A single hand-tied tzitzit string, close up

The sources

The Mitzvah

וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם

A garment you see, so that you remember.

The mitzvah of tzitzit is unusual among mitzvos: it isn’t something you do once and finish. It’s something you wear.

Which means the garment itself is not incidental to it. A tzitzit you take off at midday because it’s uncomfortable is a tzitzit you’re not wearing. That is the entire reason this company exists.

The source

The Torah tells us:

“Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to make Tzitzit (fringes) on the corners of their garments throughout their generations.”

The pasuk tells us that when a man looks at his tzitzit, it should remind him of all the other mitzvos.

Rashi

Rashi points out that the numerical value of “Tzitzit” is equal to 600. Add the 8 strings and 5 knots on each corner of the garment, and you arrive at 613 — an allusion to the 613 mitzvos of the Torah.

600 (ציצית) + 8 strings + 5 knots = 613 mitzvos

The Chinuch says

“The point of the mitzvah of Tzitzit is to always remember all the mitzvos of Hashem. There is nothing greater in the world to enable us to remember this than to have the seal and banner of our Master with us — and this is Tzitzit.”

What it is

Four corners, four sets of strings.

The mitzvah attaches to a four-cornered garment: strings are tied through a hole near each corner, then wound and knotted. Since four-cornered clothing isn’t how anyone dresses today, the practice is to wear a dedicated garment made for the purpose — what most people call a tallis katan.

That’s what a Le’Shem is. The snaps down each side are what keep the corners as corners while the garment still fits like a shirt.

Rewarded each second

Vilna, 1797.

It was the fifth day of Sukkos, and the Vilna Gaon — one of the greatest luminaries of the last five hundred years — was on his deathbed. Those around him knew these were his last precious minutes.

To everyone’s surprise, he took his tzitzit in his hand, caressed them lovingly, and began to cry.

“These Tzitzit are so precious! In this world one can buy them with little money, and with hardly any effort one can fulfill the Mitzvah all day long. But in the world to come, nothing can help a person be able to once again have the chance.”

— the final words of the Vilna Gaon

He was teaching how crucial it is to seize the opportunities life gives us. Every mitzvah has its own special draw — and this one can be fulfilled all day long, simply by wearing it.

Kedushah to Klal Yisrael

What the sources say tzitzit does.

From an ayin hara. Tzitzit saves from an ayin hara.
From lashon hara. One who wishes to refrain from speaking lashon hara and other forbidden words should look at his tzitzit, and Hashem will save him.
A segulah to get well. A sick person should look at his tzitzit as a segulah to get well.
From dishonor. One who wishes to be saved from a dishonorable situation should look at his tzitzit.
From anger. The same is true for one who wishes to avoid getting angry.
From sin. Tzitzit saves one from sin.

Strings for every minhag

Two customs, both carried.

The strings are tied the same way in principle and differ in the details of the windings and knots, according to the custom a family follows. Neither is a variation on the other; they are two established minhagim.

Every Le’Shem product is made in both Sefardic and Ashkenaz — there is no cut, color or size where one is available and the other isn’t. For special string requests, write to us before ordering.

Looking after them

The strings are the part that needs care.

In the wash. Loose in a machine, strings tangle and knots work themselves open. The Washalè that comes with every pair is there to stop that.

Check them. Strings wear over time, and a torn one can affect the garment’s status. It’s worth looking them over regularly rather than assuming.

When something’s wrong. A torn or missing string is a halachic question, not a customer service one. Ask your rav what your situation requires.

This page brings together the sources as we understand them, so you know what you’re buying and why it matters. It isn’t halachic guidance and isn’t a substitute for asking. For anything that turns on your own circumstances or your family’s custom, ask your rav.