Hakarat HaTov Corner A few years ago, Yosef Weiss undertook to raise funds for his March of the Living trip by selling techeilet, the blue strings tied at the corner of tallitot and tzitzit, about which we read in the maftir of this week’s Torah portion. Sadly, that trip was cancelled due to COVID, but his efforts were far from being in vain. As a result of the presentation he prepared about the history, chemistry and halacha of techeilet, some 40 members of Shaare began to wear techeilet (and others since then), including me! I had been contemplating the switch for some time- many of my teachers, including Rav Herschel Schachter shlit”a of RIETS, are convinced that the dye of the murex trunculus snail is the authentic dye, and therefore, the biblical obligation of wearing techeilet is once again in effect. Now that it was easily available, I undertook the mitzvah on all my talitot and tzitzit. I am grateful to Yosef for his efforts and for being a catalyst for mitzvot!
Rabbi’s Recommendation The history of techeilet is fascinating- from its use in the Mishkan to the Chassidic Rebbe, Rav Gershon Henoch Leiner of Radzyn (1831-1890), who thought he rediscovered techeilet but may have been duped, to Rav Yitzchak Issac HaLevi Herzog, the first chief Rabbi of the State of Israel, whose doctoral thesis on techeilet contended that techeilet is extracted from the murex trunculus, and that Rav Leiner’s techeilet was actually the synthetic dye Prussian Blue.
This website is an excellent resource for many historical and halachic articles about Techeilet. It is run by the organization Ptil Techeilet, which promotes awareness and observance of techeilet, but also contains articles from those who oppose wearing techeilet nowadays, as well as responses to these opinions.
This article from Smithsonian Magazine, about the history of the color blue, discusses techeilet extensively.
Another complicated week I was fortunate enough to travel to New York on Sunday (on a flight that left on time!) and participate in Shimi and Marissa Wolk’s wedding. It was a thoroughly joyous affair, with Rebbetzin Annette z”l’s presence being felt in the lively dancing, the Wolk family wedding shtick, and the gust of wind that began during the Chuppah. Rabbi Wolk and Rabbi Lookstein both spoke beautifully under the Chuppah to the couple.
This was another week of loss in our community, with the passing of Howard Schultz and Stuart Veeder, and it will be nice to conclude the week with another simcha, as we celebrate the engagement of Simon Chafetz to Ally Levy of Sharon, MA.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom- with strings attached! Sincerely, Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Congregation Shaare Tefilla 6131 Churchill Way Dallas, TX 75230
