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Were tzitzis added to clothing immediately after Matan Torah and if so, how did they make the techelet which needs to be dyed "lishmah"?

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  • Welcome to MiYodeya Dina and thanks for this first question. Great to have you learn with us!
    – mbloch
    Commented Mar 2 at 17:26
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    They seemed to have plenty of techeiles, as it was one of the components used in the mishkan
    – Chatzkel
    Commented Mar 5 at 19:11
  • @Chatzkel They could have gotten that from the Egyptians, but that doesn't need lishmah afaik.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Mar 8 at 14:35
  • @DoubleAA ,I think the Iglei Tal says something along those lines.
    – sam
    Commented Mar 8 at 14:53

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According to the gemara in Bava Basra 73b which discusses the travels of Rabba bar bar Channa with an Arab tour guide ,it mentions he cut off a corner of tzizts(techeiles) from one of the dead of the midbar. However ,he was unable to take it with him ,and when he got back the Rabbanan chastised him for not at least counting how many strings there were to settle the dispute of Bais Hillel and Bais Shammai on how many strings are required.

With regards to your question how they aquired techeiles. The Radvaz 2:685 answers that they got the chilazon from the Yam Suf.

Text of Bava Basra :

פְּסַקִי חֲדָא קַרְנָא דִתְכֵלְתָּא דְּחַד מִינַּיְיהוּ

Text of Radvaz :

enter image description here

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  • "the Rabbanan chastised him for not at least counting how many strings there were to settle the dispute of Bais Hillel and Bais Shammai on how many strings are required." sounds like an argument in favor of allowing the findings of archaeology to inform halakhic decisions
    – Deuteronomy
    Commented Mar 8 at 15:07
  • That's how Rav Hershel Schacter understands it ,so you are in good company. Although, I believe Rav Chaim Kanievsky learns the opposite from the gemara...
    – sam
    Commented Mar 8 at 15:19
  • Very interesting... sounds like you might be the right guy to try to tackle this (if you've got the time at some point): judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/98363/…
    – Deuteronomy
    Commented Mar 8 at 16:36
  • Murex snails don't live in the Red Sea. (They probably could, but before the Suez canal there was no way for them to ever have migrated there.)
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Mar 8 at 16:42
  • Currently......the rest is conjecture
    – sam
    Commented Mar 8 at 16:56

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