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How do tzitzis help us remember all 613 mitzvos? The shiur explains that tzitzis represents accepting God's sovereignty (ol malchus shamayim) and that the gematria of tzitzis plus strings and knots equaling 613 works because we ourselves create this meaningful reminder. Most effective memory aids are those we construct ourselves, explaining why tzitzis is only obligatory when we choose to wear a four-cornered garment.
The shiur explores the mechanism by which tzitzis helps us remember all the mitzvos, addressing several challenging questions on Rashi (רש"י)'s explanation. Rashi explains that the gematria of tzitzis (600) plus eight strings plus five knots equals 613, thereby reminding us of all the mitzvos. However, this explanation faces serious difficulties. The Ramban (רמב"ן) points out that tzitzis in the pasuk is spelled with only one yud (making it 590, not 600), and that only the top knot (kesher elyon) is biblical while the other four are rabbinic. How can a gematria counting rabbinic elements explain the biblical verse? The shiur also questions why tzitzis is considered equivalent to all mitzvos (k'neged kol hamitzvos) like Shabbos (שבת) and idolatry, yet we have no obligation to wear it. Additionally, there appears to be a connection between tzitzis and the spies (meraglim) since both appear in the same parsha, and Rashi notes that 'lo sasuru' (do not go astray) uses the same root as 'latur' (to scout).
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Parshas Shelach - Tzitzis passage
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