39. Tying the Tzitzis Strings

9:5 When tying the strings, the practice is to make five double knots with four spaces between them. One puts four strings through the hole, then ties two knots. He then wraps the longest string around the rest seven times, followed by another two knots. It is wrapped around eight times followed by two knots, then eleven times followed by two knots, and finally thirteen times followed by the last two knots. The spaces should all be the same size, which means that the spaces where the long thread is wrapped more times, it should be wound tighter and where it is wrapped fewer times, it should be wound looser. The length of the finished strings, from the top knots until the end, should be a minimum of twelve thumb widths. Optimally, each space between the knots should be a thumb width, for a total of four, and the strings should be eight thumb widths. (This would make the knotty part one third of the strings and the untied part two-thirds.) Also, one should be careful to ensure that he separates his strings into four on each side as he ties his tzitzis. 9:6 If a person does not use four strings to make his tzitzis, preferring to use one very long thread folded over into four, which he wraps then cuts apart at the end, the tzitzis are invalid, This is because the Torah tells us (Deut. 22:12) to “make fringes” – that is, they must be made properly at the outset, not made improperly then fixed up. Similarly, if the strings were tied on properly but the garment ripped and one wishes to replace the strings “as is” and sew up the corner with the strings already in place, this is unacceptable. (This is the case all the more so if one wants to move already-tied strings to a new garment.) In the same vein, if one ties strings on an invalid garment then fixes the garment, it is unacceptable. In all these cases (or in any others you might envision), everything must be in proper condition at the time of tying on the strings.