Question: Why do we find crownlets in the Torah on the letters shin, ayin, tet, nun, zayin, gimmel, and tzaddi? And why only these letters?
Avrohom Gruenberg
Last week we cited the Gemara (Menachot 29b), which states that Hashem showed Moses, to his great wonderment, Rabbi Akiva expounding many halachot from the crownlets in the Torah.
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“Rava states that seven letters require three strokes [on top, forming a coronet]: shin, ayin, tet, nun, zayin [which spell shatnez], as well as gimmel and tzaddi” (Menachos 29b).
Why do these specific letters bear crownlets and not others? And what is the connection of the “shatnez gatz” acrostic to these letters?
I wish to suggest a novel interpretation. I have searched to see if anyone else offers it but have thus far not found anyone who does so. If any of our many valued readers finds a source for this interpretation, or any other interpretation for that matter, I would be most appreciative if he contacted me.
In his commentary on the first verse of the Torah (Genesis 1:1), “Bereishit bara Elokim…,” Rashi explains, citing the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 1:6), that the world was created at the outset for “reishit – the first,” meaning the Torah. The world was created for the Torah which the nation of Israel would later accept and fulfill.
The Torah (Deuteronomy 22:11-12) states: “Lo tilbash sha’atnez tzemer u’pishtim yachdav – You shall not wear not wear an admixture of wool and linen together. G’dilim ta’aseh loch al arba kanfot k’sutcha asher techaseh bah – Tassels you shall make for yourself upon the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself.”
Earlier (Numbers 15:37-41) we read the parsha of tzitzit: “Vayomer Hashem el Moshe leimor: daber el Bnei Yisrael v’amarta aleihem v’asu lohem tzitzit al kanfei bigdeihem l’dorotom v’notnu al tzitzit hakonof p’til t’chelet – And the L-rd said to Moses saying: Speak to the children of Israel and say to them that they shall make themselves tassels on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations, and they shall place upon the tassels at [each] corner a thread of turquoise wool. V’hoyo lochem l’tzitzit u’re’item oto u’ze’chartem et kol mitzvot Hashem va’asitem otam v’lo taturu acharei le’vavechem v’acharei eineichem asher atem zonim achareihem – It shall constitute tassels for you, that you may see it and remember all of the commandments of the L-rd, that you shall perform them, and not stray after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray. L’ma’an tizk’ru va’asitem et kol mitzvotai v’h’yitem Kedoshim l’Eilokechem – In order that you may remember to perform all My commandments and be holy before your G-d. Ani Hashem Elokeichem asher hotzeiti etchem me’eretz Mitzrayim lih’yot lochem l’Eilokim Ani Hashem Elokeichem – I am Hashem, your G-d, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your G-d, I am Hashem your G-d.”
The Mechaber (Orach Chayim 24:2) states: It is a mitzvah to grab onto the tzitzit with the left hand when reciting Shema [as Shema concludes with the parsha of tzitzit]. The Mechaber (infra 24:4) states further: It is the custom for some to look at the tzitzit when they reach “u’re’item oto u’ze’chartem et kol mitzvot Hashem – that you may see it and remember all of the commandments of the L-rd.”
The Rema (ad loc) adds that some have the custom to kiss them at this point as a sign of endearment for the mitzvah. This custom is probably based of Midrash Shocher Tov cited by Hagahot Maimoniyot (to Rambam, Hilchot Tzitzit ch. 3:11), which states that King David would hold them to his heart when reciting Shema. Many siddurim contain instructions to kiss the tzitzit every time the word tzitzit mentioned. I have not found a source for this practice other than these printed instructions, but presumably it too is to demonstrate endearment for the mitzvah.
The Torah states that we wear tzitzit in order to remember and perform the mitzvot. But how do tzitzit remind us of the mitzvot? Rashi (Numbers 15:39) explains: “The numerical value of tzitzit – tzadi, yud, tzadi, yud, tav – is 600, and the eight strings and five knots on the tzitzit bring the total to 613, the number of biblical commandments.”
Now that we have established that the tzitzit remind us of the 613 mitzvot, let us return to the question of why shin, ayin, tet, nun, zayin (which spell shatnez), as well as gimmel and tzaddi are the only letters in the Torah that have crownlets affixed to them. All these letters are found in the parshah of tzitzit in Parshat Shelach, where the tassels or fringes are referred to as tzitzit while in Parshat Ki Teitzei they are referred to as gedilim. Thus we have “shatnez gatz.”
Without the Oral Law handed down to Moses at Sinai, we would not know how to make tzitzit. And Rabbi Akiva saw from these crownlets that many other mitzvot also need traditions from Sinai – halachot l’Moshe mi’Sinai – for us to properly fulfill them.
The fact that the seven crownlet letters spell the word shatnez may have spurred Rabbi Akiva to expound many commands from these letters. For one may reason regarding the command not to plough with an ox and a donkey together that the strengths of these two species are unequal and therefore ploughing with them together would cause them pain. What logic is there, though, to the shatnez prohibition? There doesn’t seem to be a self-evident one. At the same time, from the proximity of the mitzvot of shatnez and tzitzit in the Torah, our sages (Yevamot 4a) expounded that where techelet-dyed wool is available, one may fashion and wear a linen garment with woolen tzitzit.
Without the benefit of our sages, as we noted previously, we would encounter difficulty in performing many of the Torah’s commands. It is only through the exposition of our sages that are able to perform many Biblical commands.
In summation, the seven crownlet letters in serve as a constant reminder that the Written Law is bound to the Oral Law.