Checking Tallis Strings

Q. My talis strings are thick and strong and have not worn out in the past. Am I still required to check the strings each morning?

A. This question may hinge on a disagreement between the Taz (8:8) and Magen Avrohom (8:11) whether one must check the strings of tzizis above the knots that hang from the hole in the garment. The Taz writes that these strings must be checked, since it is common for them to become ruined. However, the Magen Avrohom writes that this area need not be checked, since it is uncommon for those strings to break. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 4:21:6) is troubled because this appears to be a dispute about a metzius (reality) rather than a halachic principle. How can poskim argue about something that is empirically discernable? Rav Moshe responds that the Taz and Magen Avrohom are not arguing about statistical possibilities. Rather, their respective positions are consistent with their explanations why the strings of tzizis need to be checked and why we do not rely on chazaka. As quoted in the last Halacha Yomis, the Magen Avrohom holds that chazaka is not valid for a situation that naturally changes over the course of time, and tzizis inevitably become frayed and tear through normal use. This is true for the strings below the knot, which are handled when tzizis are worn, but the strings above the knot are not generally held in one’s hand. It is true that the strands above the knot could be cut accidentally by a knife or severed in some other way. However, these are not naturally occurring events and therefore the possibility of it occurring does not compromise the chazaka. On the other hand, the Taz holds that we do not rely on the chazaka because we are exceptionally careful to avoid a beracha livatala. If so, we have the same concern for an unnatural event, even though it is not inevitable. The Mishnah Berurah (8:21) rules like the Taz and requires checking the strands above the knot.

A thick and strong strand is comparable to the string above the knot. It will not wear out on its own, but it can be accidentally cut. As such, the Taz would require checking and the Magen Avrohom would not. Rav Sternbuch (Teshuvos V’Hanhagos 2:11) was asked whether one can be more lenient regarding strong thick strings. He writes that in theory there is reason to be lenient and not require checking, but he concludes that since none of the earlier Poskim discuss any difference as to the thickness of the strings, it must be that they did not differentiate.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.