Woodmere, NY – Telling The Story Behind ‘Tzitzit Techeiles’ [videos]

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    The Jewish Star Photo by Shlomo EisenbergWoodmere, NY – Dr. Ari Greenspan, dentist turned explorer, recently led a roomful of men and women on a verbal trip that spanned the coasts of Acco to Vatican City to the fish markets of the Rock of Gibraltar on a search for tekhelet, Judaism’s legendary blue dye.

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    Greenspan is the founder of P’til Tekhelet, the Association for the Promotion and Distribution of Tekhelet in Jerusalem, and one of the men responsible for the resurgence of the use of the dye. He spoke in the Young Israel of Woodmere as part of its ongoing adult education series.

    Greenberg began with a short history of the tekhelet. According to the Talmud, the tekhelet is similar to the grasses by the coast, which is similar to the blue of the sea, which in turn is similar to the sky. The sky, the Talmud explains, is the same color as the throne of Hashem. The snail used for the dye was found along the Mediterranean coast from Haifa to Tyre.

    Read the full story at The Jewish Star

    Below are YouTube clips about ‘Tzitzit Techeiles’ documented in 2007

    The Mystery of Tekhelet is a fascinating documentary that takes the viewer on a journey through history in search of the ancient blue dye, Tekhelet.

    The movie, richly filmed, travels through 3000 years of Jewish history. Come see scuba divers collecting the snails of Tekhelet off the coast of Israel. Observe Bedouin shepherds shearing sheep. Participate in sophisticated chemical analysis of the dyes as well as the actual dyeing of Tekhelet in a 2500 year old Tekhelet factory.

    The Biblical commandment of Tzitzit and Tekhelet becomes meaningful in a profound way in P’til Tekhelet’s The Mystery of Tekhelet.


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    67 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I am glad that they think they uncovered the long lost recipe for techeiles. It is one business that heimishe yidden haven’t fallen for.

    a kleina tattela mit kortza hoizen
    a kleina tattela mit kortza hoizen
    14 years ago

    well . we do have a mesorah to go by so its not relevant for us at all anybody wishing to make changes in halacha or mesorah based on some youtube video feel free

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Anyone who has read the literature they have put out, including the dozens of Halachic research articles can’t fail to be impressed.

    The number of Poskim wearing techelis is impressive. Many don’t want to be quoted but Rabbi Herschel Schachter, Rabbi Moshe Tendler, Rabbi Shabtai Rappaport,

    Before judging, check their website http://www.tekhelet.com

    It is filled with Torah. Print out some of their articles and read it over Shabbos.

    ethan
    ethan
    14 years ago

    I guess yidden like Rav Zalman Yecheskael goldberg, rabbi chaim Twersky in chicago, Rabbi dr avraham twerski, the brother and son or rav shlomo zalman urbach, rav amram opman of the yerushalayim eideh chareidis or a few roshei yeshiva in lakewood , rav dicovsky on the beis din hagadol in yerushalayim or the entire zilberman group in the old city in yerushalayim or rabbi shlomo machpud in bnei brak are not not heimishe??

    You may not have looked into this issue of whether or not it is tcheiles, many gedolim feel it is. It is worth at least evaluating it from a halachic perspective rather than just bashing it with no understanding of the issues. These great gedolim shlit”a seem to feel differently than you.

    Also why are you afraid to post your name?

    Chaim S.
    Chaim S.
    14 years ago

    The discovery of techeles was originally done by the Radziner Rebbe Rav Gershon Henoch Leiner in Poland over 100 years ago. There was strong opposition and controversy back then. There are many reasons that the great majority of Klal Yisroel haven’t accepted it. One very important reason is that Chazal say that whoever wears “imitation” techeles, in other words not the real thing, is actually sinning. Chazal also state that the early Chazal “goneiz”, hid, the chilazon. The term “goneiz” when used by Chazal always means “hidden forever”, not just until somebody “discovers” it. The fact is that we don’t actually know for sure if the murex snail is the chilazon of halacho. The reason we would wear techeles is as the article states, its color is like the sea and the sea is like the color of Hashem’s throne. Since the insignia of Hashem is Truth, wearing something that is supposed to signify truth yet has the stigma of suspicion as maybe its not really true, obviously negates the mitzva of looking at your tzitzis and seeing truth. Not wearing techels is not a sin. Wearing techeles that maybe is not really the right dye, now that according to Chazal is a sin.

    HolyMoe
    HolyMoe
    14 years ago

    I heard about this Murex Tchelles in a shiur given in Brooklyn about 10 years ago.
    I can learn a little bit so I argued with the Shiur giver. For six months afterwards, I was Oisek in this Inyan to disprove it and to write a Maamar disproving it.
    I gave up.
    I had to admit that it is the real tchelles (I am 99.99% sure). I am now wearing it myself.
    Putting it simply, the waters near Eretz Yisroel are full of this snail. ChaZa”L said you can’t wear Kla Ilan (Indigo) because it is almost identical to Tchelles but comes from a plant. Indigo is almost identical to Murex dye. If Tchelles is something other than Murex, why didn’t ChaZa”L also warn us about a third possibility – Murex dye which is also identical (and available in the area of Eretz Yisroel)?

