Drying Cords

Our process starts out as a deep purple that turns to a deep teal when exposed to sunlight and washed in cold water. Our natural techelet dyeing process includes one more washing where the water runs clear and the techelet dye is set in a natural process. It is natural for the natural techelet dye to "bleed" when washed and it also fades with each washing, just like Levi Jeans. We recommend washing your techelet dyed tzit tzits separately from your garment by hand washing them in cold water only and with no detergent. At no time is kelailan indigo dye which is not halachically approved.

Even when washed in a mild detergent if cords are soiled can cause the techelet dye to bleed. This is "normal for natural dyes to bleed in very small amounts after cold water washing. Washing in cold water and no detergent will preserve the techelet dye of your cords for a longer duration of time. Tzittzits are traditionally not washed if they are placed on a tallit prayer shawl garment. All our cords are checked by Shatnez labs and are Rabbinically approved. All our Linen sets of tzit tzit are made with highest kavannah and hiddur mitzvah. Weaved and handspun from raw flax by Rivka Sari with the intent to be used to perform the mitzvah of tying tzitzits only.

The Torah tells us to make tzitzits for ourselves – v’asu lahem tzitzis (Bamidbar 15:38). Based on these words, the Talmudic Sages and later the Shulchan Aruch ruled that tzitzit strings must be made with intent (lishma), i.e. when making the strings one must have intent that they eventually be used for the mitzvah of tzitzits See picture at bottom of page of Rivka's spinning wheel

PLEASE NOTE: All our tzitzt sets do not come pre-tied because it's considered preferable to do a mitzvah yourself and because it teaches you about the mechanics behind the tzitzit and heightens your awareness of the tzitzit, which are really the essence of the mitzvah of wearing a tallit. After all, the tzitzit are really the raison d'être of the tallit and tallit katan.

The Torah states in Numbers 15:38: "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, that they shall make themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and they shall put on the corner fringe a tekhelet thread." Wearing the tzitzit is also commanded in Deuteronomy 22:12, which says: "You shall make yourself twisted cords, on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself."

Dyeing with sea source natural dyes is very exciting to watch the process. Wool or linen is dipped into the dye ( we use seperate containers for wool and linen to guard against shatnez) left for a few minutes, and then removed. At first the wool or linen is pale yellow, but with exposure to air and sun, the colour gradually turns to green and then to teal blue which in hebrew is the word tekhelet. This change in colour never ceases to fascinate!!

Rabbinical sources tell us that synthetic is acceptable but cannot be called Tekhelet, so if you want a sun dried syntheic dye allergy free when can do that as well by request only.

RIVKA SARI PERFORMS TWO QUALITY CHECKS BEFORE SHIPPING

Ouestions: How can we use linen for techelet dyed naturally from spirulina when the Talmud (Jewish code of laws) clearly states that techelet is made with wool only from snail hilazon dye? Answer The Rabbis do make exceptions when a person has allergies to wool, vegan which excludes animal product as apparel, Rabbis do approve linen dyed with any other plant base dye such as sea source spiruina, but must not use kelailan the indigo plant dyes to fulfill the mitzvah of techelet. One may wear a linen tallit gadol or tallit katan who is sensitive may wear a techelet made of linen and can be dyed with any other plant base or synthetic dyes as long as it is not kelailan the indigo plant base dye which the Talmud specifically says it must not be used.

The Ramah in Orach chayim 9:2 states that at present "it is customary not to make linen tzitzits at all." However does not state that one cannot make linen tzit zits for a linen garment. Chapter 2, Halachot 1-2 clearly states "it is best to use woolen strands for wool garment and linen strands for linen garment." Therefore we do not break Torah or Halacha of Jewish Law.

This why we offer kosher 100% linen white and white with techelet blue color kosher approved naturally dyed cords. The Torah says Techelet must be a sea source that is why spirulina is a sea source that is plant base and kosher approved to be used for Techelet. All our Linen sets of tzit tzit are made with highest kavannah and hiddur mitzvah. Weaved and handspun by Rivka Sari with the intent to be used to perform the mitzvah of tying tzitzits only.

