garment, but on the edge? From "on the four corners of your garment."


###### Sifrei Devarim 234:6
[Sifrei Devarim 234:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/234:6)

**כְּסוּתְךָ** – פְּרָט לְכַר; **כְּסוּתְךָ** – פְּרָט לְסָדִין. **תְּכַסֶּה** – פְּרָט לְסָגוֹס.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"your garment": to exclude a head-scarf.


###### Sifrei Devarim 234:7
[Sifrei Devarim 234:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/234:7)

**בָּהּ** – פְּרָט לְמַעֲפוֹרֶת שֶׁלֹּא תְכַסֶּה רֹאשׁוֹ וְרוּבּוֹ.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"*wherewith* you cover yourself": to exclude a duster, which does not cover his head and most of his body.