    You know why? Because Murex IS Tchelles.

    If Messoress bothers you, wearing any color Tzitzis (except from Kla Ilan) is completely Kusher Lchol HaDayos, so there is no problem coloring Tzitzis with Murex.
    Not wearing Tchelles when you can obtain it, however, is Mvatel a Mitzvo and maybe even you are even Oiver on the Lav of Lo Sigraa.

    Mordichai from Flatbush
    Mordichai from Flatbush
    14 years ago

    Ther is a famous letter from the lubavicher Rebbe Reb Sholom ber in the year 1907 to the Radziner Rebbe (the letter can be found in his Igros), A he writes that even if the tchalos is right however according to the Areza”l we do not were tchalos in time of gollus — till Moshiach comes.

    I saw the letter recently printed in Yalkut Moshiach al hatorah parshas Shlach

    Chaim S.
    Chaim S.
    14 years ago

    For those of you who are interested in real research and gaining an insight onto the controversy over techeles, instead of just mouthing ignorance, I suggest you go to http://www.hakirah.org and look at Issues #3 and #4 . In issue #3 there’s an excellent article and then in issue #4 there’s a rebuttal and answer. At least after reading those 2 issues you’ll have an idea of what this is all about.

    question
    question
    14 years ago

    what do the mainstream gedolim say about this? rav shtenman rav chaim kanievksi rav elyashiv , the lakewood poskim , re wacthfofel , rav simcha schustal , rav rosenbloom rav feinstein we go after roiv gedolim and I don’t see any of them wearing this. any of these issues brought forth here just ask these gedolim and you’ll get what h-ashem wants , not some modern orthodox centrist viewpoint ( there are much more just these come to mind )

    pinny
    pinny
    14 years ago

    i was wondering about the knots on the tzitzis. they are different. any explanation?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Besides Breslov who don’t have a Rebbe to guide them and Radziner chasidim, no chasidish rebbe wears techeles. Just about 100% of the Yeshivish olam doesn’t either. As was mentioned earlier, Chazal clearly say that the chilazon was hidden. These various snails have been around always and were never hidden. So that alone should tell you that these aren’t the real chilazon.

    Jothar
    Jothar
    14 years ago

    There seems to be a MO-chareidi split on this. The MO are more gung-ho on this than the chareidim. I’m wondering if some of the techeiles pus his based on the fact that there is royal blue israel’s flag, and it’s a form of dati le’umi’ism, which would explain some of the opposition from many. Years ago, I wanted to buy a pair of Murex tzitzis, as they do have some good proofs on their side (and a good many of difficulties which they do not discuss). I was advised to spend the money (it was like $80) on a vadai mitzvah instead of a safek mitzvah. Until advised otherwise by my posek, I’m sticking with that one. Good sugya le’halacha, but not lemaaseh.

    Raphael Kaufman
    Raphael Kaufman
    14 years ago

    The gemarah in Menachos relates that an objective test exists to differentiate true techeiles from kla ilan (indigo). True techeiles is color fast, it doesn’t fade quickly in the common bleaching agent used at the time (fermented urine. more commonly known as “chamber lye”). has anyone tested murex trunculus dye vs indigo for relative color fastness?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Can anyone give us an address where we can buy techeles?

    Saul
    Saul
    14 years ago

    If you have the tekhelet shipped within Israel you can purchase them for the shekel price of between NIS 80 – 160. Much cheaper than the USD price. contact them at [email protected]

    Lubavitcher Rebbes
    Lubavitcher Rebbes
    14 years ago

    Here’s a letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe (from 9 Tammuz 5718 printed in Igros Kodesh volume 17 pg 232. Note that the letter the Rebbe refers to from the fifth Chabad Rebbe, The Rebbe Rashab (R’ Sholom Dov Ber) is printed in Igros Kodesh of the Rebbe Rashab volume 1 Letter 158)

    במש”כ ע”ד חלזון ותכלת בהנוגע לפועל עתה בציצית – הרי ידוע אשר הרעישו ע”ז והתנגדו לזה, וגם ע”פ נגלה, גדולי עולם בעת יצא חידוש זה מראדזין. וגם כ”ק אדמו”ר (מהורש”ב) נ”ע לא הסכים על החידוש בשו”א. ואין אתה תח”י מכתבו בזה. אבל זכורני שמביא שע”פ קבלה יהי’ ענין התכלת רק לעת”ל. ואנו אין לנו אלא דברי כ”ק אדנ”ע.

    (translation:
    Regarding what he writes about the chilazon and techeles and the practical implications for tzitzis in our time — it is known that there was stormy objection to this and opposition, also according to the revealed Torah, by the Gedolei Olam at the time that this chiddush came out for Radzin. Additionally, the [Rebbe Rashab] did not agree by any means with this chiddush. I don’t have his letter at the moment, but I recall that he brings that according to Kabbalah the inyan of techeles will only be in the time to come. And we have nothing else we rely on besides the words of the Rebbe.

