Last week's TT contained some points about T'cheilet. The parsha of Tzitzit which ended Sh'lach, is followed by the Midrash that Korach dressed his gang in garments made completely of T'cheilet-dyed wool, and taunted Moshe with questions meant to question his authority. Here, and on the next page are some of the things that the next great Moshe (Rambam) wrote about Tzitzit in general and T'cheilet in particular.

Tzitzit consists of white strings and the T'cheilet string. The white strings can be made of wool or linen or of the same material as the garment to which the Tzitzit are being attached. They can be white or the same color as the garment to which they are being attached. For example, an orange colored cotton garment (4-cornered) can have "white" strings of wool or linen or cotton, and they can be white or orange. the P'til T'cheilet, however, can be made of wool only, and must, of course, be colored T'cheilet.

The BEGED SHE'KULO T'CHEILET, of Korach fame, does indeed require Tzitzit. The white strings must be white, so that they contrast with the one string of T'cheilet. This is the exception to the above rule. Red can have red "white" strings, and green, green. Purple, purple, and chartreuse can have chartreuse strings. But a T'cheilet garments whites must be white. If no proper T'cheilet dye is available, then a blue garment can have blue Tzitzit. But if there is T'cheilet, then only white can be used for the white strings (as above).

Korach didn't seem to be interested in the answers to his question, but maybe you are.

If you have any T'cheilet-related questions, try the website of the AMUTA...

www.virtual.co.il/orgs/orgs/tekhelet/
(orgs twice is not a typo - it's necessary)

The site is nicely organized, very educational, and - I think - inspirational, as well. Even a touch of humor. T'cheilet is a very special mitzva that is once again within our grasp. GO FOR IT!

People who are worthless, but who are aware of their worthlessness, are better than virtuous people who are aware of their virtue. - The Seer of Lublin

Some people recite words of Torah to reach the seventh Heaven. I think one should recite the Torah to reach the center of the listener. - Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

From Hasidic Wisdom by Simcha Raz (Elkins/Elkins)

The Gemara tells us that Rabbi Chanina b. Dosa, when he prayed on behalf a sick individual, he was able to say, "this one will live or this one will die". He was asked how he could tell and he answered that it depended upon whether his prayer flowed freely from his mouth or not.

The ROKEI'ACH cites Parshat Korach as the precedent for this. When G-d said He would destroy the people because of Korach, Moshe and Aharon "fell on their faces" and said "if one person sins, will you get angry at all the people?". Subsequently, they again "fell on their faces", but this time, no prayer came from their lips. Moshe immediately knew that "the plague has already begun".

From the Desk of the Director

Parshat Korach reminds us of the axiom that power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. So, while Jewish tradition encourages communal leadership, it is consistently cognizant of the human tendency to abuse authority. The Torah warns the mortal king to avoid excesses, and the spiritually elevated prophets had consistently to bring the kings of Israel to task. In Perek, Shemayah advises: "Love work, hate lordship, and seek no intimacy with the ruling power."

In our society, we tend to look up to power; we are awed by power; we are swayed by power. Yet our commentators remind us that the "king" is but a concession to human weakness. The misuse of power for popular or political reasons - as in the case of King Saul - is also an example of human frailty.

Rav Soloveitchik noted that Parshat Korach teaches us that, ultimately, rulership is divinely endowed. It is, in fact, an extension of the pure godly attribute, "Lecha Hashem Hamamlacha" - 'To you Hashem belongs the kingdom.' The Rav recalls the distrust that 'Melech Elyon,' the Heavenly King has of 'Melech Evyon,' the earthly king.

Of course, the real distinction lies in the difference between "rulership" and "leadership." In Jewish Tradition Moshe, our leader, is also Moshe Rabbeinu, our teacher whose sanctity and status derive from spiritual endowment. May we all be blessed with such leaders.

Sincerely yours,

Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center

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