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Is there a Mitzvah of Tzitzis at night? If not, why do some people wear them at night?

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4 Answers

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This is the shittah of the Rosh, who holds that a beged yom is chayav even at night. I believe the Mishnah Berurah also brings down from the Arizal to wear tzitzis at night al pi kabbalah.

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up vote 2 down vote

The Gemara in Menahot 43a excludes "clothing at night" from tzitzit because of the pasuk "וראיתם אתו" in Bamidbar 15:39.

The Shulchan Aruch in O"H 18:1 quotes a machloket rishonim on how to interpret this gemara:

Rambam: At night, you are patur from wearing tzitzit on your garment, regardless of what kind of garment it is.

Rosh: If the garment is specialized for daytime wear, you always need to have tzitzit on it. If the garment is specialized for nighttime wear, you never need to have tzitzit on it, regardless of whether it is currently day or night.

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It seems to have become normative practice to only wear four cornered garments without tzitzit, if it's a nighttime garment, AND it is currently night. One example is a reflective vest that bicyclists wear to make it easier for cars to see them on the road. – user1095 Feb 12 '12 at 8:13
up vote 1 down vote

No (Rabenu Bachya and other Mefarshim to Debarim 15:39).

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up vote 1 down vote

I recall a Tosafos in Yevamos in the sugya of esay doheh lo taaseh that proves that there is one shittah in the mishnah that holds tzitzis to be obligatory at night. Perhaps it is a stringency to fulfill that opinion.

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There is certainly a shittas rishonim that merely excludes beged layla but a beged yom at night is chayav. – YDK Feb 23 '11 at 7:05
Which is why IIRC that the halacha is that one is supposed to wear beged yom at night while omitting the bracha recited upon it. – Adam Mosheh Feb 12 '12 at 14:11

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