The Torah tells us to make tzitzits for ourselves – v’asu lahem tzitzis (Bamidbar 15:38). Based on these words, the Talmudic Sages and later the Shulchan Aruch ruled that tzitzit strings must be made with intent (lishma), i.e. when making the strings one must have intent that they eventually be used for the mitzvah of tzitzits. We do use a sea source natural plant basel dye which is acceptable under rabbinical authority and halacha.

**Please note All of our wool cords are imported from israel** Did you know that the “Tekhelet” molecule absorbs light at 613 nanometers, according to the research of J Wouters and A Verhecken this is also the number of the mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah”

Question What is Shatnez? Answer: Shatnez is a hebrew word for "combine, spun, mixing or woven together" . Shatnez is the mixing of wool and linen specifically in Torah. "You shall not wear combined fibers of wool or linen together" Deut 22:11. There is the Midrash suggests that the reason stems from the story of Cain and Abel, as recorded in Genesis chapter 4. Cain brought God an offering of flax (the source of linen) and Abel brought a sheep (wool).

The incident resulted in Cain killing Abel, and it was thus decreed that never again shall the two substances mix. It is very important to buy kosher 100% pure linen (we are the only source in the world) or kosher 100% pure wool that has been checked by shatnez lab and is certified kosher to ensure that the strands have not been processed through a machine or weaving mill that mixes or manufactures both of these fibers.

BE AWARE that you will often come across tzitzit that were tied and then simply clipped onto a belt or shirt. This is explicitly forbidden by halacha and definitely cannot be considered kosher tzitzit according to any definition. Those sites are not kosher authentic Jewish resource. All our Linen sets of tzit tzit are made with highest kavannah and hiddur mitzvah. Weaved and handspun by Rivka Sari with the intent to be used to perform the mitzvah of tying tzitzits only. All our wool is imported from Israel and have been weaved and spun in Israel with the of intent to be used for the mitzvah of tying tzitzits. Any more questions concerning shatnez please e-mail Rivka Sari directly. Thank you!!

*WE ARE THE ONLY KOSHER LINEN and HEMP tzitzit RETAILER* To prevent bal tosif see proper care instructions that are included. All our Linen sets of tzit tzit are made with highest kavannah and hiddur mitzvah. Handspun from raw flax by Rivka Sari with (lishma) the intent to be used to perform the mitzvah of tying tzitzits only.

All our Linen sets of tzit tzit are made with highest kavannah and hiddur mitzvah. Handspun from raw flax by Rivka Sari with the intent to be used to perform the mitzvah of tying tzitzits only. The Torah tells us to make tzitzits for ourselves – v’asu lahem tzitzis (Bamidbar 15:38). Based on these words, the Talmudic Sages and later the Shulchan Aruch ruled that tzitzit strings must be made with intent (lishma), i.e. when making the strings one must have intent that they eventually be used for the mitzvah of tzitzits.

WHAT IS LISHMA MEAN? The simple answer it means that tzitzit strings must always be spun by hand. These tzitzit are commonly known as avodat yad, literally “handmade.”Lishma means intent. However, according to some poskim (halachic decisors), that initial intent is sufficient, therefore tzitzit strings can be spun by machine. The full production process of tzitzits are known as gozez (shearing) or katser pishta (harvesting), libun (sun lighten or bleaching), niputz ( hand carding), tevia (hand spinning) and shezira ( hand plying).

The basic halacha requirement stated in the Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 11:1) one must have tevia lishma spinning with intention for the mitzvah of tzitzits only. The Rema also notes that according to some opinions one must also have niputz lishmah (carding with intention), though he says that the custom is to be somewhat lenient. Instead of first step gozez-shearing like sheep's for wool tzitzits, in the case of linen katser pishta- harvest flax is the first step to make linen tzitzits.

The Mishna Berura explains that the mitzvah of creating tzitzit (ta'aseh lecha gedilim) starts with tevia, however, he notes that the Prisha states in the name of the Maharal of Prague that one should try to obtain tzitzit with only niputz lishma. The Shulchan Aruch agrees with the Maharal of Prague.

PLEASE NOTE: All our tzitzt sets do not come pre-tied because it's considered preferable to do a mitzvah yourself and because it teaches you about the mechanics behind th tzitzit and heightens your awareness of the mitzvah of tzitzit, which are really the essence of the mitzvah of wearing a tallit. After all, the tzitzit are really the real focus of the tallit and tallit katan. Learning to tie your own will help you have a deeper connection.

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