Monday, May 07, 2007

Daf Yomi - Yevamos 4 - SHATNEZ BY TZITZIS

It is written [Devarim 22: 11 - 12]: You shall not wear shatnez (wool and linen together). You shall make for yourself tzitzis (twined fringes). The fact that the Torah juxtaposes these two verses, teach us that one can make tzitzis even in a case of shatnez. This indicates that a positive commandment can override a prohibition.

The commentators ask from the Gemora below (4b): The Gemora states: If the Torah would have only written the passuk in Vayikra: and a garment that is a mixture of shatnez shall not come upon you, we would have thought that placing shatnez upon oneself in any manner would be forbidden, and even garment sellers would be prohibited from wearing shatnez (they merely drape themselves with the garments in order to exhibit them without a specific intent for the warmth which these garments offer). This is why the Torah wrote in Devarim: You shall not wear shatnez, teaching us that it is forbidden to wear shatnez only by a wearing that offers physical pleasure (and since a garment seller does not wear the garment for that intent, it will be permitted for him).

Accordingly, what is the proof from the fact that one can wear a garment of tzitzis which contains shatnez that a positive commandment can override a prohibition; perhaps one can don a garment of tzitzis that contains shatnez because the prohibition is only when wearing a garment that provides physical pleasure and his intention is for that purpose? One who is wearing tzitzis should not be regarded as deriving pleasure because of the dictum of “mitzvot lav le’henos nitnu” – mitzvos were not given for the purpose of pleasure.

According to the Ran, this is not a question, for he says that the principle of “mitzvot lav le’henos nitnu” is not applicable when there is a physical pleasure; here, the garment is providing physical warmth and therefore, it should be prohibited if not for the fact that the positive commandment can override the prohibition.

However, the Rashba disagrees and maintains that we don’t consider any benefit that one receives during the fulfillment of a mitzvah; if so, let us say that one is permitted to wear tzitzis containing shatnez because he is not deriving any pleasure?

Reb Shmuel Rozovsky answers: The prohibition of shatnez is merely not to wear a garment containing shatnez; there is a condition that it is only regarded as wearing if he is deriving pleasure.

One who is wearing a garment of tzitzis is wearing the garment and deriving pleasure. While it’s true that the performance of the mitzvah negates the benefit he is receiving, he is still wearing the garment and it should be prohibited, if not for the fact that the positive commandment overrides this prohibition.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Quote "
However, the Rashba disagrees and maintains that we don't consider any benefit that one receives during the fulfillment of a mitzvah; if so, let us say that one is permitted to wear tzitzis containing shatnez because he is not deriving any pleasure?"

I think it's no comparison. Here, technically, the Mitzva is not to wear a four corner garment that has tzitzis on it, rather the Mitzva is if one is wearing a four corner garment he has a Chiyuv to put Tzitis on it. Therefore the Mitzva is not wearing the garment, but putting/ having the Tzitzis on it. This we see that on Shabbos from the Torah, someone can wear a four corner garment without Tzitzis, since the Mitzva is not wearing a four corner garment with Tzitzis, which right now you're not doing, rather if you wear it, you must put on Tzitzis, which the Torah is not Michayiv you on days you cannot put them on.

Another proof is that the Beged is not a Cheftza D'Mitzva and may be thrown in a Ashpa, but not the Tzitzis. So when he's wearing the Beged, that is not the Mitzvah, rather the Tzitzis that's on him, so the wearing of the Beged itself was given for Hanah.

Avromi said...

I believe that the Beis HaLevi answers like you. Boruch shekivanta