    Arizal
    Arizal
    14 years ago

    The YESHU’OS MALKO (#1) points out that it is written in the Sifri (Parshas v’Zos ha’Berachah), as well as in the teachings of the Arizal, that Techeles can be present only when there is a Beis ha’Mikdash.”

    matzahlocal101
    matzahlocal101
    14 years ago

    A very basic starting point is the fact that the radziner knew more Torah than any 100 modern orthodox rabbis today. If you would like to disprove that point and invite your favorite 100 Gedolai modern orthodoxy to be locked up for 11 days without any seforim and see what they can write on Pirkei d’reb Eliezer ba’al peh and compare it to the Ba’al techailes’ sefer. Actually that is the starting point, you can compare any of his 20(?) seferim to what modern orthodoxy can put out, there is no comparison. The Radziner wrote three seferim on taicheles and any investigation that differs with the Radziner would still have to start with the scholarship in these seferim. The posuk says “sfunay tamunay choil” Rashi sasy like the tris, the chalazon, and white glass, which is hidden in the sand. The murex does not hide in the sand. The cuttlefish actually burrows into the sand as well as changing color and texture and hiding among seaweed and rocks. The Radziner took all the mamarei chazal and tried to find a match. The MO took all the histrorical, archological, and scientific info then tried to see which mamarei chazal fit. (cont’d)

    matzahlocal101
    matzahlocal101
    14 years ago

    (cont’d)
    While the Radziner did a fine job of matching all the mamarei chazal, the MO picked a dye that could be changed from purple to yellow depending on how long it was brominated. The Murex dye is likely the biblical argamon. The cuttlefish (which is amazing creature, in the first place) is the likely candidate if you take the time to review all the info. There used to be a site called chilazon.com which was a pro cuttlefish site and listed all the unanswered correspondence along with links to the ptil techailes site. I just found the major summary of the dispute online I hope the webmaster will post this link. It’s the most informative as it includes both sides of the dispute.

    http://www.tekhelet.com/pdf/mendel.htm

    the Radziner’s sefer sfunai tumunai choil is also availble online in English at: begedivri.com/techelet/Sefunei.htm Nothing else on the site is endorsed.

    All three seferim are available online in Hebrew at: hebrewbooks .org

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    some people say that the most recent techeles found is real. they claim that they brought it before maran hagaon R’ Elyashiv, and supposedly he said he doesnt want to see it since if its real he would have to wear it, and all other times they brought before him he looked at it and posseled it. now does this really make sense. we say every day in shema hakanaf pesil techeiles a mitzvah dorraisa why wouldnt he want to wear it?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    look in menachos around daf 45a goes through a full daf that even if you have real techeiles you cant wear bec. of maras ayin

    Footsteps of Moshiach
    Footsteps of Moshiach
    14 years ago

    Rebbi Chaim Vital in sefer Eitz Hadaas Tov Lived in Zfas 400 years ago and lived there till age 77 and mentions that it is no longer the minhag to wear in todays time .
    He was the main and only Talmid ofThe holy Ari and the last true Musmach in the world.

    real pshat in "nignaz"
    real pshat in "nignaz"
    14 years ago

    I am a “regular charedi yunger man” who did alot of research on the subject and am now zoche to be mekayem this mitzvas asseh every day of wearing t’cheiles. Just to clarify, The issue about Nignaz today has a different meaning, it means that many charedi people who wear t’cheiles have to bury it in (tuck it in) their pants and dont wear it on their tallis gadol,so they dont feel “different” than the rest of the shul or get harassed by some people who have no idea about t’cheiles. About the cuttlefish (a.k.a. sceptia) It’s clearly not the t’cheiles talked about in the torah, they could have used any animal and gotten the same results, however,Kol Hakovod to the Radziner for getting the issue started “lo alecha hamlacha ligmor v’lo alecha ligmor” I’m sure he is reaping in alot of s’char for the findings that we have today with the murex trunculus. Last, the quote from the Ariza”l hakadosh “Limos hamashiach” Who knows “maybe this is the hischalta d’geualah” as said by R’ Yehoshua Kutna (he is brought down by the mishnah berurah in many other places)when arguing on the cuttlefish find.

    Yeshivish
    Yeshivish
    13 years ago

    The reason for the prohibition of plant indigo is simply because it is the wrong one. In the time of the Gemmarah it was known that its color was similar to the blood of the chilazon. People in those days preferred a cheaper dye so they feigned Torah observance by wearing a counterfeit dye. They did this in order for the perception to be that they care about halacha, in other words, they performed a blatant display of religiosity. The Torah has countless places where it criticizes such disingenuous behavior. Of course, this is not even remotely similar to a person learning a sugya, and concluding that he should take on further observance.

    Concerning the argument that we should adhere to our tradition. There is no tradition to refrain from wearing techeilet. It has been a long time since the Jewish people were able to perform this mitzva, but this has nothing to do with tradition. There was never a time in history where a decision made to stop wearing techeilet.

    Yeshivish
    Yeshivish
    13 years ago

    Tradition under duress is not the same thing as tradition.