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Almost everywhere I've seen, they're tied on the bottom edge (i.e., the side where the decorative fringes are).

Yet according to the halacha, tzitzis need to hang in such a way that they are notef al hakeren. In the case of a tallis gadol, this means tying them the way it is usually tied because when you wear it, it ends up hanging in such a way that they hang down the corner. In other words, the "bottom" of a tallis gadol is not the "bottom" when it is worn.

In the case of the tallis katan, however, we never flip it onto the shoulders or wear it in such a way that having it tied on the bottom will allow it to hang in a way that it hangs down the corner -- it would have to be tied sideways for this to happen. Why is this not the case?

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    Firstly, the correct way to hang them on a Tallit Gadol is along the edge - the edge while you wear them, so they hang over the edge. (Not clear if this is what you mean). The halacha is the same for the Tallis Katan and it needs to hang over the edge. A case of "most people get this wrong, but it's clearly documented"
    – Danny Schoemann
    Aug 28, 2017 at 8:55
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    Yes, the tzitzis needs to hang over the edge of the tallis gadol when it is worn. I assume the same thing applies for a tallis katan, but if you Google tallis katan (as well as how it looks in pictures for sale, etc), they're attached on the bottom rather than the side -- they're not hanging over the edge. Rather they look like this: quanaodothai.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/tzitzskatan-ch.jpg
    – Qoheles
    Aug 28, 2017 at 9:12
  • LOL! The fellow is wearing a ring in that picture; clearly not the Chasid the picture is trying to imply. :-D
    – Danny Schoemann
    Aug 28, 2017 at 13:29
  • Isn't this one of the reasons why the Chabad tallis gadol has two holes?
    – ezra
    Aug 28, 2017 at 14:28
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    @DannySchoemann - Seriously, right? And you wouldn't believe it, but Wikipedia uses this picture to illustrate a chassid. And by the way, did you notice the tzitzis he is wearing are brand new? Obviously just threw on that get-up for the shoot. :)
    – ezra
    Aug 28, 2017 at 14:29

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the braid of the tzitsis needs to touch the corner (see halacha 34 here)

on a talas katan some people make 2 holes (halacha 35 (ibid)) so the braid touches the corner

but by a tales godol (because it is in public) there is only one hole so it is very possible that the braid will not touch the corner (but only start at the corner) so they make an extra small hole for it to "hang down the corner"

it seems @Danny Schoemann is correct in his comment above that by a talas koton which has one hole and does not hang on the side is:

A case of "most people get this wrong, but it's clearly documented"

And below in comment he brought a source that after the fact (bdieved) it is kosher

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  • Primary source is Shulchan Aruch OC סימן יא - דיני חוטי הציצית - טו יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְדַקְדֵּק שֶׁיִּתְלֶה הַצִּיצִית לְאֹרֶךְ הַטַּלִּית דְּבָעֵינָן שֶׁתְּהֵא נוֹטְפוֹת עַל הַקֶּרֶן פֵּרוּשׁ תָּלוּי עַל הַקֶּרֶן, וְאִם הָיָה בְּרָחְבּוֹ לֹא הָיָה נוֹטֵף שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּלַפֵּי קַרְקַע הָיָה תָּלוּי. or as the Oruch Hashulchan says יט אין לתלות הציצית למטה לצד הארץ אלא על צד הכנף, שנאמר: ''על כנפי בגדיהם'' – שתהא נוטפת על הקרן (וזהו כוונת השולחן ערוך בסעיף ט''ו).
    – Danny Schoemann
    Aug 28, 2017 at 13:52
  • Note that the Be'er Heitev adds in the name of the Magen Avraham that בדיעבד כשר אבל באלכסון אסור שהוא מנהג קראים. I.e. 1. It's OK if you get it wrong, and 2. Don't hang them at a 45º angle over the corner - that's a Karaite custom.
    – Danny Schoemann
    Aug 28, 2017 at 13:55

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