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Let's say I use the pretty much disproven Techelet (Radzyner) : is my Tzitzit completely Pasul? I think according to the Arizal it isn't. Does anyone disagree?

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Hazal, I believe, only outright banned specific fake Techeileth called Kalah Ilan (generally understood to be indigo). However, I think this is a subject of debate about exactly what was banned. – Seth J Jan 9 '12 at 21:27
I know that Gemara in B"M 61b, but I'm looking for a Posek e.g. the Rambam. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 9 '12 at 21:29
OK, because it sounds like you're asking about something that may be disproven (but may not be Kalah Ilan), so I thought I'd add that. – Seth J Jan 9 '12 at 21:31
I'm talking about the Radzyner Techelet. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 9 '12 at 21:33
I thought you might be. I don't think anyone bans discredited Techeileth, only Kalah Ilan (which, again, may be a subject of dispute as to what exactly that is). – Seth J Jan 9 '12 at 21:42
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4 Answers

up vote 9 down vote accepted

If you honestly believe that you are wearing true tekhelet then you are not in violation of the Gemara (BM 61b). If your tekhelet turns out to be false tekhelet, then you will have only fulfilled the mitzvah of tzitzit but not the aspect of tekhelet, as the Gemara (Men. 40a) explains is the case for one who unwittingly wore kela ilan - see my article "False Tekhelet": http://tekhelet.com/pdf/false.pdf

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Mois Navon, welcome to Judaism.SE, and thanks very much for contributing your expertise! We have a bunch of other techeles questions that you might want to check out, too. Please consider registering your account, which will give you access to more of the site's features. – Isaac Moses Jan 16 '12 at 14:30
up vote 1 down vote

According to the Rambam, your tzizit can be any color really. The only thing they can't be is either all techelet, or techelet made from indidgo plants. (Some read this to mean any plants)

Since the Radzyner are made from animals and inorganic material but not plants, then this is not a problem.

I have heard some people say that you should put a bit of the dye on your clothing so that the strings are the same color as your garment, to fulfill the words of the Rambam properly. But I have also heard in the name of Rav Shachter, that really you can have any color on your tzizit at all regardles of the garment. As long as they are not all the same color (save white) and that they are not made from indigo.

However, you are not fulfilling the mitzvah of tzizit with lavan and Techelet when you have non-techelet dye on your tzizit.

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up vote 2 down vote

According to the Rambam, the tzitzit is passul if you use the wrong blue-dye for the techelet. (See my post here: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/8913/702)

Mishna Torah - Hilchot Tzitzit- chapter 2, halacha 1

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I am not so convinced by this. There is a difference between פסול לציצית and פוסל לציצית. Pasul letzitzis means that it is invalid for the purpose of (the techeiles) for tzitzis. Posel letzitzis would mean that it invalidates the whole tzitzis. This is subject to a diyuk in the Rambam, so consult your local Orthodox rabbi. – josh waxman Jan 10 '12 at 17:37
@joshwaxman It would make sense to consult one's Rabbi even if the Rambam was less ambiguous, since his may or may not be the only opinion. Unfortunately, my cursory look at the commentaries on the Rambam didn't discover anyone resolving this question. – Isaac Moses Jan 10 '12 at 17:42
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IIRC, according to the Tiferet Yisrael, any dye from a sea creature is considered chilazon. This is how some people justify Radziner techelet.

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I assuming that this comes from his commentary on the mishnayot (Perek haTechelet in Menachot). I would appreciate verification. – Adam Mosheh Jan 10 '12 at 17:54
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link to תפארת ישראל: hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=37941&st=&pgnum=46 – moses Jan 27 '12 at 7:56
summary: any sea creature that makes blue is good as the חילזון. he does actually suggest the murex trunculus, which he calls the "purpura" but dismisses it as it doesn't make blue, but purple. rav herzog in "the royal purple" has the same problem. being that this problem is now alleviated, from that perspective the murex is fine as the חילזון – moses Jan 27 '12 at 8:00

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