(from Meshekh Chokhma )
Moshe Rabbeinu’s Tzitzit
The Midrash (Sifrei Zuta on Bemidbar 15:35) makes a comment that left its commentators puzzled: [Speak to the Children of Israel] – the Children of Israel are obligated in tzitzit. G-d spoke to Moshe – this includes “yechidim”.
What are these “yechidim”? To simply translate it as “individuals” is difficult. Why think that tzitzit would only be a communal mitzva, requiring a special derivation to teach us that individuals are obligated. The Zayit Raanan (quoted in Rav Kuperman’s footnotes to the Meshekh Chokhma), suggests that we might have thought that there was only an obligation of tzitzit when praying with a community. He himself finds this difficult.
The Meshekh Chokhma translates “yechidim” as special individuals, based on the Sages’ usage of the word in the laws of fasting in a drought (Taanit 10a). If no rain fell by the seventeenth of Cheshvan “yechidim” begin to fast. Who are the “yechidim”? Talmidei Chakhamim – scholars.
We would have thought, says the Meshekh Chokhma, that because the reason given for the mitzva is to avoid straying after our eyes and hearts (verse 39), those on a very high spiritual and moral level are not obligated in tzitzit. The Torah therefore opens the section with, “G-d said to Moshe” – even Moshe, the greatest talmid chakham in history, must wear tzitzit. (The Meshekh Chokhma does not develop what tzitzit means for the “yechidim” – that they also need this safeguard for their subtle struggles, or that the mitzva has other lessons for them, see his comments on 15:40.)
The verse “G-d said to Moshe,” in general indicates a personal command for Moshe to act. It appears when the princes donated the wagons to the Mishkan and Moshe was instructed to accept their gift (Bemidbar 7:5); when the daughters of Tzelafchad were to be assured of an inheritance (Bemidbar 27:7); and when the command to transgress Shabbat to save a life appears, and the Torah indicates that this should be done by those of the greatest stature present (Shemot 31:12 and Yoma 84a).
Our greatest leaders and sages are to set a clear example and take the lead in mitzvot one might theoretically have relegated to those of lower status.
[prepared by Eliezer Kwass]
